Converting a Driver’s License from a Non-EU Country to a German Driver’s License

If you are from a non-EU country and planning to stay in Germany for longer than a year, you may be required to complete a number of steps in order to convert your existing driver's license into a German driver's license. First, you should contact the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde in Freiburg in order to find out which specific requirements you need to fulfill, as it may vary country to country. If your license has expired, you may have to fulfill more requirements than would have originally been required.

In many cases, you will be required to complete an eye exam (prescriptions also need to be verified), obtain a translation of your existing driver's license (available at ADAC in Freiburg), and attend a 6-8 hour first aid course (Lebensrettende Sofortmaßnahmen, there a various courses in Freiburg during the weekends), which will most likely be in German. With these documents, along with your passport or personal identification card, a recent passport photo, your residence registration form (Meldebescheinigung), and possibly the registration information from our partner driving school, you will submit your application to the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde in Freiburg.

It will take 4-6 weeks for your application to be processed. With www.changeyourlicense.com and our connected driving school Freiburg, during this time you will receive access to an online course which will help you prepare for the theoretical exam in English. You will also get access to a programme which will show you typical places in Freiburg where examinors tend to drive to.

After passing the theoretical exam with TÜV, you will take driving lessons with an instructor in English in preparation for the practical exam in Freiburg. These lessons will help familiarize you with German traffic rules, signs, and driving in the Freiburg area. Once you have completed the practical exam, you will turn in the TÜV document into the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde of Freiburg - verifying that you have passed the exam in Freiburg. At this time you will receive your new German driver's license.

The amount of time needed to complete the theoretical and practical exams will depend on the amount of time you dedicate to preparing for the theory exam, as well as your current driving ability and familiarity with German traffic rules.