shqiptarëtExchanging an Albanian or Kosovo driving licence in Germany
In Germany, licences from outside the EU fall into two groups. Albania and Kosovo are both in Annex 11 of the German Driving Licence Regulation (FeV), the list of countries with a simplified exchange. That means for most categories you take neither a theory nor a practical test. The practical example below is Berlin; elsewhere you apply at the driving licence office (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) where you live.
This is general information from German law and the official Berlin pages below, not legal advice. Local rules and fees can differ: ask the driving licence office where you live.
- Albanian licence
- Yes. A1, A2, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE: no theory or practical test. AM: no theory test, but a practical test.
- Kosovo licence
- Yes. AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE: no theory or practical test.
- How long you can drive on it
- 6 months from the day your ordinary residence moves to Germany. The office can extend this by up to 6 months only if you show you will stay no longer than 12 months.
- Fee (Berlin)
- €37.50 without a test; €45.10 with a test.
- Where to apply
- In person, at the driving licence office of your main residence (in Berlin: LABO, by appointment).
Steps
- Book an appointment
In Berlin, you book on service.berlin.de. Your main residence (Hauptwohnsitz) must be in Berlin, so do your address registration (Anmeldung) first. - Prepare the documents
Passport or ID card, residence permit, 1 recent biometric photo on paper, and your original, valid national licence. An international driving permit is not exchanged. - Translation, if needed
A translation is always needed when the licence is not in German or English. If in doubt, the office decides and asks for it later. - Apply and pay
For Annex 11 countries an eye test and a first-aid course are usually not required. For lorry or bus categories you may need medical certificates (and for buses, a certificate of good conduct). - Collect the German licence
You only receive the German licence when you hand in the foreign one. The office returns it to the issuing country through the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) if there is an agreement with that country, or keeps it in safe custody.
Older licences
- Albanian licence issued before 24 January 2017: the German office asks the Albanian authority, through the KBA, to confirm that the licence is yours and valid.
- Kosovo licence issued before 1 March 2018: the same, with the Kosovo authority.
- This can make the process longer; how much longer, we have not checked.
When your licence does not count in Germany
- If it is a learner or provisional licence.
- If you got it outside the EU at a time when your ordinary residence was already in Germany.
- If you are under the German minimum age for that category, or your licence has been withdrawn or refused in Germany.
Good to know
- The office can order a test if there are reasons to think you no longer have the required knowledge or skills.
- If your licence is limited to automatic vehicles, the German licence is limited the same way.
- You declare in writing that your foreign licence is still valid; the office may check this.
Kosovo citizens: the Kosovo licence is on the same list as the Albanian one. For embassies and offices, see the Germany essentials page. Germany: the essentials
Sources
- German Driving Licence Regulation (FeV), Annex 11: list of states (Albania, Kosovo)
- FeV § 31: licences from states outside the EEA
- FeV § 29: foreign licences, the 6-month rule
- Service Berlin: exchanging a licence from a non-EU/EEA country (third country / Annex 11)
- Berlin LABO: driving licence fees from 1 January 2025