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Germany,risk of invalidity of EU driving licenses issued abroad

Category B,CE driverlicence from non-EU countries when new resident in germany

Owner of third-country driver's licenses moving to the EU have the opportunity to exchange their licenses for EU licenses. Typically, this requires taking both a theoretical and practical exam. However, some member states practice license exchange for individuals from certain third countries without requiring an exam. Once they establish a permanent residence in Germany, their EU licenses will not be recognized under the regulations of the Driver's License Regulation (FeV). Employers who use drivers with such licenses in Germany can also be punished, as well as the drivers themselves. The DSLV advises its member companies organized in its regional associations to carefully examine the affect of the foreign EU licenses held by the drivers they employ.
Holders of a driver's license issued in a member state of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and who have their residence in Germany, may, according to § 28 paragraph 1 of the Driver's License Regulation (FeV) retain their driver's license and drive vehicles within the scope of these driver's licenses. However, it is important to take into account some restrictions.

Different Validity of EU Licenses:
In Germany, with regard to the validity period, the regulations of the FeV apply to EU or EEA driver's licenses of classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D1, DE and D1E. This usually lasts for five years. However, in some EU member states, the same licenses are valid for longer periods. For example, in the United Kingdom, truck licenses (C, C1, CE, C1E) are generally valid until the holder's 60th birthday. In Germany, classes C1 and C1E are valid until the holder's 50th birthday.

Recommendation of the Germany Federal Association of Spedition and Logistics:
Holders of driver's licenses from EU countries should check if more than five years have passed since the issuance of their EU driver's license at the time of their move to the Federal Republic of Germany and whether they have already reached the age of 50 for classes C1 and C1E. In both cases, the validity of their license would have expired in Germany. However, the driver's license law, according to § 28 paragraph 3 FeV, grants a transition period of six months from the registration of residence in Germany to enable them to renew their driver's license according to German law.

A problem arises when drivers from non-EU or non-EEA countries exchange their home country driver's license for an EU driver's license. These exchanged EU driver's licenses have a key number 70 on the back of them in line 12, followed by the original driver's license number and a three-digit code for the country of origin. In most cases, this type of driver's license exchange requires a repeat of the theoretical or practical examination. However, in some EU member states, this is not required, particularly in former colonial countries such as France or the United Kingdom. This practice leads to problems in Germany, where EU and EEA driver's licenses are not valid if no examination was required for the exchange in an EU country. This cannot be determined from the driver's license document, leaving employers unsure if the EU driver's license with the key number 70 is valid in Germany or not. Employers, who can face fines or imprisonment under the German Road Traffic Act, can avoid this by questioning their drivers, requesting a confirmation of validity from the driver's license authority, or exchanging the license for a German one. However, these processes can take time and it is important for employers to be aware of the relevant laws and regulations.
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