Using or converting a foreign driving licence in Düsseldorf

What it is

A licence from a non-EU/EEA country lets you drive in Germany for six months after you take up your normal residence here. After that you need a German licence. If your country and licence class are on the official state list (Anlage 11 FeV), you can get the German licence without theory and/or practical test, depending on the entry; otherwise you have to pass the tests but do not need driving school training. Licences from EU/EEA countries follow different rules (§ 28 FeV) and normally do not need to be converted.

Who:People who hold a driving licence from a country outside the EU/EEA and take up their normal residence (ordentlicher Wohnsitz) in Germany.

Documents

As listed by Düsseldorf:

• ID card or passport (Personalausweis oder Reisepass) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Foreign driving licence (if it shows no issue date, proof of how long you have held it) (Führerschein; Nachweis über die Dauer des Besitzes, falls kein Ausstellungsdatum) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Biometric photo (at least 35 x 45 mm, no headwear, not older than 2 years) (Biometrisches Lichtbild) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Translation of the licence by a German consul in the issuing country, an internationally recognised automobile club, an official body of the issuing country or an authorised translator (the translator must have seen the original) (Übersetzung des Führerscheins) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Eye test (classes A/B) or ophthalmologist's report under Annex 6 FeV (classes C/D) (Sehtest bzw. augenärztliches Gutachten nach Anlage 6 FeV) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Proof of first-aid training (Nachweis über eine Schulung in Erster Hilfe) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Classes C/D - medical fitness examination (Annex 5 No. 1 FeV); class D also a performance test (Annex 5 No. 2 FeV) (ärztliche Eignungsuntersuchung nach Anlage 5 Nr. 1 FeV; Leistungstest nach Anlage 5 Nr. 2 FeV) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Required by federal law / nationwide:

• Your national (foreign) driving licence as proof that you hold the licence (Der Antragsteller hat den Besitz der ausländischen Fahrerlaubnis durch den nationalen Führerschein nachzuweisen.) § 31 Abs. 3 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Written declaration that your foreign licence is still valid (eine Erklärung des Inhalts beizugeben, dass seine ausländische Fahrerlaubnis noch gültig ist) § 31 Abs. 3 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Official proof of place and date of birth (ein amtlicher Nachweis über Ort und Tag der Geburt) § 21 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• A photo meeting the German passport photo rules (Passverordnung) (ein Lichtbild, das den Bestimmungen der Passverordnung ... entspricht) § 21 Abs. 3 Nr. 2 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Eye test certificate and proof of first-aid training, unless your country and class are listed in Anlage 11 FeV (then the eye test and first-aid training are not required) (eine Sehtestbescheinigung ...; ein Nachweis über die Schulung in Erster Hilfe) § 21 Abs. 3 Nr. 3 und 5 FeV, § 31 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 und 4 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Good to know in Düsseldorf

• For licences from outside the EU/EEA you must pass a theory and a practical test, but driving school training is not required. (muss eine theoretische und praktische Prüfung abgelegt werden.) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• In person with a prior appointment only; applications by phone are not possible. Processing takes 12 weeks on average. (Die Bearbeitungsdauer beträgt durchschnittlich 12 Wochen.) Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Learner, provisional and international licences, and licences obtained during stays abroad of under 185 days, are not accepted. Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Driving licence applications need a paper photo; it cannot be taken at the Bürgerbüro. Source: termine.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Contact: phone 0211 8990138; fuehrerscheinstelle@duesseldorf.de Source: service.duesseldorf.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Steps

1. Check whether your issuing country and licence class are listed in Anlage 11 FeV and whether a theory and/or practical test is required for that entry. (Staatenliste zu den Sonderbestimmungen für Inhaber einer ausländischen Fahrerlaubnis) Anlage 11 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
2. Apply for the German licence in writing or electronically at the driving licence authority responsible under state law; you may be asked to appear in person. State whether you hold or have held a licence from another country, and declare that you give up the foreign licence of that class. (Der Antrag auf Erteilung einer Fahrerlaubnis ist bei der nach Landesrecht zuständigen Behörde oder Stelle oder der Fahrerlaubnisbehörde schriftlich oder in elektronischer Form zu stellen.) § 21 Abs. 1 und 2 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
3. Country and class on Anlage 11: no medical/eye test, first-aid course or driving school training is required, and the theory and practical tests are only required where Anlage 11 says so. The authority can still order a test if there are reasons to believe you no longer have the necessary knowledge and skills. (sind folgende Vorschriften nicht anzuwenden: ... § 15 über die Befähigungsprüfung nach Maßgabe der Anlage 11, § 19 über die Schulung in Erster Hilfe, die Vorschriften über die Ausbildung) § 31 Abs. 1 und 1a FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
4. Country not on Anlage 11: you do not need to attend driving school training, but the other requirements (including theory and practical tests) apply. (sind die Vorschriften über die Ausbildung nicht anzuwenden) § 31 Abs. 2 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
5. You receive the German licence only in exchange for your foreign licence. The authority sends it back to the issuing country via the Federal Motor Transport Authority if an agreement exists, otherwise keeps it. (Der auf Grund des Absatzes 1 oder 2 ausgestellte Führerschein ist nur gegen Abgabe des ausländischen Führerscheins auszuhändigen.) § 31 Abs. 4 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Rules that apply everywhere

• Normal residence in Germany is assumed if you usually live here, i.e. for at least 185 days a year, because of personal and professional ties. (gewöhnlich, das heißt während mindestens 185 Tagen im Jahr, im Inland wohnt) § 7 Abs. 1 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• While driving on a foreign licence, carry a valid national or International Driving Permit. A national licence not written in German and not issued in the EU/EEA or Switzerland (and not matching Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention) must be accompanied by a translation, unless Germany has waived this. (Ausländische nationale Führerscheine, die nicht in deutscher Sprache abgefasst sind, ... müssen mit einer Übersetzung verbunden sein) § 29 Abs. 2 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Learner's permits and other provisional licences do not entitle you to drive in Germany. (die lediglich im Besitz eines Lernführerscheins oder eines anderen vorläufig ausgestellten Führerscheins sind) § 29 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Anlage 11 entries can be limited: for many US states and Canadian provinces only certain classes are listed, and a German class B licence is issued on that basis; some entries (e.g. several US states) still require the theory test. Check the exact entry for your state or country. (Soweit in der Spalte „Klasse(n)“ nicht „alle“, sondern nur eine bestimmte Klasse oder bestimmte Klassen genannt sind, erfolgt aufgrund dieser Klasse(n) nur die Erteilung der Klasse B.) Anlage 11 FeV, Fußnote 1 · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• Licences from EU/EEA countries are not converted under these rules; their holders' right to drive after moving to Germany is governed by § 28 FeV. (richtet sich seine weitere Berechtigung zum Führen von Kraftfahrzeugen nach § 28) § 29 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• If the foreign licence only allows automatic cars, the German licence is restricted to vehicles without a clutch pedal. (ist die Fahrerlaubnis auf das Führen von Kraftfahrzeugen ohne Kupplungspedal ... zu beschränken) § 31 Abs. 1 FeV · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• The fees in the federal fee schedule are collected by the state/local authorities; test fees and costs such as photos, eye tests or translations are not included in the amounts above. (Die Behörden im Landesbereich erheben auch die Gebühren für den Bund, soweit diese im Zusammenhang mit den jeweiligen Amtshandlungen stehen.) GebOSt, Anlage, 2. Abschnitt · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Legal basis

• § 7 FeV: Normal residence (ordentlicher Wohnsitz): living in Germany for at least 185 days a year because of personal and professional tiesas of 13 Nov 2026
• § 21 FeV: Application for a driving licence and the documents to attachas of 13 Nov 2026
• § 29 FeV: Driving in Germany with a foreign licence; six-month validity after taking up normal residence; translation requirementas of 13 Nov 2026
• § 31 FeV: Issuing a German licence to holders of a licence from a non-EEA country (conversion)as of 13 Nov 2026
• Anlage 11 FeV: List of countries and classes for which tests are waived or required on conversionas of 13 Nov 2026
• GebOSt, Anlage (Gebühren-Nr. 201, 202): Federal fee schedule for driving licence proceduresas of 13 Nov 2026

FIM/LeiKa service key 99108047050002 (Umschreibung einer Fahrerlaubnis aus Drittstaaten außerhalb des Europäischen Wirtschaftsraums oder Europäischen Union (EU) umschreiben beantragen), source.

German terms you will see

Fahrerlaubnis

Driving licence (the legal permission to drive)

Führerschein

Driving licence card (the document)

Umschreibung

Conversion of a foreign licence into a German one

Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

Driving licence authority (usually part of the city or district administration)

ordentlicher Wohnsitz

Normal residence (living in Germany at least 185 days a year)

Anlage 11

Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Ordinance: list of countries with simplified conversion

theoretische / praktische Prüfung

Theory / practical driving test

Sehtestbescheinigung

Eye test certificate

Erste-Hilfe-Schulung

First-aid course

Internationaler Führerschein

International Driving Permit

Compare

Using or converting a foreign driving licence: nationwide rules and all cities compared · Everything for Düsseldorf · First-30-days checklist

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