Our employees only speak German in the office and on the phone.

Exchange old driver's license for a new one

  • Mobilität und Fahrzeuge

Old paper and card driving licenses will gradually become invalid and be replaced by the new EU card driving license.
If your driving license has expired, you must apply for a new driving license.

  • Basic information

    If your old paper driver's license has expired, you must apply for a new card driver's license. Older card driving licenses must also be exchanged.

    If there is no expiration date on your driving license, you must exchange it.

    Exchange deadlines for driving licenses issued up to and including 31.12.1998:
    Your year of birth determines by when you must exchange your driver's license:

    • before 1953 - exchange by 19.01.2033
    • 1953 to 1971 or later - the exchange must have already taken place

    Exchange deadlines for driving licenses issued after 01.01.1999:
    The year of issue determines by when you must exchange your driver's license:

    • 1999 - 2001: exchange by 19.01.2026
    • 2002 - 2004: Exchange by 19.01.2027
    • 2005 - 2007: Exchange by 19.01.2028
    • 2008: Exchange until 19.01.2029
    • 2009: Exchange until 19.01.2030
    • 2010: Exchange until 19.01.2031
    • 2011: Exchange until 19.01.2032
    • 2012 - 18.01.2013: exchange until 19.01.2033

    If you were born before 1953 and your driver's license was issued between 01.01.1999 and 18.01.2013, you must exchange it by 19.01.2033.

    Driving licenses issued after 19.01.2013 are valid for 15 years. This deadline only applies to the driving license document, not the underlying driving license.

    No medical examinations or other tests are required when exchanging the document.

    The rights on the driving license remain valid even after the exchange.

    Requirements

    • Application in person at the driver's license office
    • Main residence in Bremen

  • Procedure

    You can exchange your old driving license for a new EU driving license in person at the relevant office.

    Applying in person on site

    • You must make an appointment online or by telephone with the relevant office.
    • You must go to the appointment in person.
    • Bring the required documents with you.
    • Your old driver's license will be issued with a time limit when you apply and returned to you.
    • You will receive your new driver's license by post.

    More information

    • You can find an overview of the old and new driving license categories under "Further information".
    • Holders of the old category 3 who work in a forestry or agricultural business can upgrade to category T without a test when exchanging. This must be applied for when exchanging.
    • Holders of the old category 3 will also receive categories C1 and C1E when exchanging their category B and BE driving license. The extension is not limited in time and does not require regular medical check-ups.
    • In the case of driving licenses for HGVs in the old categories 3 and 2, these must be converted at the age of 50 with proof of fitness to drive in order to maintain this authorization without interruption.

  • Necessary Documents
    • Identity card or passport
    • Driving licence
    • Passport photo
      • According to the specifications on the photo sample board.
    • Important information about the photo booths in all offices of the Citizen's Office:
      • The machines are operated by external companies and often do not work. It cannot be guaranteed that analog passport photos can be taken on site. We advise you to bring passport photos with you to your appointment.
    • Digital passport photo at a self-service terminal:
      • Instead of an analog passport photo, a digital passport photo can be taken independently at a capture system, a so-called self-service terminal. The signature is also captured at the self-service terminals.
    • In addition, a copy of the file card from the driving license office that issued the current driving license
      • if the driver's license was issued outside Bremen before 1999

  • Competent Department

  • Fees / Costs

    31,50 EUR including direct dispatch of the driving licence
    For express order: 25,30 Euro plus express fee 34,14 Euro
    6,00 EUR Fee for using the self-service terminal for passport photos.

  • Deadlines & processing time

    What deadlines must be paid attention to?

    The individual deadlines can be found under Basic information.

    How long does it take to process

    4 weeks
    In urgent cases, an express order can be placed within 48 hours. In these cases, the driver's license must be collected from the driving license authority.

  • Legal Bases

  • More Information

Feedback on quality

Your feedback will help us to identify and solve problems. You will not receive a personal response. Please do not submit any personal data.

Did you find what you were looking for?
How do you rate this page?*
*Mandatory field

This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.

The official information in German is complete and correct. 19.01.2026

Dienstleistungen · syfq nzm