Converting a foreign or military licence
Do you have a license issued abroad, or a military license, and want to convert it to an Italian one? The rules vary depending on your case.
🇪🇺 Community driving licence
It concerns those who hold a driving licence issued by a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area and obtain registered or normal residence in Italy.
EU/EEA driving licences are treated the same as Italian ones. If yours has an expiry date that complies with European rules, you can drive normally until that date, without doing anything.
When you need to convert it
- When your license expiresOnce its validity period expires, conversion becomes necessary.
- Within 2 years of residencyIf your driving license does not expire or expires after the expiration date established by EU regulations.
- If you are required to undergo a re-examinationof your driving licence as a resident in Italy.
Once you are resident in Italy, you are still subject to Italian regulations regarding validity and medical checks.
You can also convert it earlier
You can also request a conversion before the expiration date. In that case, you'll receive an Italian license with the same expiration date as your foreign license. If you present a renewal medical certificate , you'll receive an Italian license with a new validity period according to the expiration dates established in Italy.
What you need
- Original valid foreign driving license
- Italian identity card
- Italian tax code
- 2 passport-size photos (specifications), one of which must be certified by the municipal office
Expired or expiring license? You can obtain a medical certificate directly from our health officer, adding €50.00 for the visit. In this case , a certified passport photo (specifications) is not required .
If the license has already expired
If the license you wish to convert has expired, or is no longer valid for driving in Italy according to the rules outlined above, you can still submit a conversion application.
After 5 years from the expiry date, you are generally required to undergo a driving re-test (esperimento di guida) for the licence.
The 5-year period for assessing the expiry of the EU driving licence to be converted is calculated:
- for driving licences without an expiry date, from the day after completing 2 years of residence in Italy;
- for driving licences with an expiry date longer than that set by European Union regulations
° from the day after 19/01/2015, if you have been resident in Italy since before 19/01/2013 (date of entry into force of the aforementioned EU directive)
° from the day after completing 2 years of residence in Italy, if residency was acquired after 19/01/2013.
It is not possible to renew or convert driving licences from the European Union or the EEA area:
- issued following conversion if the original document was issued by a non-EU country with which the conditions of reciprocity provided for by Article 136 of the Highway Code do not exist.
- suspended or revoked by the State that issued them.
€100
Cost of the service for the conversion of an EU driving licence.
🌍 Non-EU driving licence
You have one year. With a non-EU license, you can drive the vehicles for which you are authorized for up to one year after obtaining residency in Italy. After that, to continue driving, you must convert it.
Conversion is possible only if the country that issued the driving licence has signed reciprocal agreements with Italy.
States whose driving licences are convertible in Italy
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Filippine
- Giappone
- Israele until 08/22/28
- Libano
- Macedonia
- Marocco
- Moldova
- Principato di Monaco
- Regno Unito until 03/30/28
- Repubblica di Corea
- San Marino
- Serbia until 12/17/28
- Taiwan
- Tunisia 20/07/2030
- Turchia until 07/18/28
- Ucraina until 01/24/27
- Bosnia ed Erzegovina until 03/17/2030
- Kosovo until 01/29/2030
- Sri Lanka until 04/09/2031
- Svizzera until 06/12/2031
- Andorra until 08/31/2029
The agreement with the United Kingdom also applies to Gibraltar, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Isle of Man and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
States convertible only for certain categories of citizens
- Canada diplomatic and consular staff
- Cile diplomatic staff and family members
- Stati Uniti diplomatic staff and family members
- Zambia government mission and family members
Agreements change over time. Some expire, others are renewed or signed anew. Before starting the process, stop by our office: we'll check with you to see the latest situation in your country.
By when you have to apply
Conversion without exams is possible only if the foreign license was obtained before acquiring residency in Italy and if the application is submitted within a deadline that depends on the issuing country, according to circular prot. 31762 of October 24, 2023:
- 4 years Albania, Argentina, Switzerland, Ukraine
- 6 years Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Kosovo, Israel, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, Moldova
After these deadlines, the application is rejected, with no possibility of taking the re-examination test.
For all other countries, which have not specified limits in their agreements, the deadline is 6 years. In these cases, anyone who has resided in Italy for more than 6 years can still submit the application, but the Italian driving licence will be issued together with notification of an order for re-examination of technical fitness (Article 128 of the Highway Code).
Watch out for the re-examination test. If you fail it, your Italian licence is revoked (Article 130, paragraph 1, letter b, Highway Code), and your foreign licence cannot be returned, because it is sent to the foreign authority that issued it.
Furthermore, foreign driving licences obtained through the conversion of another foreign driving licence that is not convertible in Italy cannot be converted.
What you need
- Foreign driving license in original, valid
- Italian identity card
- Residence permit
- Medical history certificate from your doctor
- Medical examination with a health officerYou can do it with us.
- 1 passport photo (specifications)
- Sworn translation of a foreign driving licenseAt the court or prefecture.
- Historical Certificate of ResidenceAt the municipal office
€150
Cost of the service for converting a non-EU driving licence.
🎖️ Military driving license conversion
A military license, or one issued by other forces, can be converted into a corresponding civilian license. The request must be submitted during service or within one year of discharge or termination of service.
What is always needed
- Civilian driving license, if held
- 1 passport photo (specifications)
- Medical visit by a health officer
- Certificate from the command that issued the military licenseWith information on the type of vehicle used for the test.
The certificate is used to identify the corresponding civilian driving license category: the vehicle's characteristics must meet the minimum criteria required for the driving test for each category, indicated in the decree of 18 April 2011 no. 59 (Annex II, point 5.2).
If you are discharged or terminated from service, in addition
- Allegato N Declaration from the military command that issued the license.
- Grado non ufficiale Original discharge form and photocopy, or self-certification with the same information.
- Grado ufficiale Photocopy of your service record, or self-certification with the same information.
If you are still in service, in addition
- Dichiarazione Declaration of service issued by the military command to which you belong.
- Patente militare Document for viewing and front-back photocopy.
€140
Cost of the service for the conversion of a military license.
Not sure which one applies to you?
Bring us your license and we'll tell you right away if it's convertible, when, and what's required. A quick visit to the office will save you months of waiting for a process that could have been handled better.