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Your license's origin decides, and insurance comes first
Written by
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El Saghir is an editor at How-to-Germany.com, where she specializes in the practical aspects of daily life and integration for expatriates. With years of...
Reviewed by
Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
Two questions decide what you have to do: where your license comes from, and whether you bring a car or buy one here. Whatever the answer, third-party car insurance comes before the registration office: its confirmation code is on every document list.
Where you stand
| Your license | First six months | After that |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA country | Drive as before | Drive as before. Only expiring licenses and truck or bus classes are exchanged. |
| UK, Switzerland, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Canada and 27 US states | Drive on your license, with a translation or international permit where required | Exchange it without any exam. UK license · US license · all other countries |
| Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota and 8 other US states | Same | Exchange after the theory test in English |
| India, China, Brazil, California, New York and every country not on the list | Same | Theory and practical exam, no driving school required. The German driving test |
| No license | Driving school and both exams, from 18. The German driving test | |
| Sources: Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, sections 28, 29 and 31 and Annex 11, retrieved 4 November 2026. | ||
Your license
- Converting a foreign driving license: the six-month rule, the three routes, documents, fees in Berlin and Munich, what happens to your old license.
- US driver’s license in Germany: every state in one table, with no exam, theory exam or both.
- UK driving license in Germany: the post-Brexit exchange without a test.
- International driving permit: when a visitor needs one, why it never replaces the exchange, and how residents get a German one for a trip.
- The German driving test: application, driving school minimums, both exams and the official fees.
- The theory test in English: 30 questions, 10 error points, 14 languages.
Your car
- Car registration: documents, fees, the online route, and how long a foreign-registered car may stay on foreign plates.
- Buying a used car: the three papers to check, what a dealer and a private seller owe you, and the week after the hand-over.
- The TÜV inspection: every two years, what is checked, what being late costs.
- The Umweltplakette: the green sticker for 35 city zones and who issues it.
- Winter tires: a weather rule, not a date, and the Alpine symbol that decides.
- Car insurance in Germany: liability, partial and comprehensive cover, and how premiums are set.
Calculators
- Traffic fines calculator: what speeding, parking and phone offenses cost, and when points or a driving ban follow.
- Car tax calculator: the annual vehicle tax from engine size, CO2 and first registration.
- Company car tax calculator: what a company car adds to your taxable income.
- US to euro car units converter: miles, gallons and psi into kilometers, liters and bar.
Bottom line
With a foreign license in your wallet, start at the table above, which names the guide for you. With a car to bring or buy, start with car insurance, because the registration office asks for its confirmation code.
More everyday topics, from the radio tax to SIM cards, are on living in Germany.