As a NON EC citizen you are allowed to drive in Germany for six months
with your national license after having established a permanent residency.
Your license can be converted within the following 2 1/2 years. If this period of 3
years altogether has expired you have to acquire the German license from scratch.
Necessary documents for the application for the conversion of your NON-EC driver’s license:
- valid personal ID or passport with photo and signature
- valid national driver’s license and its translation (done by ADAC e.g.)
- certificate for taking up a permanent German residency (Meldebescheinigung des Einwohnermeldeamtes)
- recent passport photo
- eye test certificate (e.g. from an optician)
- certificate for “Immediate Life-Saving Measures”
- registration form of your driving school
- administrational fee of app. 45,- €
Your application for the conversion has to be handed in at the driver’s license
office of your first residency (Kreisverwaltungsreferat or Landratsamt).
Sign up for the tests two weeks ahead with your driving instructor, at the office,
or online. The test fees are due one week prior to the test. Payments to the
driving school can be made cash or via bank transfer.
Please bring your passport for every test.