Driver's Licence
Do you need a translation of your driver's licence? With us you can order your certified translation online in just a few clicks. All we need is a scan or photo of your document.
Do you need your translation for a German authority? Besides translating and certifying, we can also classify your driver's licence. Please choose "Certified translation for a German authority" for this service.
· Recognised by all official authorities
· Certified translation of your driver's licence by court-sworn translators
· Free shipping within 3 to 5 business days
· Quality check
· Express delivery within 48h optional
· Digital copy optional
Certified translations are generally shipped to you by mail. But if you choose to receive your translation as a digital copy, it will be ready to download immediately after the translation.
The certification is carried out by a court-sworn translator who is eligible to legally certify documents in Germany. Therefore we only offer certified translations from German or into German.
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Why choose lingoking?
More than 100,000 happy customers trust us and our broad network of professional and court-sworn translators every year.
We are your professional partner for translations of all kinds.
Why do you need a certified translation of your driver's licence?
If you have a driver's licence from a country outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), you may need to have your driver's licence translated and certified in order to be allowed to drive in Germany.
If you have your main residence in Germany and have lived here for more than six months, the German authorities may require you to exchange your foreign driver's licence for a German driver's licence. In this case, you may need a certified translation and classification of your foreign driver's licence.
If you are emigrating to another country, you may need the translation of your driver's licence into the respective language. In some countries a translation is not sufficient. In this cases you need an international driver's licence.
If you are travelling to country outside the EU, you may need a translation of your driver's licence. The translation may be necessary for renting a car, camper, etc. and for traffic controls. Foreign authorities need to understand what is written on your driver's licence, for example which classification it has.
Over 1,500 orders are sent to lingoking by ADAC every month.
Driver's licence translations can be submitted either via the ADAC webshop or at a branch office. We receive the translation and match your translation with the right translators. After a quality check, the document is either sent directly to the customer (webshop) or to the relevant office, where customers can collect their document from ADAC staff.
You can also book your translation directly with us. We look forward to receiving your order!
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Use our quick and easy chat feature or find answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQ section.
FAQs
Important questions and answers regarding the translation of a driver licence.
If you come from an EU country or a country from the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you do not need to have your driving licence translated in order to be allowed to drive in Germany. However, different rules apply to drivers from other countries outside the EU. If persons are only staying temporarily in Germany, they may drive motor vehicles of the class for which the driver's licence is issued if one of the following two requirements is met:
- The person holds a valid national driver's licence.
- It possesses an international driver's licence in accordance with the International Convention on Motor Traffic of 24 April 1926, the Convention on Road Traffic of 8 November 1968 or the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic.
If the national driver's licence is not in German or does not comply with Annex 6 of the Convention on Road Traffic of 8 November 1968, the person concerned must have the licence translated. [Source: www.bussgeldkatalog.org]
In order to obtain a German driving licence, you must submit a formal application for conversion to the Führerscheinstelle (driver's licence office). You may then have to take a theoretical and/or practical driving test at a driving school. The conversion of your national driver's licence including examinations takes a total of approx. two months.
The following are required for the application:
- Valid national driver's licence with date of issue
- Certified translation of your driving licence, if necessary with classification
- Identity card or passport
- Biometric passport photo
- Confirmation of first registration in Germany from the Einwohnermeldeamt (residents' registration office)
- First aid course
- Eye test from optician (not older than two years)
- Chosen driving school
First call the office that will issue your licence (Führerscheinstelle) to find out which documents are required in order to avoid difficulties. Authorities in Germany often have a different set of requirements depending on their location.
As the holder of a valid foreign driver's licence, you can drive motor vehicles in Germany in accordance with your acquired driver's licence. This regulation applies for a stay of up to six months. After these six months, a transfer of your driver's licence is necessary. If you have an international driver's licence, you do not have to carry a translation in Germany. Translations of official documents must be done by a translator sworn in Germany.
Classification has the task of defining equivalences between two differently named driver's licence classes. More precisely, this means: There have been uniform classes in the EU since 2013. For example, if you have a car driver's licence, your driver's licence will state driver's licence class B. This entitles you to drive a vehicle with a total weight of 3.5 tonnes.
Driver's license translations required for a German authority are always offered at lingoking including certification and classification. Translations for foreign countries, on the other hand, only with certification.
Driver's licence translations required for a German authority are always offered at lingoking including certification and classification. Translations for foreign countries, on the other hand, only with certification. In both cases, the translation is done by a sworn translator in Germany.
By the way: A scan or photo of your driver's licence is sufficient for the translation, we do not need the original.
Please note, however, that the Führerscheinstelle (driving licence office) in Düsseldorf only accepts translations of originals. In this case, contact a local service provider or contact us, we will be happy to help you with your search.
The driver's licence is now valid almost everywhere within Europe. This is not limited to the EU states, but also includes Norway and Switzerland, for example. In some European countries, an international driver's licence is nevertheless recommended. Outside Europe, you must always have an international driver's licence or a certified English translation.
If you want to be mobile on the roads outside the EU and rent or drive your own car, you need an international driver's licence, which you can apply for at the citizens' offices — at your city administration or the regional administration office of your place of residence. An international driver's licence is valid for three years and is only valid for driving abroad.