Is my driving licence valid overseas?
Moving abroad
For holders of an EU driving licence, mutual recognition between the Member States of the EU, without any formalities, has been in full force since 1 July 1996. From that date, all administrative obstacles have been eliminated for licence holders who go to or establish themselves in another Member State.
Your driving licence will remain valid until the period of validity expires. However, it is compulsory to exchange your driving licence before the expiry date. It is also possible to exchange it earlier by making a specific request. You will then be issued with a new Community model licence with categories corresponding to those which were recorded on the old model.
If you have a driving licence issued by a country located outside the European Union, Member States are not obliged to recognise it, even if it has already been recognised by another state. It is necessary to contact the competent national authority in order to determine whether the licence is recognized.
For example, in Switzerland, as an EU national you are able to drive up to a maximum of 12 months, prior to transferring your licence to the Swiss model. You will have to undertake medical checks, but will not be required to pass your test again!
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