Getting a driving licence in Berlin as an expat: the complete guide

Step 1: Check whether your current licence still works

Before you spend a cent on a driving school, find out which of these situations you are in. The answer decides everything else.

• EU or EEA licence (for example France, Poland, Spain, Norway): it stays valid in Germany for as long as it is valid at home. You do not have to convert it. You can exchange it for a German card voluntarily.
• Non-EU licence, you are a visitor: as long as you do not live here, you can drive with your valid licence. LABO Berlin says visitors may drive with it without a time limit.
• Non-EU licence, you live in Berlin: after you take up your ordinary residence in Germany, your licence is valid for 6 more months. After that it is no longer recognised and you need a German licence.
• No licence at all: you do the normal German training with a driving school, like everyone else.

Two details people often miss. First, learner permits are not valid in Germany and cannot be converted. Second, for most national licences you also need an International Driving Permit or a translation while you drive here during those 6 months.

The 6-month rule explained (and why you should not wait)

The 6 months start when you establish your "ordinary residence" (ordentlicher Wohnsitz). German law defines this as the place where you live for at least 185 days a year because of personal and work ties (§ 7 FeV). In practice, for most people this is when they move here and register their main address (Anmeldung).

LABO Berlin is clear about extensions: the 6 months cannot be extended. The only exception is if it is clear from the start that you will live in Germany for no more than 12 months. In that case you can apply for an extension, which costs a fee.

There is no deadline for the conversion application itself, as long as your foreign licence is still valid. But processing takes time, and if you need tests, you also need time for lessons and test dates. Our advice: apply in your first 2 to 3 months, not in month 6.

Which path is yours: the four options at a glance

Fees as listed on service.berlin.de, October 2026. Test fees at TÜV or DEKRA come on top (about €25 for the theory test and about €130 for the practical test). For all details on conversion, including the full country list and US states, read our guide Converting a foreign licence in Berlin.

Do you need the Anmeldung?

Yes. To apply for a German licence in Berlin, whether new or converted, you need your main residence (Hauptwohnsitz) in Berlin. If Berlin is only your second address, the application is only possible in justified exceptions and with the approval of the authority where your main address is.

What you bring to the appointment (first-time licence, class B):

• ID card or passport (plus your residence permit if you are not an EU/EEA citizen, for conversions it is explicitly required)
• One current biometric passport photo on paper (they do not print photos for you)
• Eye test certificate (Sehtest), not older than 2 years
• Certificate of a first aid course (Erste Hilfe)
• Name and address of your driving school and of the test centre (TÜV Rheinland or DEKRA). You cannot change the test centre after your exam approval.

You apply in person at a Berlin Bürgeramt. Book the appointment through service.berlin.de. The application is processed by the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde at LABO, which then sends your exam approval to the test centre.

From zero to licence: the process step by step

1. Pick a driving school. Compare total prices, not just the hourly rate. You can compare Berlin driving school prices on Fahrwahl. If you want lessons in English, start with our list of English-speaking driving schools.
2. Do the eye test and the first aid course. The eye test is free at many opticians or costs about €6 to €7. A first aid course for the licence costs from about €60 (ADAC example).
3. Apply at the Bürgeramt with the documents above. Fee for a first licence: €45.90.
4. Go to theory lessons. For class B the law requires at least 12 double lessons of general content (90 minutes each) plus class-specific lessons, usually 2 more double lessons. Most schools teach these in German, so ask before you sign.
5. Pass the theory test at TÜV or DEKRA: 30 multiple-choice questions on a computer, available in English and 11 other foreign languages. See our theory test in English guide.
6. Take driving lessons. Normal lessons (45 minutes) as many as you need, plus 12 mandatory special drives: 5 on rural roads, 4 on the Autobahn and 3 in the dark.
7. Pass the practical test. It takes about 55 minutes in total, in the school car, with your instructor on board.

How long does it take?

There is no fixed answer, because it depends on how often you can drive, how fast you learn, and how quickly your school gets test dates. A rough planning guide if you start from zero:

Realistically, many learners need a few months from sign-up to licence. Intensive courses can be much faster: 86 of the 468 Berlin schools in our data advertise an intensive course (Intensivkurs). For conversions with tests, it is usually quicker, because there are no mandatory theory lessons or special drives.

What it costs in Berlin

Fahrwahl analysed the published price lists of Berlin driving schools (468 schools in our database, class B prices from 202 of them, as of October 2026). The typical prices (median) for class B:

With 35 normal lessons, the 12 special drives and all official fees, you end up at around €3,450. With 25 lessons it is around €2,880, with 45 lessons around €4,010. The full calculation is in our driving licence cost guide.

If you convert a licence with tests and you can already drive, you often need only a handful of lessons. Then the total is closer to €1,000 to €1,300.

English-speaking driving schools and the theory test in English

Good news for internationals: you can do almost the whole process in English.

• Driving schools: 49 Berlin driving school locations in our data say on their websites that they teach in English. Most are in Mitte, Tempelhof-Schöneberg and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. See the full list by district in our guide to English-speaking driving schools in Berlin.
• Theory test: available in 13 languages: German, English, French, Greek, Standard Arabic, Italian, Croatian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
• Theory lessons: usually in German. Some schools offer them in English or let you study more with an app. Ask before you sign the contract.
• Practical test: the official language is German. Ask your school how they handle English with the examiners at your test centre.

In Berlin, tests are run by two organisations: TÜV Rheinland and DEKRA. The rules are the same at both.

Common mistakes expats make

• Driving after month 6. The most expensive mistake. Set a calendar reminder for the date you registered.
• Applying too late. Even a conversion without tests needs an appointment and processing time.
• Forgetting the translation. If your licence is not in German or English, LABO can ask for a translation. ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg does it for €65 (Latin script) or €85 (other scripts).
• Bringing an International Driving Permit instead of the real licence. For the conversion you need the original, valid national licence. An IDP alone is not accepted.
• Choosing a school only by the hourly rate. A cheap lesson with a €400 registration fee and a €260 test fee can end up more expensive. Compare total prices instead.
• Getting an automatic licence by accident. If you learn and test only on an automatic, your licence is limited to automatics. Code 197 lets you also drive manual cars after 10 manual lessons and a short test drive with your school.

FAQ