Certified translation › Foreign driving licence
Your foreign driving licence is translated at FÜD by a court-authorised sworn translator — certified, with a certification note, stamp and signature confirming accuracy and completeness. An EU/EEA licence stays valid until it expires; a third-country licence is good for six months after you register here (§ 29 FeV), then needs converting (Umschreibung, § 31 FeV), and the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde reads it through the certified translation. The translation lets the authority read your licence — it is not the conversion itself, and FÜD issues no driving licences. You upload the licence and receive a binding fixed price from €59, certification and shipping included.
Officially recognised translation of your licence · court-authorised translators · binding fixed price, from € 0.89 per standard line
Short & clear
If your licence is from the EU or EEA, it stays valid in Germany until it expires — no translation, no conversion. If it is from a third country and you have taken up residence here, it is valid for six months (§ 29 FeV); after that you need a German licence, which normally means a conversion (Umschreibung) under § 31 FeV.
Where a translation comes in: a third-country licence the authority cannot read — different script, unfamiliar layout — generally needs an officially recognised German translation, both to drive in those first months and as part of the conversion file.
Step by step
Five questions decide your route. Answer them in order.
If yes, it remains valid in Germany until the document expires; you generally need neither a translation nor a conversion. When it expires you replace it with a German licence. This page is mainly for third-country licences.
A third-country licence is recognised for six months from the day you establish residence (§ 29 FeV). The authority can extend this once, up to a total of twelve months, if you can show you will not stay longer. Beyond that you must convert.
If your licence is not in German — especially in a non-Latin script — the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde generally asks for an officially recognised translation so they can verify categories, dates and conditions. This is where FÜD comes in.
Conversion runs under § 31 FeV. For countries and US states in Annex 11 (Anlage 11) to the FeV, no theory or practical test is needed; for others one or both are required. The Fahrerlaubnisbehörde applies Annex 11 — not the translator.
You apply for the Umschreibung at your local driving-licence authority with your licence, its certified translation, proof of residence and, where required, test results. We deliver the translation; the authority issues the German licence.
Three things people confuse
These are not interchangeable. Mixing them up is the single biggest cause of wasted trips to the authority.
What FÜD does
What the authority does
What your home country does
A translation is a reading aid the authority may require; the Umschreibung is the legal step that gives you a German licence; the International Driving Permit is a travel document from home. FÜD handles only the first — cleanly, certified, and recognised by the authority.
Documents you must translate
The exact list is set by your Fahrerlaubnisbehörde. These are the documents we most often translate for it.
| Document | Why the authority wants it | Certified translation |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign driving licence (front & back) | To verify categories, issue date and any conditions. | Officially recognised translation if not in German / non-Latin script. |
| Certificate confirming the licence is genuine / still valid | Some authorities request confirmation from the issuing body. | Certified translation if issued abroad. |
| Proof of when the licence was obtained | Relevant where recognition depends on issue date or prior residence. | Certified translation on request. |
| Theory / practical test certificate (home country) | Occasionally requested to document driving entitlement. | Certified translation if the authority asks. |
| Passport / residence registration | Establishes identity and ordinary residence in Germany. | German original where issued here; foreign proof translated on request. |
Driving categories, codes and restrictions do not map one-to-one between countries. A translation that guesses "B = car" without carrying the exact code and any restriction (automatic only, corrective lenses) can leave the authority unable to match your entitlement. We render the categories and codes precisely.
Apostille & recognition
Unlike civil-status certificates, a driving licence itself usually does not require an apostille for a conversion — the authority verifies the licence directly, sometimes via the issuing country. Any supporting official document (a confirmation from the licensing authority abroad) may need an apostille or legalisation; where it does, that is issued by the competent authority in the country of origin. FÜD does not issue apostilles.
What the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde does require is that the translation be officially recognised — from a court-authorised (sworn) translator (ermächtigter Übersetzer, authorised under German state law) or an equivalent recognised body such as an automobile club. FÜD provides exactly this: a certified translation with a certification note, ready for your file.
Languages & typical origin countries
We translate driving licences from over 70 languages into German. The most frequent conversions come from:
Whether a full test applies on conversion depends on the country or US state (Annex 11 to the FeV), not on the language. We translate the licence; the authority applies Annex 11. See all languages.
Common pitfalls
Most delays come from confusing the three steps above, or from a translation that does not carry the technical detail. Each is avoidable.
| Pitfall | Why it goes wrong | How FÜD solves it |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking a translation extends the right to drive | After six months' residence a translation alone does not let you keep driving on a third-country licence — you need the conversion. | We state plainly what the translation does and does not do, and translate the file you need for the Umschreibung. |
| Missing the six-month window | Driving on a third-country licence past the recognition period (§ 29 FeV) can mean driving without a valid licence. | We flag the deadline and turn the translation around quickly, express if needed. |
| Driving categories mistranslated | Codes and restrictions (automatic only, lenses) that don't match leave the authority unable to grant the right class. | Categories, codes and restrictions are rendered exactly, not paraphrased. |
| Non-recognised translation | A DIY or uncertified translation is refused; the authority needs an officially recognised one. | A court-authorised translator certifies the translation with a certification note. |
| Confusing an International Driving Permit with conversion | An IDP is a travel document from home; it does not make a resident's licence permanent here. | We separate the steps clearly so you spend money only on what your case needs. |
We will not sell you a translation as if it were a licence. If your case needs conversion and a test, we say so — and provide the one thing we are here for: a clean, recognised translation the authority accepts.
A translation is a reading aid — the Umschreibung is the licence.
We are clear about the difference, and we do the translation properly.
Process with FÜD
1 · Upload
2 · Fixed price
3 · Certified + shipping
Quote & price
A driving licence is a short standard document, usually a flat fee per document. Supporting papers are priced per standard line. We name a binding fixed price after a quick look — certification and postal delivery included.
| Officially recognised translation by a court-authorised translator | ✓included |
| Categories, codes & restrictions rendered exactly | ✓included |
| Certification note for the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde | ✓included |
| Advance PDF & postal delivery of the original | ✓included |
| Specialist revision & final check | ✓included |
The licence is billed at a flat fee per document; longer supporting texts from € 0.89 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces). We name the exact amount after a brief review. How the price is made up →
Sources & legal basis
Everything above rests on the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV) and official German-authority guidance. These are the ones that matter for a foreign licence.
FAQ
They translated my categories and the automatic-only restriction exactly as on my licence, so the driving-licence authority could match my entitlement without a query. Clear, fast, and honest about what still needed a test.
A. Nakamura · licence conversion, Munich
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