Converting an Australian Driver Licence in Germany

Germany lists every Australian state and territory in its simplified exchange table, so a full Australian car licence can be exchanged without a theory or practical test. After registering a main residence, you can drive on it for six months. Five jurisdictions also need an eyesight test. An English licence usually needs no translation.

Key takeaways

• Australia is on Germany's Anlage 11 list, the countries whose licences can be exchanged in a simplified way.
• For all eight Australian states and territories, the list shows no theory test and no practical test for an Australian car (class C) or motorcycle (class R) licence.
• After you register your main residence in Germany, you can drive on your Australian licence for six months. Berlin's licensing office says this cannot be extended in the usual case.
• Licences from the ACT, NSW, NT, Queensland and WA carry a footnote requiring proof of eyesight.
• Learner licences cannot be exchanged. Some provisional licences can.

What does Germany's list say about Australian licences?

German licence rules are set by the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, the driving licence regulation. Its Anlage 11 is a list of countries and states whose licences can be exchanged with fewer documents and, in most cases, no tests. Australia is on it, jurisdiction by jurisdiction. The list also explains how Australian classes map to German ones: Australian class C, and CAR in Victoria, corresponds to German class B (car), and Australian class R to German class A (motorcycle).

Issued in	Theory test	Practical test	Eyesight proof	Provisional licence
Australian Capital Territory	No	No	Required	Provisional accepted; not learner
New South Wales	No	No	Required	Not mentioned on the list
Northern Territory	No	No	Required	Provisional accepted; not learner
Queensland	No	No	Required	P2 accepted; not learner
South Australia	No	No	Not footnoted	P2 accepted; not learner
Tasmania	No	No	Not footnoted	P2 accepted; not learner
Victoria	No	No	Not footnoted	Probationary P2 accepted; not learner
Western Australia	No	No	Required	Provisional accepted for cars; not learner

The eyesight column comes from a footnote attached to five entries, which says proof of eyesight is still required. Berlin's licensing office explains the general position: for Anlage 11 countries an eyesight test is usually not needed, unless a footnote on the list says so. The provisional column comes from footnotes that accept provisional or P2 licences but never learner licences. The list does not mention NSW provisional licences at all, so NSW P-plate holders should ask the licensing office before relying on an exchange.

How long can you drive on an Australian licence in Germany?

It depends on whether you are visiting or living there. Berlin's licensing office, the Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten, sets it out plainly.

As long as you have no residence in Germany and are only visiting, the office says you may drive without a time limit, carrying your licence. It adds that for most foreign national licences you also need an international driving permit or a translation, so check whether that applies to yours before you travel. Once you register your ordinary, main residence in Germany, you may drive for six more months. After that your Australian licence is no longer recognised and you need a German one.

Berlin's office says the six months cannot be extended, with one exception: if it is clear from the start that your residence in Germany will last no more than 12 months, you can apply for an extension, for a fee, with evidence of how long you are staying. Apply for the exchange well before the six months end.

What conditions must your Australian licence meet?

Berlin's licensing office lists several conditions for recognising and exchanging a licence from outside the EU. They matter for Australians in particular ways:

• You must hold the original. You cannot drive, or apply, without the original licence document. A digital licence on a phone is not the original card, so arrange a physical card before you leave Australia.
• It must be valid when you apply.
• It must not be a learner licence, and a provisional licence is recognised only if it is an official photo licence and no further tests are needed in Australia to get the full licence. The Anlage 11 footnotes on P2 licences apply here.
• It must have been obtained before you moved to Germany, or during a stay abroad of at least six months. A licence obtained in Australia while your ordinary residence was already in Germany is not recognised.

The last point can matter if your current card was issued recently. The office says you may need to show that your first licence was obtained before you moved to Germany, for example if your current card was reissued later. A licence history from your state or territory licensing authority is the natural evidence.

Do you need a translation?

Usually not for the exchange. Berlin's page says a translation is always required if the licence is not in German or English, and that in doubt the licensing office decides whether one is needed; if it is, the office asks for it while processing the application. An Australian licence is in English, so a translation is normally unnecessary. If the office does ask for one, follow its instructions on who may translate. A NAATI translation made in Australia is a translation into English and does not help here.

What do you need for the application?

Berlin's service page for exchanging a licence from outside the EU, which covers Anlage 11 countries, lists what to bring, in person, at the licensing office for your main residence:

• your identity card or passport, and your residence permit if you are not an EU or EEA citizen
• one current biometric passport photo, on paper
• the original, valid Australian licence
• an eyesight test result, where the Anlage 11 footnote requires it
• a translation, only if the office asks for one

Berlin also notes that there is no deadline for applying, as long as the licence is original and still valid when you apply. That is not a reason to wait, because you cannot drive after the six months without the German licence. Details can vary by German state and licensing office, so check the page for the office where you live.

Do you need a notary or an apostille?

No. The exchange relies on your original licence, your identity documents and, where needed, an eyesight test done in Germany. Neither the Anlage 11 list nor Berlin's instructions ask for a notarised copy of the licence or a DFAT apostille. If you need to show when you were first licensed, the evidence is a record from your Australian licensing authority, not a notary's certificate. Paying for either would add cost without helping.

A move to Germany may well involve other documents that do need a notary or an apostille, for example for a visa, a residence permit or a marriage. That is a separate question. Only DFAT issues apostilles in Australia; an apostille confirms the signature and seal on a document, never its contents. Germany's status is shown on the HCCH status table, and our guides to apostilles for Germany and German visa documents cover documents that do need one.

What happens to your Australian licence?

Berlin's licensing office says that for every exchange, the foreign licence is taken in when the German licence is handed over, and is either sent back to the country that issued it or kept. After the exchange, you no longer hold your Australian card, which matters if you visit Australia often. If you later return to live in Australia, ask the licensing authority in the state or territory where you settle how to get an Australian licence again; the rules differ, so do not assume the old one will simply be reinstated.

How do you exchange an Australian licence in Germany?

1. Check your licence type: full, or a provisional type the Anlage 11 footnotes accept. Learner licences cannot be exchanged.
2. Get a physical card and, if useful, a licence history from your Australian licensing authority before you leave.
3. Register your main residence in Germany and note the date; your six months start then.
4. Book the licensing office for your main residence, in person.
5. Arrange an eyesight test if your licence is from the ACT, NSW, NT, Queensland or WA.
6. Bring your passport, residence permit, photo and original licence, and hand over the Australian licence when you collect the German one.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Driving after the six months without a German licence.
• Arriving with only a digital licence. The office needs the original.
• Trying to exchange a learner licence. It is not valid in Germany.
• Paying for a NAATI translation or notarised copy that nobody asked for.
• Forgetting the eyesight test if your state is footnoted.
• Letting the Australian licence expire before you apply.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

A software developer from Brisbane accepts a job in Berlin. Before leaving, he checks that his Queensland open licence card is valid for several more years and orders a licence history. In Berlin he registers his flat, notes the date, and books the licensing office. Because Queensland is footnoted on the Anlage 11 list, he has an eyesight test done first. He brings his passport, residence permit, a biometric photo, the eyesight result and his original Queensland licence. No test, translation or notary is needed, and he hands over the Queensland card when he collects his German licence.

In short

Every Australian state and territory is on Germany's Anlage 11 list, so a full Australian car licence, and in most jurisdictions a P2 licence, can be exchanged without a theory or practical test. You can drive on it for six months after registering a main residence. Licences from the ACT, NSW, NT, Queensland and WA also need eyesight proof. An English licence usually needs no translation, and no notary is involved. Our guide to driver licences and notaries covers other uses of an Australian licence overseas, and our document notarisation page covers documents that do need a notary.

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