Ukrainian driving licence: exchange without tests

Updated:
05.10.2026

On 17 August 2026, an amendment was published in the Bundesgesetzblatt (Federal Law Gazette) that Ukrainian chat groups had been awaiting for more than two years: Ukraine has been added to Anlage 11 (Annex 11) of the FeV (Driving Licence Ordinance), the list of countries whose driving licences can be exchanged for German ones without a theory and practical test. The rule has been in effect since 18 August. We break down who this affects, where the catch is and what to do immediately after the exchange.

What specifically has changed

This concerns the Erste Verordnung zur Änderung der Berufskraftfahrerqualifikationsverordnung und anderer straßenverkehrsrechtlicher Vorschriften (First Ordinance Amending the Professional Driver Qualification Ordinance and Other Road Traffic Regulations), a government ordinance approved by the Bundesrat on 10 July 2026 (Drucksache [printed paper] 318/26, 1067th session) with a single amendment. Published on 17 August 2026, BGBl 2026 I No. 236, it enters into force on the day following its publication.

The document is large and amends several acts at once. The main thing for a private driver is Article 2: Anlage 11 of the FeV, i.e. the list of countries with simplified exchange, has been extended to include Ukraine and Montenegro. Prior to this, Ukrainian driving licences were exchanged under the general rule: with a theory test and a practical test. Without an exchange, you can drive on them for as long as temporary protection applies (Regulation (EU) 2022/1280).

Which licence categories can be exchanged without tests

The exchange takes place under § 31 FeV at the local Führerscheinstelle (driving licence office). The regulation itself does not set out a list of documents — this is determined by the authority at your place of residence.

In the row for “Ukraine”, twelve categories are listed, and both the theory test and the practical test columns say “nein” — not required:

Find out more — taking out KFZ-Versicherung (car insurance) step by step.

Where the exam will be needed after all

A footnote is attached to the word “Ukraine” containing two conditions that are usually not mentioned in the news.

First. Before being issued German driving licences for categories C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D or DE, the applicant must confirm their fitness under Anlage 5 and their eyesight under Anlage 6 FeV. That is, the medical and ophthalmological reports for lorry and bus categories have not disappeared at all — only the tests have been abolished.

Second. If Ukrainian categories C or D were issued without category B, then you will have to take both the theory and practical tests for category B. This is not an uncommon situation for drivers who have driven a lorry all their lives and do not have the car category on their licence.

Licence exchange refused — who pays for the dispute with the authority

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If your licence is lost or stolen

A separate provision of the ordinance solves an old problem for refugees: the document was left at home or was lost on the way. A new code has been added to Anlage 9 FeV: 99.01 — “Sonderausfertigung, nur für die Dauer des vorübergehenden Schutzes gültig” (special issue, valid only for the duration of temporary protection). This is a special licence issued in place of a lost or stolen Ukrainian one, and it is valid only for the period of temporary protection.

Put simply: without a paper original, there is now a lawful route, but a document obtained this way is tied to status rather than being issued indefinitely.

What has changed for professional drivers

Albanian appeared on the list not as a result of a government bill, but through an amendment by the Bundesrat—the only one with which the regulation was approved.

The exam for the accelerated initial qualification can be taken, in addition to German, in nine languages: Albanian, English, Standard Arabic, Croatian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian
Practical test: the driving portion itself has been reduced from 120 to 90 minutes, and the “handling critical situations” module has been removed entirely
Code 95 in accordance with Anlage 9 FeV is entered upon application in the “Besondere Bemerkungen” field of the Fahrerbescheinigung (driver attestation, issued to the haulier for a driver from a non-EU country), provided that a qualification document pursuant to § 7 BKrFQG is presented

The second half of the statutory instrument is about the driver qualification for professional drivers (Berufskraftfahrerqualifikation), and there are three substantive amendments there.

Theory in Ukrainian — but from April 2027

For those getting a German driving licence from scratch rather than exchanging one, another amendment is useful: Kurmanji and Ukrainian have been added to the languages for the driving licence theory test in Anlage 7 FeV. However, this provision does not apply immediately — § 76a FeV postpones it until 1st April 2027. Before this date, the theory test can be taken in the previous set of languages.

Procedure

The decree establishes neither a list of documents nor a fee — this is the domain of the local driving licence office (Führerscheinstelle). Before your visit, check its webpage rather than someone else’s experience from a neighbouring state.

Book an appointment at the local Führerscheinstelle – in many towns the wait is several weeks, so you should open the booking before gathering the paperwork.
Check the exact list with the authority: usually they ask for a passport or Aufenthaltstitel (residence title), Meldebescheinigung (certificate of registration), the original Ukrainian driving licence, its sworn translation and a biometric photo.
For categories C and D, additionally order expert opinions according to Anlage 5 and Anlage 6
Surrender a Ukrainian document — during an exchange, the original remains with the department
Collect the German driving licence and only register the car after that

The procedure is standard for a Führerscheinstelle, with the caveat that the practices of the authorities vary more than one would like. We discussed the general exchange procedure separately — how Umschreibung (licence exchange) works: which countries are on the list, how long you can drive on a foreign licence after registering your place of residence, and what to do if your country is not on the list.

Find out more — what you need to know about cars in Germany.

Licences obtained — next up are a car and insurance

Exchanging your licence almost always means the next step: buying a car. And this is where the part begins that the ordinance says nothing about — yet it costs more than the exchange itself.

It is not possible to register a car without insurance in Germany: the vehicle registration office (Zulassungsstelle) requires an eVB number — electronic confirmation that a Haftpflicht (third-party liability insurance) contract is already in place. The insurer issues this, usually on the same day. What else the Zulassungsstelle will ask for — complete list of documents for registering a car.

The second point is the Schadenfreiheitsklasse (no-claims class). Insurers automatically place a driver with a new German driving licence into the starting class, which is the most expensive tariff. Some companies are willing to credit a claim-free driving record based on Ukrainian insurance history or confirmation from a previous insurer — but this is a goodwill gesture by the individual company rather than a legal requirement, and conditions vary from company to company. In practice, the difference between the starting class and credited experience amounts to hundreds of euros a year, so it is worth comparing before buying a car rather than after.

In practice, this is done as follows: first we compare tariffs and calculate the premium, then we order the eVB number, and only then do we go to the vehicle registration office (Zulassungsstelle). Calculation and processing are done via our comparison service Finber Makler24; you can also view market offers and apply online in the KFZ-Versicherung tariff comparison. If anything in the calculation is unclear, please let me know and we will go through your situation before signing.

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Frequently asked questions

From what date can driving licences be exchanged without tests?

The decree was published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on 17 August 2026 (BGBl 2026 I No. 236) and enters into force on the day following its publication, i.e. from 18 August 2026.

Which categories can be exchanged without theory and practical tests?

A1, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE. In Anlage 11 FeV, the row for Ukraine says “no” in the columns for both the theory and the practical test.

So, there is no need to take any test at all for a lorry and a bus?

No exams, but before categories C1–CE and D1–DE are issued, you need to prove your fitness under Anlage 5 and your eyesight under Anlage 6 FeV. And if the Ukrainian C or D licences were issued without category B, you will have to take the theory and practical tests for B.

My Ukrainian driving licence is lost. What should I do?

Code 99.01 has been added to Anlage 9 of the FeV (Driving Licence Ordinance) — a special licence issued to replace a lost or stolen Ukrainian document. It is only valid for the duration of temporary protection. Contact the Führerscheinstelle (driving licence office).

Can you take the theory test in Ukrainian?

Ukrainian and Kurmanji have been added to Anlage 7 FeV, but § 76a postpones application until 1 April 2027. The Initial Qualification examination for professional drivers is already available in Ukrainian.

What happens to car insurance after exchanging a driving licence?

To register a car, you need an eVB number from the insurer. Beginners are assigned a starting no-claims class, but some companies will honour previous driving history based on documents from a Ukrainian insurer — each has its own conditions, so it is worth comparing them in advance.