Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

DRIVING

What you should do if you lose your driver’s licence in Germany

Non-EU nationals who live in Germany can often exchange their old licences for German ones. But what do you do if you happen to lose your German licence - or if it gets stolen? Here's a step-by-step guide.

Published: 30 January 2024 16:10 CET
Updated: 31 January 2024 08:59 CET
What you should do if you lose your driver's licence in Germany
Speed limit 100 from is written on a traffic sign on a motorway on the border between the Netherlands and Germany. Phtoto: picture alliance/dpa | Friso Gentsch

Losing an important document can be a nightmare scenario for foreigners in Germany – especially if it’s the one you rely on to get around. So if you search for your driver’s licence one day and suddenly realise it’s missing, you may feel the urge to panic. 

Luckily, there’s a two-step process to follow to get a replacement and ensure nobody else can misuse your licence in the meantime. However, German law requires you to act quickly.

Call the lost and found and/or file a police report

If your driver’s licence is lost or stolen in Germany, you’re required to let the police know as soon as possible. You can do this at any police station in Germany. 

There may be one place you should try first though before going straight to the police.

If you think your licence may simply have been misplaced, rather than stolen, you can call your local Fundbüro – which deals with lost property – to see if someone has returned it. Many of these are at local city halls, while many public transport companies have their own. Deutsche Bahn also runs one of these for things that are lost on long-distance trains in Germany.

If you still can’t find it, whether you’ve lost your licence or it’s been stolen, you’re required to file a police report. 

Once you’ve filed the report, the police will give you a confirmation letter. You can use this to apply for a replacement licence.

READ ALSO: How to get a German driver’s licence as a third-country national

Get in touch with the traffic office

Once you’ve filed a police report, you’ll need to get in touch with your local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde – or “traffic licencing authority” – to get a replacement licence. In Berlin, for example, you can go online and book an appointment for this.

You’ll need to bring a few documents with for your appointment to get a replacement licence. These include a biometric passport photo, the loss or theft report from the police, and a piece of legal ID. You’ll also need to pay a fee – which can vary depending on your local authority.

READ ALSO: What you should do if you lose your residence permit in Germany

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

DRIVING

EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

The EU has agreed to extend the number of driving offences for which motorists from other member states can be fined for and to make it easier for authorities to chase up the fines and make foreign drivers pay.

Published: 13 May 2024 17:28 CEST
EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

In the last voting session of this term, in April, the European Parliament passed new rules to ensure drivers who breach local traffic rules in another EU member state are found and fined.

The cross-border enforcement (CBE) directive was first adopted in 2015 after it was found that non-resident drivers were more likely to commit speeding offences. The European Commission estimated that in 2008, foreign drivers accounted for about 5 percent of road traffic in the EU but committed around 15 percent of speeding offences.

The directive partially improved the situation, but according to the Commission 40 percent of traffic violations committed in other EU countries are still unpunished “because the offender is not identified or because the fine is not enforced”.

In March 2023, the Commission therefore proposed updating existing measures.

New rules extend the type of offences that will trigger assistance from another member state and seek to improve collaboration among national authorities to identify and fine offenders.

The European Parliament and Council agreed in March on the final text of the directive, which is now being formally approved by the two institutions.

André Sobczak, Secretary-General at Eurocities, a group representing European cities in Brussels, said: “While the final outcome of the discussions is not ideal, we are pleased that EU policymakers have at least put the issue of the enforcement of local traffic rules on foreign vehicles on the table. As we approach an election year, I believe such a practical example can demonstrate why a European approach is necessary to address local issues.”

Which traffic offences are covered?

The previous directive covered eight driving misconducts that would require member states to cooperate: speeding, not wearing seat belts, failing to stop at a red traffic light, drink-driving, driving under the effect of drugs, not wearing a helmet (motorcycles / scooters), using a forbidden lane and using a mobile phone or other communication devices while driving.

The Commission proposed to add to the list not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front, dangerous overtaking, dangerous parking, crossing one or more solid white lines, driving the wrong way down a one way street, not respecting the rules on “emergency corridors” (a clear lane intended for priority vehicles), and using an overloaded vehicle.

The Parliament and Council agreed to these and added more offences: not giving way to emergency service vehicles, not respecting access restrictions or rules at a rail crossings, as well as hit-and-run offences.

Despite calls from European cities, the new directive does not cover offences related to foreign drivers avoiding congestion charges or low emission zones. In such cases, information about vehicle registration can only be shared among countries with bilateral agreements.

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General at POLIS, a network of cities and regions working on urban transport, called on the next European Commission to take other local traffic offences, such as breaches of low emission zones, “fully at heart”.

Collaboration among national authorities

For the traffic violations covered by the directive, EU countries have to help each other to find the liable driver. The new directive further clarifies how.

Member states will have to use the European vehicle and driving licence information system (Eucaris) to get the data of the offender.

National authorities will have 11 months from the date of the violation to issue the fine to a vehicle from another EU member state. However, they will not have to resort to agencies or private entities to collect the fine. This was requested by the European Parliament to avoid scams or leaks of personal data.

Authorities in the country of the offender will have to reply to requests from another EU member state within two months.

When the amount of the fine is more than €70, and all options to have it paid have been exhausted, the member state where the violation occurred can ask the country of the offender to take over the collection.

The person concerned will be able to request follow-up documents in a different official EU language.

When will the new rules will be enforced?

Now that the EU Parliament has passed the law, the EU Council has to do the same, although there is no date set for when that will happen. Once the directive is adopted, EU countries will have 30 months to prepare for implementation.

Last year the Commission also proposed a new directive on driving licenses, but negotiations on the final text of this file will only take place after the European elections.

This article has been produced in collaboration with Europe Street news.

SHOW COMMENTS