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How to get a German driver’s license as an American Expat

If you love driving (like me) and want to have the opportunity to drive while living in Germany or other parts of Europe, you will need to get a German driver’s license. Many European countries are starting to crack down on allowing foreigners to drive with non-European driver’s licenses (see our experience on Paxos here), so if you live in Europe it’s a good idea to get a license. I personally wanted to have the freedom to rent a car if I wanted to, although we do not own a car here in Berlin as there is no need with great public transportation.

If you don’t have a license already, then you will have to start from scratch. Take driving lessons, then take the written and driving tests. This can put you back a couple of thousand euros. Oh, and the tests are in German so make sure you are comfortable in the language, too!

Why Do You Need A German Driver’s License?

So why do you need a German driver’s license if you are living in Germany? Your American driver’s license is only valid for the first 6 months if you live in Europe. Once you have been in Germany longer than 6 months, you run the risk of getting fined and/or arrested if you have a driver’s license that is not German. By law, you must have a German driver’s license to continue driving.

How To Check If You Are From A Reciprocal Or Non-Reciprocal State

If you already have a license and you are from the United States, then check out this link for more information on reciprocal states with Germany. Reciprocal states (like Michigan) only have to fill out some paperwork and hand in their American driver’s license to get a German driver’s license. Some states need to take a written test before getting a license, and others (like New York ) are non-reciprocal and you will have to go through the whole process to get a license as if you never had one in the first place.

How to Apply For A German Driver’s License

I can only speak from my own experience, which involves how to apply with a license that has full reciprocity with Germany. My driver’s license is from Michigan, which makes the process very simple.

For a full-reciprocity license, you will need:

• Your American license (valid, not expired)
• Your passport
• Anmeldung
• €35 (cash or EC card only)

Some partial reciprocity states also need some or all of the following:

• Eye exam results
• First aid certification
• Written exam
• Driving test

Non-reciprocal states are treated as though they do not have a license at all and will need to do everything, including driving lessons.

Once you make an appointment with the Bürgeramt, all you will need are the items they request you to bring. All I brought to my appointment was my license, passport, Anmeldung, and payment. All they needed from me in the appointment besides these items was my signature and confirmation of all of my legal documents. I was then given a letter telling me that they would contact me when my license was ready. The letter said it would be ready in a few weeks, but in reality, it can take 3-4 months or even longer. The reason behind this is that there is only one driver’s license office in the entire state of Berlin. You cannot drive until you pick up your new license.

How To Pick Up Your German License When It Is Ready

Once you receive your letter (I applied in October and received my letter in March), follow their instructions. You will have to bring your American license to the office to exchange for the new license. It is a fairly simple process, but go early before they open because the line can get long! You will need to get a ticket and wait for your number to be called. Give them your letter and they will give you a new number.  Once your new number is called, go to the desk indicated and give your letter and license to the person behind the desk. They will give you your new license and ask you to check for any errors. If everything is fine, you will leave your American license with them and are free to drive!

Can you keep your American license?

There is a lot of debate over whether you can keep your license or not. Germans are very uneasy with the idea that people can hold two licenses. They also don’t really understand that Americans use their licenses as IDs in the States. They will keep your license on file and will give it back to you if you exchange your German license back. It’s just very inconvenient to be doing this every time you travel to the States!

If you really want to have an American license alongside your German one, you have a few choices.

1. My recommendation is to let your American license expire and then re-apply for a new one back in the States. This worked out really well for me because my American license expired two months after I got my German license.
2. If your timing isn’t that great and your German is excellent, you could make an argument for keeping both licenses. I have heard of people winning these arguments, and also losing these arguments. It doesn’t hurt to try! Some staff will let you keep your license, but make you come back for it after it’s been “processed.”
3. You could explain the situation to your local Secretary of State and see if they will give you a new license.
4. If you have another idea to share – let me know!

Was this article helpful for you? I hope that it gives you a bit of useful information if you are applying for a German license. If you don’t live in Germany but got this far, I hope it gives you a little insight into what it is like to apply for a license in a foreign country!