German Driving License Information 2019

+ Please note: It is not possible to avoid this procedure by getting a new driving license from a state in the US which agreed on easier rules with Germany. The acceptance of a driving license issued after first entry into Germany is tied to a stay of at least 6 months (185 days) in the country of origin of the license before re-entering Germany + Driving licenses obtained less than two years before arrival will always be considered to be “beginner’s licenses” which will lead to a probationary period of 24 months at maximum. This applies also to EU-driving licenses. In order to avoid receiving a provisional license the transferee can provide a letter of the original issuing authority confirming the date of issue of his first driver’s license + Holders of US driving licenses with a certain expiry date need to transfer their US driving license into a German license before it expires. Otherwise, they will be considered beginners and have to take both theoretical and practical lessons and tests + For short-term stays of up to 12 months max. , authorities might apply an exceptional regulation in order to keep the foreign license. This needs to be checked individually with the authority in charge and is not applicable to longer or extended stays + Time schedule: A transfer of driving license without any test takes about four weeks . When tests are required, the procedure may take up to three months . Therefore, we highly recommend starting the application procedure well in time + Current BREXIT status: Current BREXIT status: At this stage, most local authorities do not provide special instructions on British license transfers. Depending on further political developments, getting a German driving license will be advisable/required at the given time. UK licenses might then be considered being Non-EU licenses – including requirements as stated in this document. + International driving licenses are valid only in combination with the valid original driving license – they cannot be transferred into a German license .

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