Foreign driving license
recognized in Germany.

EU/EEA: 6-10 weeks administration time at the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office, Höherweg 101 — no training necessary. Third country with reduced exam: 2-4 months including preparation. Third country with full examination: 3-6 months. Theory test at TÜV can be taken in 12 languages ​​(DE, EN, FR, IT, ES, PT, PL, RO, RU, TR, AR, HR). Practical exam only in German.

With EU/EEA certificate: yes, unlimited until re-registered. With a third-country license: only 6 months from taking up residence (Section 29 Paragraph 1 FeV) - then driving without a driving license (Section 21 StVG, fine or prison sentence). The period begins with registration at the Düsseldorf residents' registration office. If you can prove that your stay is temporary (e.g. studying <1 year), it can be extended to 12 months.

EU/EEA: ~36 € application + ~25 € exhibition + ~7 € eye test + ~10 € passport photo = 80–100 €, without driving school. Third country with theory and practical test: €1,500–2,500 — application fee (~€43), eye test, first aid (~€40), teaching materials, 5–15 practice hours (€60–70 each), TÜV fees plus certified translation (~€50–100). Exact assessment upon presentation of your driving license.

Standard: ID card or passport plus residence permit, Düsseldorf registration certificate, biometric passport photo, eye test (~7 €), original driving license. For third countries additionally: certified translation by a publicly appointed translator, first aid (~40 €), for some countries (China, Vietnam) certificate of authenticity from the authority. Listing can be viewed in Appendix 11 FeV.

Annex 11 FeV lists countries with reduced examination effort: Exchangeable without examination — Andorra, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan. Practice exam only — many US states, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong. Not listed (Türkiye, Iran, Russia, Morocco, Brazil, India and many more): full theory AND practical exam. Listing may change — we will check prior to application.

Driving with an unrecognized driving license after the 6-month period has expired (Section 29 Paragraph 1 FeV) is a criminal offense according to Section 21 StVG - fine or imprisonment of up to 1 year, foreign license is generally accepted. d. R. drafted. Insurance coverage falls: in the event of an accident, the driver's liability reverts. Submit an application immediately to the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office and do not drive until it is issued. We help with quick processing.