On 18^th July 2022, the EU Council decided the regulation of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for the stipulation of special and temporary measures in view of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and in reference to the driving documents issued by Ukraine in accordance with its legal regulations. EU regulation no.(EU) 2022/1280 will come into force on 27^th July 2022. However, before the regulation can become fully effective, legal regulations and technical measures need to be taken in Germany.

In accordance with Section 9 (2) of the regulation, it will be terminated on 6^th March 2026 at the latest, if the protection status is lost, it will be terminated earlier.  Corresponding instruction concerning eligible persons was published by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and for Community (BMI) on their homepage PDF, 438 KB, not barrier-free .

• You have a valid Ukrainian driving license:

You do not have to take any action until the protection status has expired. At the moment, your Ukrainian driving license is recognized in Germany and all EU member states, based on the regulation mentioned above. Carrying along a certified translation or an international driving license is not necessary. This also applies when your Ukrainian driving license expired after 31^st December 2021.

Rewriting of the driving license
If you want to live in Germany for the long term after the protection status has expired, your driving license needs to be rewritten by the driving license authorities (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde). Please, find details on the BMDV website as well as on the leaflets linked there, available at: www.bmdv.de.

• You have a digital Ukrainian driving license:

If, on presentation of a digital Ukrainian driving license, it can be confirmed by accessing corresponding Ukrainian data that a driving authorization exists, this authorization will be recognized.

• You have lost your Ukrainian driving license or it has been stolen from you:

Please visit the driving license authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) at the place where you live.
Here, it can be verified by accessing the Ukrainian register if you are in possession of a valid driving license.

The following data is needed for an inquiry, which makes early copying of your driving license appear useful:

• Serial number of the Ukrainian driving license (three letters)
• Driving license number and
• Date of Birth

A search based on the last name is not possible.

For the license classes AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, prior medical examinations are generally not necessary .
For the license classes C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E and DE, medical examinations are necessary. Please inform yourself at the local driving license authority in charge.

As far as the existence of a Ukrainian driving license can be confirmed by inquiry and as soon as you have brought the medical certificate necessary, you will receive a document with which you are temporarily permitted to drive a vehicle in Germany. As soon as the regulation mentioned above has been transposed into German law, you will receive a driving license with which you can participate in EU traffic for the duration of your protection status.

• You are a professional driver from Ukraine:

Right now, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, in cooperation with the federal states, the Federal Office for Motor Transport (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), the federal printing office and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHT), is working on the creation of the procedures and legal grounds necessary for the temporary recognition of the qualifications of professional drivers in Germany demanded by the EU . The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport will keep you informed on its homepage

Regulations for vehicles with Ukrainian licence plates

For vehicles registered in Ukraine, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV) has agreed with the federal states that they will initially be regarded as being in so-called international traffic for a period of one year. If you own a vehicle with a Ukrainian licence plate, you do not have to register it in Germany for the first year after crossing the border in accordance with the current regulation.

For vehicles with a Ukrainian licence plate that have been in Germany for more than one year, you can apply for registration exemptions or extend existing exemptions in most federal states. If you have an exemption permit, you can still use your vehicle without a German registration until 30 September 2024. Whether an exemption is granted or extended in individual cases or whether a registration is required must be clarified with the relevant local registration authority.

The condition for this is that you have not declared your intention to live permanently in Germany. Otherwise, you must register your vehicle in Germany with a German licence plate number from the time of your declaration. Vehicle registrations are carried out by the responsible vehicle registration office at your place of residence. As a rule, you must make an appointment in advance. You can find the registration office responsible for your place of residence and the opening hours (in German) in the Zulassungsstellen-Finder (registration office finder).

It should be noted that the application and implementation of road traffic regulations is the responsibility of the federal states or the authorities responsible under federal state law. The assessment of specific circumstances is therefore the responsibility of the registration offices of the federal states.

In view of the plight of refugees from Ukraine, German motor vehicle liability insurers have decided to cover any damage caused by an uninsured Ukrainian car in Germany until 31 May 2022. Following an accident, the road accident victim is thus financially protected within the scope of the applicable minimum cover amounts and the driver of an uninsured Ukrainian car does not have to fear recourse. Regulation is handled by the German Green Card Office Deutsche Büro Grüne Karte (DBGK).

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport has informed the federal states and asked them to take the above-mentioned cover pledge into account as quickly as possible in the enforcement of Ukrainian passenger cars in Germany, so that such vehicles can initially drive in Germany without proof of valid motor vehicle liability insurance (the International Motor Insurance Card, so-called Green Card) or even without a specially concluded border insurance policy.

For the period after 31 May 2022, German motor vehicle liability insurers have agreed to offer owners of vehicles registered in Ukraine the option of taking out temporary insurance cover in accordance with the Foreign Compulsory Vehicle Insurance Act (Auslandsfahrzeug-Pflichtversicherungsgesetz, AuslPflVG). The specific contractual conditions will be subject to the statutory provisions of contractual freedom and the decision of the respective insurer.

Drunk driving: from 500 Euro

Exceeded the speed limit by 20 km/h: from 100 Euro

Exceeded the speed limit by more than 50 km/h: from 480 Euro

Red light violation: from 90-360 Euro

Violation of “ No Overtakting”: from 30-300 Euro

Parking violation: from 10-110 Euro 

Mobile phone while driving: from 100 Euro 

Non-use of seat belt: from 30 Euro