Driving licence in Germany – the six-month rule, registering a car and the €63 Deutschlandticket
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
A driving licence from outside the EU lets you drive in Germany for only six months after you move, and some countries' licences can be exchanged without a test. Here is how to exchange yours, register a car and choose between the Deutschlandticket and a city pass.
If your driving licence comes from outside the EU, it runs on a clock in Germany: once you take up normal residence, you may drive on it for six more months under the Driving Licence Regulation. Getting around without a car costs more too – the Deutschlandticket has cost €63 a month since the start of 2026, after €49 in 2024 and €58 in 2025.
Licences and car registration are handled locally. The fees below are for Berlin, where the LABO (the Land office for citizens' and regulatory affairs) deals with licences; elsewhere, ask your city's licence office.
Can I drive in Germany with my foreign driving licence?
| Licence issued in | How long you can use it | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| An EU or EEA country | While it is valid, within its classes | Optional; compulsory in Berlin when it expires |
| EU or EEA, lorry and bus classes | C1 and C1E until age 50; C, CE, D, DE, D1 and D1E for five years from issue, or six more months if that has passed when you move | Compulsory in Berlin when these classes need renewal |
| Outside the EU and EEA | Six months after you take up residence; six more only if you will live here no longer than 12 months | Convert it to keep driving |
| Anywhere, as a visitor without residence | No time limit | Not needed |
Source: Driving Licence Regulation and LABO Berlin, read 23 September 2026.
Licences not in German, not issued in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and not conforming to Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention must be carried with a translation or an International Driving Permit. A licence obtained abroad while you lived in Germany is not recognised, and learner permits are not valid.
How do you exchange a driving licence in Germany?
Licences from states in Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Regulation can be exchanged without tests for the listed classes – among them Switzerland, the UK, Japan, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Andorra and Monaco; Israel and South Korea for cars and motorbikes; Ukraine for certain classes; Canadian provinces, Australian territories and many US states, though some, such as Florida and Connecticut, still require the theory test.
From all other countries you must pass the theory and practical tests for each class you convert. Lessons are optional, but the practical test needs a driving school, and applicants from outside the EU also need an eye test and a first-aid course.
| Service | Fee | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange an EU/EEA licence (Berlin) | €37.50 | In person; your old licence goes back to the issuing country |
| Convert a non-EU licence without a test (Berlin) | €37.50 | Translation needed unless it is in German or English |
| Convert a non-EU licence with a test (Berlin) | €45.10 | Exam and driving-school fees come on top |
| International Driving Permit for trips abroad (Berlin) | €15.00 | Valid for three years, but not beyond your licence |
| Compulsory exchange of an old German licence | €25.50 plus €1.00 | Plus €6.50 if the new card is posted directly to you |
Source: Service-Portal Berlin, LABO Berlin and the Federal Ministry of Transport, read 23 September 2026.
In Berlin there is no deadline for applying to convert a non-EU licence, but it must still be valid and presented in the original – even though you may only drive on it for six months. You hand it in when you collect the German licence.
Returning with an old German licence
Licences issued in Germany since 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years. Older ones must be exchanged by staggered deadlines: cards from 1999–2001 by 19 January 2026, from 2002–2004 by 19 January 2027 and from 2005–2007 by 19 January 2028, and paper licences of holders born before 1953 by 19 January 2033. After the deadline the document is invalid, although your right to drive remains.
How do you bring and register a car in Germany?
Moving from outside the EU, you can import your car free of customs duty and import VAT as removal goods if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and owned and used the car there for at least six months, registered in your name. Declare it within 12 months of moving, and do not sell, lend or give it away for 12 months. According to German Customs, German vehicle tax applies from the border and is payable on the spot there.
Then register the car with your local registration authority. In Berlin you need your main residence in the city; a second home is not enough.
| To register a car in Berlin | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | Passport or ID with your registration certificate |
| Vehicle papers | Registration papers, an EC certificate of conformity (COC) or a technical report |
| Insurance | A seven-digit eVB confirmation number from your insurer; third-party liability cover is compulsory |
| Vehicle tax | A SEPA direct-debit mandate; customs collects the tax |
| Fee, first registration | At least €30.60 in person or €22.22 online, plates extra |
| Fee, re-registering after a move to Berlin | At least €19.60, or €12.20 online; needs a valid roadworthiness test and no tax arrears |
Source: Service-Portal Berlin and German Customs, read 23 September 2026.
The roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung, often called TÜV) is due 36 months after a new car's first registration, then every 24 months. For cars first registered since 1 January 2021, annual vehicle tax is €2 per 100 cc for petrol or €9.50 for diesel, plus €2.00 to €4.00, rising in steps, for each gram of CO2 per km above 95. Electric cars first registered by 31 December 2030 are tax-free for ten years, at most until 31 December 2035. Private cars fall outside the federal road toll, which covers goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
Low-emission zones and parking
Berlin's Umweltzone (low-emission zone), in force since 1 January 2008, covers the centre inside the inner S-Bahn ring and requires a green sticker (Plakette). Berlin issues stickers online or in person, also to drivers from other Länder and abroad, from €5.95; by post it takes three to four weeks. Berlin's service portal says only green stickers are allowed in Germany's 35 low-emission zones, without dating that count. A Berlin residents' parking permit costs €20.40 and lasts up to two years.
Deutschlandticket or city pass – which is cheaper?
The Deutschlandticket covers local and regional transport nationwide, but not IC/ICE trains or long-distance buses. It is sold only as a personal subscription you can cancel monthly, not at ticket machines, and more than 14 million people use it each month, according to the Federal Ministry of Transport.
| City and zone | Monthly pass | With subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin (VBB, zones AB) | €113.00 | €81.30 a month on an annual subscription |
| Berlin (VBB, zones ABC) | €132.00 | €103.30 a month |
| Munich (MVV, zone M) | €71.40 | From €59.50 |
| Hamburg (hvv, whole network) | €83.00 | – |
| Frankfurt (RMV, city including the airport) | €115.70 | – |
| Nationwide (Deutschlandticket) | – | €63.00 |
Source: VBB, MVV, hvv, RMV and the Federal Ministry of Transport, read 23 September 2026.
A city pass can still win. Berlin's VBB-Umweltkarte is transferable, and on weekday evenings from 20:00, at weekends and on holidays one adult and up to three children aged 6 to 14 ride free with it. A Berlin single ticket currently costs €4.00 for zones AB or €5.00 for ABC and is valid for 120 minutes. BER airport lies in zone C, so with an AB ticket you need an Anschlussticket (extension ticket).
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check whether your licence is from the EU, an Annex 11 state or elsewhere | Before you move |
| 2 | Get a translation or International Driving Permit if your licence needs one | Before you drive here |
| 3 | Apply to convert a non-EU licence; book tests and a driving school if required | Soon after your Anmeldung (address registration) – you may drive on it for six months |
| 4 | Declare an imported car to customs | Within 12 months of moving |
| 5 | Register the car with your eVB number and SEPA mandate | After your Anmeldung |
| 6 | Order a green sticker for low-emission zones | About three weeks before you need it |
| 7 | Choose between the Deutschlandticket and a local pass | Before your first full month |
Source: Driving Licence Regulation, German Customs and Service-Portal Berlin, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (FeV § 28); Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten… · gesetze-im-internet.de
- LABO Berlin; FeV § 28(3) · berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin; LABO · service.berlin.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (FeV § 29(1)); LABO Berlin · gesetze-im-internet.de
- LABO Berlin; Service-Portal Berlin · berlin.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (FeV Anlage 11, § 31) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 327537) · service.berlin.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (FeV § 24a, Anlage 8e); Bundesministerium für Verkehr · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium für Verkehr – FAQ Führerschein-Umtausch · bmv.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 121591) · service.berlin.de
- Generalzolldirektion · zoll.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 120882) · service.berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 329036) · service.berlin.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (PflVG § 1) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (StVZO Anlage VIII) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (KraftStG § 9(1) Nr. 2c) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (KraftStG § 3d) · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium der Justiz – gesetze-im-internet.de (BFStrMG § 1); Bundesamt für Logistik und Mobilität · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt Berlin; Service-Portal Berlin · berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 121490) · service.berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin (Dienstleistung 121721) · service.berlin.de
- Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) · vbb.de
- Bundesministerium für Verkehr (BMV) · bmv.de
- Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB) · vbb.de
- VBB · vbb.de
- VBB · vbb.de
- VBB · vbb.de
- LABO Berlin · berlin.de
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.