Certified translation › Driving licence
Driving licence translation costs US$69 per document, certified by a sworn, court-authorised German translator for the Führerscheinstelle when you exchange a foreign licence. It is not the same as an International Driving Permit or the exchange (Umschreibung) itself — this guide separates all three for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It also explains the grace period before a third-country licence must be converted. Fixed price includes certification and shipping.
Often not needed at all for a German or English licence · where required, an automobile-club translation under § 29 Abs. 2 FeV · binding fixed price, from US$1.05 per standard line
A translation lets the authority read your licence — it is not the conversion or exchange itself. An EU/EEA licence generally stays valid without either. A third-country licence has a grace period that differs by country, after which converting or exchanging it is normally required. See the comparison below for the rule, the competent authority and the certifying translator in each country.
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. Be clear on one thing: a translation lets the authority read your licence; it does not, by itself, extend your right to drive. termbase produces the certified translation — it does not carry out the conversion or issue driving licences.
We would rather tell you this than sell you a translation you don't need. Berlin requires no translation at all where the licence is in German or English (service.berlin.de). In Switzerland, a translation is only required where the licence is not in Latin script — and then it has to come from a consulate or embassy in Switzerland, not from us or any translation agency. Where a translation genuinely is required, it is normally produced by an internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing country (§ 29 Abs. 2 FeV) — not a court-authorised translator. What we can actually help with sits under residence, recognition and marriage.
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 termbase 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 termbase does
What the authority does
What your home country does
| Germany | Austria | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-country licence — grace period | Six months from taking up residence (§ 29 FeV), then conversion (Umschreibung, § 31 FeV) is normally required | Six months from taking up residence (§ 23 FSG), then exchange is normally required | Beyond twelve months’ residence, exchange is normally required (Art. 42/44 VZV); a translation is only needed where the licence is not in Latin script, and then only from a consulate or embassy in Switzerland — not from a translation agency |
| Certified by | An internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing country, or a body designated by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) — not a court-authorised translator (§ 29 Abs. 2 FeV) | Court-sworn translator (allgemein beeideter und gerichtlich zertifizierter Dolmetscher) | A consulate or embassy in Switzerland — the only route, where a translation is needed at all (non-Latin script only) |
| Legal basis | § 29 Abs. 2 FeV (translation) · § 31 FeV (exchange) | § 23 FSG | Art. 42 VZV (recognition) · Art. 44 VZV (Swiss licence) — Ordinance on Admission to Road Traffic, SR 741.51 |
| Competent authority (conversion/exchange) | Local driving-licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) | District authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) or, in statutory cities, the Landespolizeidirektion, as Führerscheinbehörde | Cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt |
termbase issues no apostilles and does not perform the conversion or exchange itself — we produce the translation the authority requires as part of that file.
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. termbase handles only the first — cleanly, certified, and recognised by the authority.
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.
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. termbase does not issue apostilles.
Where a translation is required at all, § 29 Abs. 2 FeV names who may produce it: an internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing state, or a body designated by the Federal Ministry for Transport. A court-authorised (sworn) translator is not named for this document type — so the general § 142 (3) ZPO rule that governs our other certified translations is precisely the rule a driving licence is the exception to. For the conversion itself (§ 31 FeV) the regulation sets no translation requirement at all, which is why practice differs by office: Berlin, for example, asks for a translation only where the licence is in neither German nor English, and leaves the decision to the Fahrerlaubnisbehörde in case of doubt. Ask yours what it accepts before ordering anything from us.
We translate driving licences from German and English 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 certified German ⇄ English translation →.
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 termbase 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. |
| Paying for the wrong kind of translation | A court-authorised translation is ordered for a licence that either needs none at all, or needs one from an internationally recognised automobile club of the issuing state under § 29 Abs. 2 FeV. | We check what your Fahrerlaubnisbehörde actually requires first, and tell you when the answer is not us. |
| 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 termbase
1 · Upload
2 · Fixed price
3 · Certified + shipping
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 US$1.05 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
My Malaysian licence only counted for a few months here, and the licensing office would not open the file without a translation. termbase kept the class codes exactly as they appear on the card and explained the endorsements instead of guessing at German equivalents — which is precisely what the clerk compared.
Nurul Aisyah binti Rahman · IT consultant, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) · driving licence → licensing office
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