Translate driver's license

If you want to drive a car (or any other motor vehicle) abroad, you should always make sure that your own national driving licence is also valid beyond your home country’s borders. One option is to pay a fee to apply for an international driving licence from your local authority. Another option is a certified translation of the driving licence – and we happen to be experts in this area. If you’re planning a trip abroad soon, then take a look at our advice below.

A German driving licence is more or less equivalent to an EU driving licence, because the German licence is generally recognised and valid in all countries of the European Union. But the situation may differ for non-EU countries. Under some circumstances, you’ll need a certified translation of your licence in order to drive. We’ll provide this to you promptly in just a few days, leaving no obstacles for your next trip to another country.

With a driving licence from EU countries (and EEA countries), it is generally possible to drive on German roads without a translation of the licence. However, non-EU citizens with a licence from their home country may run into difficulties here. If their licence is not accepted and their stay in Germany is temporary (usually less than half a year), a certified translation of the licence into German is mandatory. If you find yourself in this situation, simply order a translation quickly and easily at the top of this page.

Regardless of whether you have a German or other driving licence, we advise you to inform yourself about the country-specific regulations before setting off on a journey to or in a foreign country.

If you are asked to show your translated driving licence abroad (e.g. when renting a car or at a police checkpoint), a simple translation is not sufficient as an official document. In order to ensure that your licence would be accepted without issue at moments such as these, we work exclusively with a pool of sworn translators who are authorised to certify official documents. Our service also has triple ISO certification: for our translation services (ISO 17100:2015), our quality management (ISO-9001:2015) and our information security (ISO/IEC 27001:2013).

A driving licence can be translated by sworn translators or issued by an official motoring association. You can obtain a recognised translation in select motoring associations, such as Germany’s ADAC, or – very quickly and easily – in our online shop. Simply upload the document, select the source and target languages, and place your order. We’ll have your internationally recognised certified translation of a driving licence ready for you within a few days.

The German driving licence is recognised both within the European Union (EU) and in the countries of the European Economic Area (EEA). It is also valid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. The German driving licence will not suffice to drive a vehicle outside of these countries. In order to drive a car or another vehicle in other countries, you must obtain an international driving licence or get a certified translation of your driving licence.

If you come from a country in the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and are traveling to Germany, you generally do not need to have your driver's license translated. This also applies to people from Andorra, Hong Kong, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino or Senegal. If you come from another country and are temporarily staying in Germany, you may drive a vehicle if you A) have a valid national driver's license or B) carry an international driver's license or a certified translation of the driver's license.
If you are staying in Germany for longer than 185 days and also register a residence here, you must have your foreign driver's license transferred. The responsible authorities require the original and a certified translation of the driver's license.

The certified translation of the driving licence is valid for the same period of validity as the original. We only translate the content of the document, including the date of expiration. Only once your driving licence has expired and you have obtained a new one will you require a new translation.