General information

German driving licenses may only be issued in Germany by German authorities and must therefore also be applied for in Germany. If your German driving license has been stolen or you have lost the document, please contact your nearest police station and file a police report. A loss report must also be filed if the license is lost abroad. Further information on dealing with stolen or lost documents can be found at this link. The diplomatic missions abroad can certify your signature on the declaration.

International driver's license

According to Section 25a (1) FeV (Regulation on the Licensing of Persons for Road Traffic), an international driver's license may only be issued in accordance with the Convention on Road Traffic of November 8, 1968, if the holder has their regular residence in Germany or in a country that is not a party to the Convention[II]. In such cases, those affected should contact the competent driver's license authority in their country of residence.

If you are registered in Germany, please contact your local municipality.

Loss / theft of driver's license

If your driver's license is lost or stolen outside the EU/EEA area, only the driver's license office of your last place of residence in Germany is responsible for issuing a replacement. However, the diplomatic mission abroad can provide any necessary signature or translation certifications (e.g., a report of loss or theft) or hand over or deliver the replacement driver's license.

Exchange of old German driver's licenses

All German driver's licenses issued before January 19, 2013, must be exchanged within a certain period of time. The deadlines are staggered and depend on the date of issue of the driver's license and the date of birth of the person.

The earliest deadline is January 19, 2022, for persons born between 1953 and 1958 whose driver's license was issued before January 1, 1999.

If you need to exchange your driver's license, please proceed as follows:

1. Contact the authority in Germany that issued your driver's license and ask them to send you the application documents. They will be sent directly to you.
2. Return the completed and signed documents, including a biometric passport photo, to the driver's license authority in Germany.
3. The driver's license authority will then send the new driver's license to the embassy in Abuja or the consulate general in Lagos. Please ensure that your contact details (email address, telephone number) are included.
4. The German diplomatic mission will contact you to arrange an appointment to collect your driver's license.
5. Please bring your valid passport or identity card and your old driver's license with you to the appointment.

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact us using our contact form.