Germany is part of the European Union and therefore recognizes EU driver’s licenses, as well as some other foreign driving permits. However, these documents have an expiration date, and driving with an expired license carries a fine since you’re effectively driving without a legal permit. In the following, we’ll explain how and where to renew your driver’s license and what else you need to know about driving permits in Germany.
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Renewing your driving permit and driver’s license in Germany
Let’s clarify something first: there is a difference between your driving permit or Fahrerlaubnis and your driver’s license or Führerschein in German. The former is the permission that allows you to drive a car while the latter is the document proving your permit and specifying the types of vehicles you can drive.
The document can expire and then needs to be renewed, while the permit itself cannot expire except for the following classes: C1, C1E, C, CE, D, D1, DE and D1E, which are a range of various trucks, trailers and busses. The permit for these heavy vehicles expires so that as a holder you’ll have to again prove your ability and physical fitness such as eyesight to operate these vehicles safely.
The standard permit for regular vehicles such as your average car doesn’t expire, but you’ll need a renewal of the document, that is the plastic card that is your driver’s license, every 15 years. Since it might take up to a few weeks until the local authority issues your new license, you should start the process before your existing document expires.
Where to renew your driver’s license
If you’re an EU national living in Germany, you can renew your driver’s license within the country, provided any member state has issued your document. The local driving license authority (Führerscheinbehörde) will be your place to go. Depending on where you live, the service can be part of a local citizen’s office (Bürgerbüro) or county courthouse (Landratsamt).
How to renew your driver’s license in Germany
The process of renewing your driving document in Germany is straightforward. You book an appointment at the local driving license authority in advance, which you can do online in most cases. You fill out a simple form and show up with the required documentation. Your license will usually be ready for pickup in a few weeks. You can also have the document sent to your home at an additional cost.
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Requirements and costs
To renew your license, you’ll need the following:
- Your valid ID card or passport
- A biometric passport photo
- Your old driving license
The cost for renewing your license typically varies between €35 and €45, not counting the expenses for taking and printing the picture.
What is the EU driver’s license?
In 1999 Germany began issuing the credit card sized EU driver’s license. All member states of the European Union as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland recognize this document as proof of a driving permit.
Initially, these EU driving licenses had no expiration date. This changed with a new European directive in 2013 and all driver’s licenses now have an expiration date, regardless of when they were issued. This affects documents issued before 2013 as well as old paper licenses.
As we’ve noted above: with the exception of some licenses for driving a truck, it is not the driving permit itself which expires but merely the document. Renewing your driver’s license normally means obtaining a new, valid document without having to prove that you’re fit to drive.
German driving license expiry dates
Since January 2013, you have to renew the standard driver’s license only every 15 years. If you’ve been issued a document before January 19, 2013, and without expiration date, one of various deadlines applies.
Deadlines for credit card-sized licenses
| ISSUED | DEADLINE |
| 1999-2001 | January 19, 2026 |
| 2002-2004 | January 19, 2027 |
| 2005-2007 | January 19, 2028 |
| 2008 | January 19, 2029 |
| 2009 | January 19, 2030 |
| 2010 | January 19, 2031 |
| 2011 | January 19, 2032 |
| From 2012 on | January 19, 2033 |
Deadlines for paper licenses
| YEAR OF BIRTH | DEADLINE |
| Before 1953 | January 19, 2033 |
| 1953-1958 | January 19, 2022 |
| 1959-1964 | January 19, 2023 |
| 1965-1970 | January 19, 2024 |
| From 1971 on | January 19, 2025 |
Do you have a valid driver’s license but want to obtain a German or EU one? We’ll explain how to convert your driver’s licence in Germany!
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Jakob Straub
Jakob is a freelance writer in Barcelona, Spain, and his favorite books have pages all empty. As an expert storyteller, he publishes creative fiction in English and German and helps other authors shape their manuscripts into compelling stories. Thanks to an expertise in a wide range of topics such as writing, literature and productivity to marketing, travel, and technology, he produces engaging content for his clients. Apart from the escape that books offer, Jakob enjoys traveling digital nomad style and stays active with climbing and hiking. Find out more about him on his website or on Goodreads.
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