Foreign licences
Exchanging a foreign driving licence in Czechia: when you can skip driving school
Dominik Brablec
Driving instructor ·
Whether you can exchange your foreign licence without exams depends mostly on the country that issued it. Outside the EU, it also depends on when you apply and whether your actual licence matches the model in an international convention.
Only the office can tell you for sure, because it assesses each licence individually. That's why at the driving school we send everyone to check there first.
What applies to your country
Countries fall into four groups:
| Country that issued your licence | What to expect |
|---|---|
| EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway | Exchange without driving school. It's optional. |
| Japan, South Korea, United Arab Emirates | Exchange without driving school, but you need a medical certificate. |
| Vienna or Geneva Convention countries | Exchange without driving school if you meet the two conditions below. Otherwise through a school. |
| All other countries | Exchange through a driving school: exams and a medical certificate. |
The two conditions for convention countries
This group includes Ukraine, Vietnam, the US and the UK, for example. You can skip the exams only if you meet both conditions:
- You apply within 3 months of getting your residence permit.
- Your licence matches the convention model: the required details are there, numbered as in the model and written in Latin script.
Why it isn't enough that your country signed
The office assesses your licence, not your country. In practice, some licences don't match the model: required details are missing, the numbering is different or the details aren't in Latin script. In that case you can't exchange it without exams, even if your country is on the list.
If you miss the deadline
If you have permanent residence, or temporary residence for more than a year, and don't apply in time, your licence no longer lets you drive in Czechia. For convention countries, your only route is then the exams and a medical certificate.
Where to go and what to bring
Apply in person at any of the 206 municipal offices that run a driver register (registr řidičů). It doesn't have to be the one where you live.
- ID or passport
- The licence you want to exchange
- Proof of residence in Czechia
- A medical certificate if your licence is from Japan, South Korea or the United Arab Emirates
Exchanging through a driving school
This is the route for countries outside the conventions, and when the office refuses an exchange without a school. You must live in Czechia and your licence categories must match the Czech ones. You pass the theory test and the practical test and provide a medical certificate. Both must be no more than 30 days old when you apply.
The law sets no required number of lessons, so agree what you need with the school. The theory test uses the same official questions as for Czech students, and you can start preparing right away.
You need the full course if the office says you can't exchange even this way, for example because your licence isn't valid or its categories don't match the Czech ones. Ask them why. The course always requires a medical certificate.