Driving in Germany on an Australian licence

Six months. That's how long your Australian licence carries you once Germany becomes home. After that, you need a German one.

The short version

Visitors can drive on a valid Australian licence with an official German translation or an International Driving Permit (IDP) [1][2].
Once you live in Germany, your Australian licence is recognised for six months. After that you must convert it [1][2].
Full (C and R class) licences from every Australian state and territory can be converted without a theory or practical test. Most provisional licences can too, except NSW P licences and WA motorcycle P licences [2].
In Berlin you apply in person at a Bürgeramt. The fee is €37.50 if no test is needed [3].
Germany drives on the right, the Autobahn has no general speed limit in many sections, and inner Berlin is a low emission zone that needs a green sticker [4][5].

The six-month rule

German rules split drivers into two groups.

Your situation	What you can drive on	For how long
Tourist or short stay, under 185 days	Australian licence plus official German translation or IDP [1][2]	Your whole visit
Living in Germany (your "normal residence")	Australian licence plus translation or IDP [1][2]	Six months from when your residence starts
After six months of residence	German licence only	Indefinitely

The clock starts when you take up residence. In practice that's around when you register your address (Anmeldung). Driving on an expired-for-Germany Australian licence counts as driving without a licence. That's a criminal offence, and your insurance may not pay out.

Translation or IDP?

Either works for the first six months. The German Embassy in Canberra points to the ADAC, Germany's automobile club, for an official German translation. You can visit an ADAC office in Germany or post your licence to ADAC Hessen-Thüringen in Wiesbaden [2]. The Australian Embassy in Berlin reminds drivers that an IDP is not a licence on its own. You must carry your Australian licence as well [1].

Smartraveller also warns that a digital licence may not be accepted in Germany [4]. Bring the plastic card, even if your state lets you drive on an app at home.

Which Australian licences can be converted without tests

Germany lists countries whose licences it converts on simplified terms in Anlage 11 (Annex 11) of its driving licence regulation. Australia is on the list, with a few state-by-state footnotes [3]. The German Embassy in Canberra summarises them [2]:

Issued in	Car (C)	Rider (R)	Provisional licences
ACT	Yes	Yes	P can be converted
NSW	Yes	Yes	P can't be converted
NT	Yes	Yes	P can be converted
QLD	Yes	Yes	P2 can be converted
SA	Yes	Yes	P2 can be converted
TAS	Yes	Yes	P2 can be converted
VIC	Yes	Yes	P2 can be converted
WA	Yes	Yes	Car P can be; motorcycle P can't

Learner permits can't be converted [2]. Heavy vehicle classes follow separate rules and usually need medical checks [3]. You must also be at least 18 to drive in Germany on a foreign licence [2].

Eye test and driving history

Berlin says an eye test isn't usually needed for Annex 11 countries, unless a footnote in the country list says so [3]. The Australian Embassy's guidance says holders of licences from the ACT, NSW, NT, Queensland and WA should expect to need an eye test certificate [1]. A basic eye test (Sehtest) from an optician costs little and takes ten minutes, so get one to be safe.

If your card doesn't show when you were first licensed, ask your state transport authority for a driving history report before you leave Australia [1].

Converting in Berlin, step by step

In Berlin, licence matters go through the Bürgeramt (citizens' office) and the state licensing authority behind it [3]. You need to be registered with your main residence in Berlin.

Get your documents together. Passport, residence permit, your original Australian licence (still valid), one biometric passport photo printed on paper, and your eye test certificate if needed [3]. Your licence is in English, so Berlin doesn't require a translation, although the office can ask for one if something is unclear [3].
Order a driving history report from your state if your licence doesn't show your first issue date [1].
Book an appointment online through Service Berlin. You can pick any Bürgeramt offering the service, anywhere in the city [3].
Attend in person and pay the fee: €37.50 for a conversion without a test, €45.10 if a test is involved [3]. Bring a card; some offices don't take cash.
Wait for the plastic card. Berlin publishes current processing times online; it doesn't promise a set turnaround [3].
Ask what happens to your Australian licence. Germany may keep it when you collect the German card. If you'll drive on visits home, check with your state transport authority before your appointment.

Start early. Appointments in Berlin are often booked out weeks ahead, and the six-month deadline doesn't pause while you wait.

What if you miss the six months?

Late conversions can be treated more strictly, and you may be asked to sit tests. Don't drive while you sort it out. If you're close to the deadline, book the appointment now.

Road rules that catch Australians out

Conditions are broadly similar to home, Smartraveller says, but some rules differ [4]. These are the ones that matter most.

Driving on the right

Everything is mirrored. Roundabouts run anticlockwise, you overtake on the left, and the gear stick is on your right. If you're renting, ask for an automatic; manuals are still common in Germany.

Speed limits

Road	Default limit for cars
Built-up areas	50 km/h, often 30 km/h in residential streets [6]
Rural roads	100 km/h [6]
Autobahn	No general limit on many sections; 130 km/h is the recommended speed [6]

About 70% of the Autobahn has no posted limit [6]. That doesn't mean everyone does 200. Keep right except to overtake, never pass on the right, and check your mirrors often, because cars approach far faster than you'd expect on the Hume.

Right before left

At unmarked intersections, traffic from the right has priority (rechts vor links). Berlin's backstreets are full of these, and they confuse Australians more than anything else.

Cyclists

Cyclists have right of way over vehicles turning into side streets [4]. In Berlin, check your mirror and shoulder before every right turn. Bike lanes run on the inside of parked cars and on footpaths.

Winter tyres

Germany requires tyres suited to winter conditions when the road calls for them. Smartraveller says that's generally from about October to Easter [4]. Check your tyres before you accept a rental car; the wrong ones can mean a fine and affect insurance [4].

Berlin's low emission zone

The area inside Berlin's inner S-Bahn ring is an Umweltzone. Only vehicles with a green emissions sticker (Umweltplakette) may enter [5]. Rental cars have one. If you buy a car, stickers cost about €5 to €15 from registration offices, testing stations and workshops, or €6 online in 2026 [5].

Do you even need a car in Berlin?

Many Australians in Berlin never convert, and that's fine. Public transport, bikes and car sharing cover most trips; see our guide to getting around Berlin. But converting while it's free of tests keeps your options open for road trips to the Baltic coast or the Alps. Doing it later is much harder.

Want to know which Bürgeramt has the shortest wait this month? Ask in Cooee Germany, our Facebook group for Australians in Germany.

Driving in Germany on an Australian licence: the six-month rule and converting in Berlin