If you live in Germany with a Ukrainian driving licence, you can swap it for a German one without taking a theory or practical test. Since 18 August 2026, Ukraine has been listed in Annex 11 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV), the list of countries with simplified conversion. The amending ordinance was signed on 12 August and published in the Federal Law Gazette on 17 August (BGBl. 2026 I No. 236), under the lead of the Federal Transport Ministry.
It used to be harder. A licence from outside the EU is normally valid for six months after you register your residence, then you need a German one. People under temporary protection had an exception because of the war, but there was no route without tests. As early as 2022, FREIE WÄHLER and the CSU asked the Bavarian state parliament (Drucksache 18/22473, 27 April 2022) to put Ukraine on the list. In July 2026 the plan was on the Bundesrat agenda as Drucksache 318/26.
Do you have to convert right now?
No. While temporary protection lasts, your Ukrainian licence stays valid in Germany without conversion. The city of Wiesbaden says protection currently runs until 4 March 2028; Mülheim an der Ruhr points to EU Implementing Decision 2026/1912 of 30 July 2026. According to ADAC there is no application deadline. But after protection ends, you can only drive permanently in Germany with a German licence. For anyone planning to stay, the test-free route is now the cheapest: you skip the driving school and both exams. That is our assessment, not an official statement.
The classes covered are A1, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE. For truck and bus classes (C and D), authorities also ask for a medical certificate (Annex 5 FeV) and an eye test (Annex 6 FeV). If you got C or D in Ukraine without B, you will have to pass the theory and practical tests for B: Germany does not issue C or D without it.
How it works in Munich
You apply at the licensing office (Führerscheinstelle) where you live. In Munich it is at Garmischer Straße 19–21 (81373), by appointment only through the city’s booking system, phone +49 89 233-96090. The city lists a fee of €37.50 for conversion without a test, €38.30 for licences on probation. Processing takes up to 14 weeks because the Bundesdruckerei makes the card. You hand in the old licence when you collect the new one.
Bring with you:
- ID card or passport and, for a foreign passport, your electronic residence permit
- a current biometric photo (Mülheim accepts only a paper photo or one from a Bürgeramt booth)
- your original Ukrainian licence; per Mülheim, a translation is needed only for the old paper licence
- an extended registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) showing your first registration in Germany
- if you lived in Ukraine only temporarily: proof of at least 185 days’ residence there when you got the licence
Fees and details differ by city: Mülheim lists €43.90, Munich €37.50. Munich’s information sheet still describes the general rules for countries outside Annex 11. Wiesbaden warns that some cases still need coordination with higher authorities, which can delay them. Call before your appointment and ask whether your case is already handled under the new rule, and whether you may keep driving while it is processed; we found no consistent answer. Wiesbaden also requires that the licence was issued before you entered Germany.
One discrepancy: some media give the end of protection as 4 March 2027, while the cities of Wiesbaden and Mülheim say 2028. We follow the cities.
Sources: Bundesgesetzblatt 2026 I Nr. 236, Stadt Mülheim an der Ruhr, Landeshauptstadt München, Stadt Wiesbaden, ADAC
