Do you have a foreign driving license? Did you know that you can convert it to a Romanian one?
Find out more from our lawyers, below!
Are you allowed to drive in Romania with a foreign driving license?
According to the law, Romanian authorities are not obligated to recognize a foreign driving license, and this is why the International Driving License (IDL) exists.
It is issued by the state where you initially received your driving license, it’s written in several international languages, it proves that you have a valid driving license and can drive a certain category of vehicles.
The IDL is recognized only by countries that have signed the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic. So you should first check the signatory states before using an IDL in that country. Romania is a signatory party and recognizes IDLs.
However, the Romanian authorities have a practice of not requesting the IDL and it is enough to present the foreign driving license, as long as it has an easy to understand format and is in English. Still, no one can guarantee that you will not be asked for a legalized translation of the license, so you won’t be accused of driving a car without a driving permit.
What is the conversion of a driving license and how does it help me?
This type of conversion is, in essence, an official recognition of the foreign driving license in Romania, following which you obtain a new document – the Romanian driving license. You can use this license to legally drive vehicles in Romania or even within the European Union.
Changing the driving license is useful for foreign citizens who have Romanian residence, especially if the license from home country is about to expire and they do not want to return to that country just to renew it. Or if it is not written in an international language.
Can I use my foreign driving license to drive vehicles in Romania, without converting it?
Romania automatically recognizes driving licenses issued in the European Union, plus several non-EU countries, even without official conversion.
For example, if you have a driving license from Spain, you can use it freely on Romanian territory. But if you have a driving license from Ghana, it will not be automatically recognized and it cannot be converted, either.
When is it mandatory to change my driver’s license?
- your license is damaged, lost or stolen
- the license has expired (only if you are an EU citizen; you cannot transcribe an expired non-EU license)
- if you committed a traffic offense
- if you have a Romanian residence It is also mandatory to transcribe the license after 2 years of residence, if you have a license with an indefinite period of validity (only if this is required by the national authorities of the country where you live) or if you obtained the license in a non-EU country.
Regarding the non-EU countries, the obligation to convert a driving license into a Romanian one occurs only if you set your residence in Romania.
This occurs when a person lives in Romania for at least 185 days over the course of a year or periodically returns to an address in Romania, for reasons related to personal relationships, although he lives in another country.
Is it mandatory to pass a new driving test to have the driving license recognized?
It is not imperative to pass the driving test to change the driving license obtained in most countries of the world, with some exceptions provided by the law.
A particularity also exists in the case of the driving license obtained in China, for which the transcription is done without taking a new examination only for the B category, common vehicles.
What steps should I follow in order to convert my driver’s license?
To change your driving license obtained outside the EU, you must follow the following steps:
- Complete a medical evaluation, which shows that you are fit to drive vehicles under the categories mentioned in the license
- Submit the document conversion file to the Community civil service within the competent authority in the territorial area where you reside.
What are the conditions for converting my driving license?
You can make a voluntary transcription only if you have a legal residence in Romania and before the 185-day deadline.
What criteria do I have to meet to change my license?
You must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Romania and obtain a medical certificate proving that you are fit to drive a vehicle.
When will my Romanian driving license expire?
The validity terms for Romanian driving licenses are as follows:
- 5 years for categories: C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE, Tr, Tb and Tv
- 10 years for categories: AM, A1, A2, A, B, Bl and BE
If you would like to address more questions or if you need a legal consultation, you can contact us at office@rrpb.ro or by accessing our site www.rrpb.ro for more information.
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55 Comments
Zohaib
Hi ,is it possible to change Pakistani license in romania license
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, thank you for the message. Our law firm is specialized in immigration law, so we can help you with your case. You can send us the documents in scan to office@rrpb.ro to check them or book a legal consultation with us here: https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult/. All the best!
Muhammad Azeem
I want change pakisyani lnternathional driving licence
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello! Do you have Romanian residency?
Nyirankundimana Esperance
Hello,
I am Called Nyirankundimana Esperance from Rwanda, I have a driving license of categories B,C from Rwanda, I live here 8 months and I have residence permit for one year. So what I want to know is the requirements for for changing my driving license inorder to be eligible for driving here in Romania.
Best regards.
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, do you have Romanian residency?
Stephen
HI there.
Im Brazilian living in Romania for five years.
I Could not have my driver document registered here in Romania since i was byuing my place and would have the house in my name and new documentos, and after that I Could apply for transfer the drive license.
I give the entrance for my city document in the beggining of 2020. They told me that would be ready in 1 Month ( whil my driver license was still valid) but because of the pandemic cause, everything went down, offices closed and my document never arrived.
The experation date was arund Jun 2020 and my residence document arrived in Jyly.
Then i went to the police to transfer the document and got very dry answer “your doc is expire few weeks, you are not european, so we cant help you, you need to go back to Brazil, renew your drive license and then come back to Romania to change for a romenian one.
Then he also said, or you can start the whole process of class here in romenia from 0 and get the license.
Is very hard for me since i driver over 18 years already and too see that i probably will have to do the school from zero is very frustation, going to all classes, doing all the driving clases and on the end have a lucky to find a correpted Police man that will reprove you.
My question, do you think there is other way fo me to get my Romania liceses without have to going back to Brasil? Since the sutiation there is still hevy bad with COVID, i really dont want and cannot go back now.
Or if there is any kind of proccess for people that already drive and have them doing a short courtse, fast exame, a bit easier than doing everytning from 0… I would probably ending up moving tro Brasil around Nov/Oct and reniew there my docs, since it will be enven cheaper to fix trom brasil everything, meet my family and got back allowed to drive again.
Im without hope regarding this, my daughts just born, we depende on the car and is very hard to keep going like this… Im very frustade…
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, you mean to say you also have international driving license or just your license from your home country? You can drive legally with an international license. If not, check the Vienna convention on deiving license and if you find your country there, you can use your foreign license to drive in Romania. You can find out more from our YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/llzHF4vJfAs. Or book an in person or online consult with us to discuss the matter in detail here: https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult/
Mohamed ayoub
Dears
I have a Sierraleone driving license the local and international am holder of Romania resident permit is it possible to change it to Romania driving license
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, you mean to say you also have international driving license? You can drive legally with it. If not, check the Vienna convention on deiving license and if you find your country there, you can use your foreign license to drive in Romania. You can find out more from our YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/llzHF4vJfAs. Or book an in person or online consult with us to discuss the matter in detail here: https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult/
Bereket
Hallow
I have Egypt driving license , is it possible to change and I have Romania residency permit. Thanks
B.regards: bereket
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Given the above, we cannot offer an upfront fee, but if you find your country in the list and you want to go through the procedure, we advise to book a consultation with us in order to analyze your particular case.
https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult – You can use this link to book a legal consultation with us. One-hour legal consultation is 100 Euro, you can ask whatever questions you want and if you want to continue the project this cost will be deducted from future fees. So, the consult would basically be free.
If you decide you want our help, let us know. Also, in the meantime, if you want more information about Romanian commercial and immigration law you can check out our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/RRPartnersBucharest and on our blog https://rrpb.ro/blog. We post quite frequently a lot of useful free content in English there.
Sahan
Hi i am intend to come to work in romania i am a sri lankan i have sri lankan driving licence and malaysian driving licence as i know if i use idp in romania it only can be used for 3 months but i intend to stay long period can i get romanian driving licence?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, sure you can check out our YouTube video ‘Recognizing your foreign driver’s license in Romania’ and find out more about this topic here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzHF4vJfAs&ab_channel=R%26RPartnersBucharest
Alex
Good afternoon. I currently hold a driving licence from Kenya and I just relocated to Romania. Would I be able to exchange my licence by any chance?
Thank you.
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, you should check to see if your country is signatory party to the Vienna Convention, it might not be. Otherwise, you should obtain an international driving license.
Bashir
hello i live in Sweden. and I want to get a truck driver’s license in Romania how much does it cost? how long does it take to get?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, you have your driver’s licence from Sweden or another country?
Remy
Hi
I am Syrian British married with Romanian I have Syrian driving license can I convert it to Romanian driving license?
Thank you
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, you should check if the country that issued your permit is part of the Vienna Convention. Are you living and driving in Romania at the moment?
Gautam kisan
I am nepali i have romania dravir li
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello! What do you need exactly?
Tirath lal
I can convert my Bahrain license to Romania license.
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Given the above, we cannot offer an upfront fee, but if you find your country in the list and you want to go through the procedure, we advise to book a consultation with us in order to analyze your particular case.
https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult – You can use this link to book a legal consultation with us. One-hour legal consultation is 50 Euro, you can ask whatever questions you want and if you want to continue the project this cost will be deducted from future fees. So, the consult would basically be free.
If you decide you want our help, let us know. Also, in the meantime, if you want more information about Romanian commercial and immigration law you can check out our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/RRPartnersBucharest and on our blog https://rrpb.ro/blog. We post quite frequently a lot of useful free content in English there.
Have a great day,
Ruxandra Visoiu
Elixir
I did not see Nepal In the list but heard somewhere that no exam is needed for Nepalese Driving license holder to equivalent Romanian License. how truthful is this information. can you clarify?
Abdo ali hantosh
Hello, I’m from Yemen my national driving license expired two years ago. Is there a way to change it to Romanian license even if it expires!!!
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Given the above, we cannot offer an upfront fee, but if you find your country in the list and you want to go through the procedure, we advise to book a consultation with us in order to analyze your particular case.
https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult – You can use this link to book a legal consultation with us. One-hour legal consultation is 100 Euro, you can ask whatever questions you want and if you want to continue the project this cost will be deducted from future fees. So, the consult would basically be free.
If you decide you want our help, let us know. Also, in the meantime, if you want more information about Romanian commercial and immigration law you can check out our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/RRPartnersBucharest and on our blog https://rrpb.ro/blog. We post quite frequently a lot of useful free content in English there.
Have a great day
Black
I live in Netherlands. I am originally from iran. I want to exchange my iranian driving license to romanian driving license , and then i can exchange it to Netherlands driving license.
What is the best and cheapest way to do that ? What is the requirements?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, do you plan on living in Romania? In other words, will you also get Romanian temporary residency at some point? You have our offer for driver permit conversion by email.
Arie Bin
Hello, I would like to convert Israeli driving licence to romanian. According to your site, the original driving licence should be accompanied with an authentification certificate sworn before Public Notary.
My 1st question is whether this can be done before Public Notary in Romania and my 2nd question is, weather there is no need for an Israeli appostile certificate as evidence for the authentification of the licence ? [I shall also need your services to obtain permanent residency instead of Permis de Cedere (based on family membership) that has been extended 14 years so far. For this I shall contact you separately]
Thank you
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Arie Bin
Hello, my question is, whether authentication of my Istaeli driving licence for converting it to Romanian can be done in front of Public Notary in Romania. And whether certificate of appostile from Israel is not needed. And do your law firm files applications for converting driving licence. Thank you
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Arie Bin
Hello, in a separate issue, my question is wehther the fact the my last permis de cedere expires in june 30th 2022 and only 2 month later I applied and got new one, can be considered as a breach of the condition of staying in Romania for at least 8 consecutive years to apply for citizenship (beside this 2 month interference I stay in Romania 10 consecutive years). Does your law firm can apply for my citizenship inspire the above interference or I have to wait almost 8 years more. Thank you
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, I see you wrote quite a lot to us above. If you need specific guidance on Romanian law you can book a legal consult with us here: https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult/ or email us at office@rrpb.ro.
Shahjan
Hello good afternoon
My nationality Bangladesh
Currently Im living Romania
I am interested too apply for Romania driving licence b category. Please can you help me? Processing details. Thanks
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello,
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
DINESH KUMAR
hi i am from india . is it possible for apply for trucking driving license on visitor visa or tourist visa .
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, no
Musaab
Hi,
I’m living in Sweden and have permit residents in Sweden for 5 years. I have an international driver license from Iraq and it’s still valid.
How can I change it to Romania driver licence. It’s to difficult for me to do a Swedish driver license.
How much does it cost?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
elbousaidi
Hallo
I have a valid Maroccan license and i hold Dutch nationality.
Can i change to a Romanian one
R&R Partners Bucharest
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Ruban
Hello, I have been driving with an IDP and my Sri Lankan driving license since I arrived in Romania. However, I am now a permanent resident of Romania and would like to convert my license to a Romanian one. The license as mentioned above is issued from Sri Lanka and unfortunately, Sri Lanka does not appear on this list https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Does this mean I must go through the theory and practical test again?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Normally, you should. If you need further specific advice you can book a call with us here: https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult/
Douglas Mclellan
Dear sir I need help to exchange my Irish republic driving licence for a romation one could you please send details on to my email address dougmclellan@hotmail.com thank you d mclellan
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, we replied to you by email
DHAN BAHADUR THAKURI
Hello sir/mam,
My home is Nepal. I am now in Romania. I am a Nepali bus and truck driver. I have a Nepali license. I want to convert Nepali license into Romania license. How will it happen? Please
R&R Partners Bucharest
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Given the above, we cannot offer an upfront fee, but if you find your country in the list and you want to go through the procedure, we advise to book a consultation with us in order to analyze your particular case.
https://rrpb.ro/book-a-consult – You can use this link to book a legal consultation with us. One-hour legal consultation is 100 Euro, you can ask whatever questions you want and if you want to continue the project this cost will be deducted from future fees. So, the consult would basically be free.
If you decide you want our help, let us know. Also, in the meantime, if you want more information about Romanian commercial and immigration law you can check out our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/RRPartnersBucharest and on our blog https://rrpb.ro/blog. We post quite frequently a lot of useful free content in English there.
Have a great day,
Ruxandra Visoiu
Mian
Hi I am asylum seeker in UK. I want to move to Romania. Does your company can help me to get Romanian Residence Permit?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello, we cannot help you get asylum in UK.
Magnus
I am about to move to Romania and hold a Hong Kong driver’s license.
The Hong Kong license differs from the Chinese license and is not recognized in China.
I obtained my license when Hong Kong was still British.
Will I be able to convert my Hong Kong license for motorbike and car or only for car?
R&R Partners Bucharest
Hello! Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
Yasir Iqbal
Good Day to You!
I Have UAE Driving license for HTV / LTV both. and i am UAE resident. can i convert my driving license to romanian driving license.
Regards,
Yasir iqbal
+971557202206
R&R Partners Bucharest
Our team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/PublOur team can assist you with the exchange of the driver’s license into a Romanian driver’s license. However you need to check that you can find your country in the following list: http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.
ic/DetaliiDocument/120903
Moreover, do note that you need to be a Romanian resident in order to get the Romanian driver’s license.