Since 18 August 2026, holders of valid Ukrainian driving licences in specified categories have generally been able to exchange them for German licences without taking theoretical or practical tests. The legal basis is Ukraine’s inclusion in Annex 11 of the German Driving Licence Regulation. The corresponding amendment was published in Germany’s Federal Law Gazette on 17 August 2026.
The simplified procedure applies to categories A1, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE. Ukrainian category A1 corresponds to German category AM. For categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE, proof of medical fitness and eyesight in accordance with Annexes 5 and 6 FeV is still required.
If Ukrainian categories C or D were issued without category B, applicants must pass both the theoretical and practical tests to obtain German category B. German categories C and D cannot be issued unless category B has been granted first.
The exchange is not automatic. An application must be submitted to the competent local driving licence authority, known as the Führerscheinstelle, at the applicant’s registered place of residence in Germany. When the German licence is issued, the original Ukrainian document must generally be surrendered. The German authority may retain it or, where an appropriate bilateral arrangement exists, return it to the Ukrainian issuing authority via the German Federal Motor Transport Authority.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, once the surrendered document reaches a Ukrainian territorial service centre, information about its exchange abroad is entered in the ministry’s unified state register. The original Ukrainian licence is then considered invalid. This is therefore an exchange rather than the issuance of an additional licence that remains valid in parallel.
The required documents and applicable fees may vary depending on the city or federal state. Applicants should therefore confirm the current requirements directly with their local Führerscheinstelle.
Official German sources: Bundesgesetzblatt 2026 I Nr. 236, Anlage 11 FeV, § 31 FeV