Your driving licence in Germany: simply valid, and only on expiry or loss to the Führerscheinstelle
A Dutch driving licence stays valid in Germany until its expiry date; no exchange is needed, and the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt says so in as many words. Whoever wants one anyway pays € 37.50 in Berlin. If the licence expires while you live there, the Netherlands no longer renews it and you apply for a German licence; if you lose it, a replacement is € 42.50. One exception: whoever holds C or D categories has six months.
No, you don't have to exchange your Dutch driving licence in Germany. The Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung says so in section 28: whoever holds a valid EU licence and moves their normal residence to Germany may drive there to the extent of their entitlement, and the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt adds that an obligation to exchange on moving has in principle been abolished. There are two moments when you do have to go to the Führerscheinstelle: when your licence expires, and when you lose it — because the Netherlands no longer renews or replaces for anyone living in another EU country. In Berlin a conversion costs € 37.50 and a replacement licence € 42.50. The only real clock applies to lorry and bus drivers: their C and D categories fall under the German five-year term, with six months' grace.
May I keep driving on my Dutch licence?
Yes, until the expiry date. Section 28 sets no time limit on that for the ordinary categories, and Your Europe names the three situations in which an exchange is compulsory: loss, theft or damage; a traffic offence in your country of residence; and a licence with indefinite validity after two years of residence, if the country requires it. A Dutch licence is valid for ten years and falls outside that.
The exceptions in section 28 are worth reading if your situation is unusual: a learner's licence or provisional document doesn't count, and neither does a licence you obtained in the Netherlands while you actually already lived in Germany.
What if I hold a lorry or bus licence?
Then section 28, paragraph 3 applies. The German validity period of five years for C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E also applies to the EU versions of them, counted from the issue date of the foreign licence. If that issue is already more than five years ago when you move, the entitlement remains for six months from taking up residence in Germany. After that you need a German issue, with the examinations that go with it. This is the only category of Dutch drivers with a deadline.
What happens if my licence expires or is lost?
If the validity has run out, under section 25 you must apply for a new licence — unless you give up your entitlement to drive. If you lose it, you report the loss without delay and have a replacement document made. NederlandWereldwijd fills in the Dutch side: whoever lives in another EU country can no longer renew their Dutch licence, only exchange it; on loss you report it to the RDW, which blocks it, and you apply for the new licence in your country of residence.
Driving on an expired licence is not a misdemeanour in Germany but a criminal offence: section 21 of the Straßenverkehrsgesetz carries up to a year in prison or a fine, and up to six months for negligence.
| Do nothing | Convert voluntarily | Expired | Lost or stolen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When | until the expiry date | once your main residence is in Germany | apply before the expiry date | report without delay |
| Where | — | Führerscheinstelle of your place of residence | Führerscheinstelle | report to the RDW, then the Führerscheinstelle |
| Fees (Berlin) | none | € 37.50 | via the conversion procedure | € 42.50, provisional licence € 13.30 |
| Bring | — | passport, one biometric photo, the EU licence (even if expired) | the same | as many details of the lost licence as possible |
| Medical | none | only for C and D categories | only for C and D | only for C and D |
The Berlin procedure requires appearing in person, a main residence in Berlin and the original EU licence — expressly also if its validity has already expired. On loss you help the office with the categories, place and date of issue, or with a copy. Other Führerscheinstellen apply their own tariffs; € 37.50 and € 42.50 are Berlin's.
When is a voluntary exchange smart?
If your licence expires within a few years anyway, or if you hold an old paper model. Your Europe points out that after an exchange you fall under the German rules on validity and medical checks, and that you can only hold one EU licence at a time. For the ordinary B category that means little: no periodic medical, and a card that looks German at a roadside check. Whoever is in no hurry, waits.
The pitfall is Dutch, not German. Quietly renewing your licence in the Netherlands at the old address after deregistering is no longer possible, and whoever tries drives on a document that raises questions after a claim. Renewal belongs in your country of residence.
What do I do now?
Put the expiry date in the diary — the maintenance calendar does that for you — and nothing else. If it runs out within two years, plan the conversion for a quiet moment after the Anmeldung, because the Führerscheinstelle wants to see your Meldebescheinigung for the main residence. For the car a clock does run; for the licence it doesn't.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Germany or go straight to step 5.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change — when in doubt the source is leading, not this article.
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung §28 — recognition of EU licences with normal residence in Germany, with the six-month rule for C and D — gesetze-im-internet.de
- Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung §25 — a new licence on expiry (paragraph 3a) and on loss (paragraph 4) — gesetze-im-internet.de
- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt — unrestricted mutual recognition of the EU licence, no obligation to exchange on moving — kba.de
- Service Berlin — conversion of an EU/EEA licence (€ 37.50, documents, appearing in person) — service.berlin.de
- Service Berlin — replacement licence after loss or theft (€ 42.50, provisional licence € 13.30) — service.berlin.de
- Your Europe — driving licence exchange and recognition in the EU — europa.eu
- NederlandWereldwijd — your Dutch driving licence has expired or is about to expire abroad — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- Straßenverkehrsgesetz §21 — driving without a valid licence is a criminal offence — gesetze-im-internet.de
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