car license conversion - B §31

There are so many rumours about foreign driver’s licenses in Germany, so we want to bring a little light into the dark.

First of all there are agreements between Germany and all non EU-countries.
It depends on the issue-country of your license if you have to take a test or not. 

International driver’s licenses do not bring any advantages, because they are not needed as long as it is not a license written in letters from foreish countries. Like licenses issued in Asia (China, Japan etc.) and the Middle East (Arabia), which nobody from the police can read.

Up from the day you enter Germany you are allowed to drive for six months with your foreign driver’s license as long as it is valid.
When the six months are over your license has to be a German one. Otherwise you are not allowed to drive in Germany anymore!

If you want to convert your foreign license it has to be valid and it must have been issued before you enter Germany.
Some countries do not have a date of issue on it, so you must get a license report or record from the driver’s license authority where the license is from.

If your stay is only for one year you can get an extension up to one year in some cases!

There is a very special exception for American citizens in Hessen.
If you work for a real American company which its German headquarter is in Hessen, the employee working there might get the license without a test.
The ministry of traffic will check it carefully if all the requirements for this exception are fulfilled.