Exchanging a foreign driving licence in Europe and the UK
When you move, your foreign licence only stays valid for a limited time. Whether you can exchange it without tests depends on the country that issued it. Choose the country you live in now.
Every country sets its own deadline and its own list of licences it will exchange. An International Driving Permit does not change either: it is a translation, not a licence.
Each guide below links to the official source for every fact and shows the date we last checked it.
Choose your country
- GermanyDeadline: 6 months after taking up residence
- NetherlandsDeadline: 185 days after registering (confirm on RDW)
- SpainDeadline: 6 months after taking up residence
- FranceDeadline: 1 year after taking up residence
- SwedenDeadline: 1 year after registration (folkbokföring)
- United KingdomDeadline: 12 months after becoming resident (designated countries)
Our services
Licence Route Check
A written summary of your route, your deadline and your documents, with links to every official source.
€95incl. 21% VAT
Application Preparation Pack
Help preparing a complete exchange application: checklist, forms, health declaration, translations and appointment preparation. You submit it yourself.
€295incl. 21% VAT
Independent help with the official process. You can also apply to the authority yourself; its fees are paid to it, separately from ours. How we work
Guides
- Exchanging your driving licence in the Netherlands with the 30% ruling
How the 30% ruling driving licence exchange works in the Netherlands: who qualifies, the 185-day rule, the documents and the tax decision you need.
- Anlage 11 countries: which tests you need to exchange a licence in Germany
Check whether your country is on Germany's Anlage 11 list, which tests you still need, and the six-month deadline for exchanging your foreign licence.
- Already passed your driving test? 6 legitimate ways you may not have to sit it again
Moving abroad doesn't always mean starting again at driving school. Exchange lists, EU recognition and test exemptions can count your old licence. Here's who qualifies, and the offer to avoid.
- Driving licences "without exams": how to spot the scam
Nobody can sell you a real driving licence. Here's how the scams work, and the legitimate ways to get a licence without retaking tests.
- An International Driving Permit is not a licence
What an IDP is, who issues it, and why you can't exchange it for a local licence.
- Sweden exchanges licences from only four non-EEA countries
UK, Faroe Islands, Switzerland or Japan: everyone else needs a Swedish licence. Here is what that means for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I exchange my International Driving Permit?
No. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a translation of your licence, issued by the country that issued the licence. It is not a licence itself and cannot be exchanged. You exchange the original national licence. Where an IDP helps, you get it in the issuing country, before you travel.