Already passed your driving test? 6 legitimate ways you may not have to sit it again

The short answer

In many countries, you may not need to retake your driving tests if your licence comes from a country your new home recognises or has an exchange agreement with. Each authority decides on its own rules and publishes its own list. If your country isn't on that list, you take the tests. There is no legal shortcut around that.

Here are the six routes that really exist, with a link to the official source for each.

1. You hold an EU or EEA licence

EU and EEA licences are generally recognised across the EU. In Germany, for example, they are recognised under FeV § 28, so you usually do not need to exchange yours at all.

2. Your country is on the exchange list

Most countries publish a list of licences they exchange without full testing:

• UK: licences from designated countries can be exchanged with DVLA using form D1. The fee is £43. Check yours with the GOV.UK exchange tool (opens in a new tab).
• Netherlands: licences on the RDW exchange table can be exchanged through your gemeente. You must have lived in the issuing country for 185 days in the year the licence was issued. See RDW (opens in a new tab).
• Spain: a canje is only possible if Spain has an agreement (convenio) with the country that issued your licence. See the DGT (opens in a new tab).
• France: only licences from countries that France accepts for exchange qualify. You apply online through ANTS, and the stamp costs €40. See Service-Public.fr (opens in a new tab).

These lists change, so check the official list rather than a copy of it.

3. Germany's Anlage 11 exemptions

In Germany, licences from the states listed in Anlage 11 of the FeV (opens in a new tab) are exempt from some or all tests when you exchange them (FeV § 31). The details catch people out:

• The exemption depends on both your state and your licence class.
• US licences are listed state by state, and Canadian licences province by province.
• Car and motorcycle classes can be treated differently.

4. The Dutch 30% ruling route

According to RDW (opens in a new tab), if you hold a Belastingdienst decision for the expat scheme (the 30% ruling), you can exchange a licence from any country. This route was questioned in parliament in 2026 and may change, so check RDW before you rely on it.

5. Sweden's four countries

Sweden is strict. According to Transportstyrelsen, the only non-EEA licences it exchanges are from the UK, the Faroe Islands, Switzerland and Japan. Since 1 May 2026, EEA licences that were originally exchanged from a non-EEA licence are only accepted in three cases. Everyone else needs a Swedish licence through the tests. See our Sweden explainer.

6. Exchange before your deadline

Your foreign licence usually only lets you drive for a limited time after you become resident. Here are the official periods:

• Germany: 6 months
• Spain: 6 months
• France: 1 year
• Sweden: 1 year from registration (folkbokföring)
• UK: 12 months. You can still exchange up to 5 years after becoming resident, but you may not drive on your old licence until you do.

Processing can take weeks or months, so start early.

Read more: how to spot a driving-licence scam and why an IDP is not a licence.

Not sure which route is yours?

The official country guides explain each process step by step: Germany, Netherlands, Spain, France, Sweden and the UK.

If your licence is on the exchange list, tests may not be required, and we'll check that for you. Our Licence Route Check gives you your route, deadline and document list in writing. You submit the application yourself, and the authority decides.

Independent help with the official process. You can also apply to the authority yourself; its fees are paid to it, separately from ours.