If you’re a South African that’s recently moved to Germany and plan on staying longer than six months, like my wife and I have, you’ll need to convert your South African driving license to a German one. While you’re allowed to drive on a South African license within those first six months, thereafter you’re legally obligated to make the swap. Fortunately it’s a relatively straightforward process, involving a visit to two separate offices and a total cost of approximately €120. From start to finish, it should take you a week or two to get a temporary permit and four to five weeks for the official driving license to arrive by post. I did my conversion in Frankfurt am Main, but from what I can tell the process is pretty similar throughout Germany.
First, you’ll need to have your South African license translated. In German, this process is referred to as Führerscheinübersetzung und Klassifizierung. While there’s a few organisations that do this, I’d heard ADAC (the General German Automobile Club) was the easiest and so went with them. Applying online, all you need are clear photos of the front and back of your South African license and to pay a €65 fee. I applied on a Monday evening and could pick up my paperwork by Friday the same week. Remember to take your driving license with you when picking up the translation – they won’t let you collect without verifying and photocopying the physical card. A sunny 30-minute cycle into Frankfurt West, followed by a bit of a long wait, and I had my translation.
Next, you’ll need to head to your city’s automotive authority to convert your license. In Frankfurt, this is the Servicezentrum “Rund ums Auto”, for which you book an appointment through the Stadt Frankfurt am Main website. I’d suggest trying to book your appointment online well before you get your translation, as sometimes it can take several weeks to get a slot depending on how busy the office is. If you’re early enough, you should be able to book an appointment slot right after you’re due to receive your translation (leave a week or two buffer from when you applied for the translation). I wasn’t in much of a hurry, so I waited about a month after getting my translation to bother booking a conversion appointment. In German, this process is called Umschreibung eines ausländischen Führerscheins aus Privilegiertenstaaten gemäss Anlage 11 FeV.
For this second stage of the process you’ll need your driving license translation, South African driving license card, passport with visa or residence permit, Anmeldung (housing registration certificate), and a standard passport photo. Plus, enough to pay the €55 fee via card or cash. Enter on your appointment date and time, scan your personal QR code or wait for your number to be called, and head over to the assigned desk. In my case, it was easy enough to communicate in a mixture of English and German and the process was quick, professional, and hassle-free. After some ever-mysterious German paperwork and a few signatures, I was given a temporary driving permit and told my new license would arrive by post within three to four weeks. Vielen Dank, schönen Tag noch.
Take note: during your appointment, the German authorities will physically take your South African driving license card and not give it back. In a literal sense, you’re swapping your South African license for a German one. If you head back to South Africa for holiday, you’ll only be able to drive on your new German driving license if you combine it with an International Driving Permit (IDP). This is because your license is now in German, not English, making it tough for the folks back home to understand. Though, between you and me, I’ve heard of plenty of Germans and South Africans-in-Germany who don’t bother with an IDP and, if they run into issues with the local men in blue, either talk themselves out of it or share a little cold drink money.
All in all, not a bad deal. Particularly so when you learn, as we quickly realised after chatting to our Turkish and Iranian friends, that not all internationals have the same experience. According to German authorities, South Africa is a “privileged state” – meaning our driving licenses are recognised as being legally equivalent to German ones. Hence, an easy conversion. However, if you’re unlucky enough to be from a country not similarly recognised, woe be it for you. In this case, conversion is impossible and you’ll be forced to obtain a German driving license the old fashioned way – which means shelling out upwards of €3,000 for driving lessons and tests. Unsurprisingly, Germany has one of the most expensive driving licenses in Europe.
Whichever South African diplomat or German bureaucrat worked so hard to add Mzansi to this little list of privileged states, thank you dearly.