Validity of Georgian Driving License and Swapping your Georgian driving license to another one
Short guide
Most of people writing us are from the EU and ask the same questions. On this page we are explaining this in as much detail as we can with examples.
Disclaimer: We prefer to paint a rather pessimistic picture.
In any case, it's up to you to inform yourself 100% by asking a local driving school and sharing all the relevant factors with them if you plan to exchange or use a Georgian DL in your country or abroad.
Especially: Your residency status and since when you are in the country. They need to know that you didn't live in Georgia.
We cannot be held accountable if you don't inform yourself and later can't exchange or use the license in a specific country.
Some countries are exception from the rules (e.g. Ireland) and have bilateral agreements with Georgia.
Disclaimer: We prefer to paint a rather pessimistic picture.
In any case, it's up to you to inform yourself 100% by asking a local driving school and sharing all the relevant factors with them if you plan to exchange or use a Georgian DL in your country or abroad.
Especially: Your residency status and since when you are in the country. They need to know that you didn't live in Georgia.
We cannot be held accountable if you don't inform yourself and later can't exchange or use the license in a specific country.
Some countries are exception from the rules (e.g. Ireland) and have bilateral agreements with Georgia.
What's inside:
- Who is it for ideally?
- Exchanging to a local license
- UK/EEA countries VS EU
- Examples
- Exceptions
Who is it for ideally?
- Generally, Georgia follows Geneva and Vienna conventions, meaning it's valid in all countries which also follow these conventions (all the official countries in the world actually). You can get Vienna and Geneva conventions IDP upon request in Georgia. You can check the list here.
But: validity is limited by your current residency and sometimes the nationality. Always ask local authorities about the validity in your case.
- For some countries, you will need the paperback IDP which you will also get from the traffic police in Georgia after succeeding in the last exam.
Who is this license useful for?
- Perpetual travelers/Digital Nomads = people without any residence who don't stay in one country for more than 185 days; They de-registered themselves from the EU or their country. In this case they can use Georgian DL everywhere in the world.
- Travelers: Many EU residents need a DL for their trips to the USA, Asia, Latin America, Africa or Australia etc. For that it's perfect.
- EU Residents from countries which exchange Georgian license easily without exams or just with a practical exam ( Ireland, Hungary, and some others). Check which documents are required.
- People moving to a new country: Get your DL fast in Georgia and swap it in the new country or use it there for 6 months at least. Many EU countries allow a fast and smooth exchange process without exams for newcomers (Spain, Greece, Ireland, Hungary)
- Lost their driving license: Lost it in your country? At least you'll be able to drive outside.
- Back-up: Many people just want to have a back-up license. Just in case they lose theirs.
- Collection: Some people collect passports and driving licenses. The more the marrier.
- Collect fines: Traveling abroad you can use this license. In case police takes it you will still have your original one.
- Urgency: You need it for a trip abroad super urgently.
- It takes too long in your country or you keep failing
- You need special categories (A, C, D, CE) for international travel
Who is this license NOT for?
- EU residents (more than 6 months) who want to use it all around the EU only who live in a country which doesnt allow exchanging Georgian license. Some EU countries will exchange it without exams even for their residents (Ireland, Hungary etc)
- People who want to use it in their own country in general (except countries with easy exchange process and bilateral agreements with Georgia e.g. Ireland, Hungary)
- People who just want to buy a license online without any exams and learning (no exceptions)
How about exchanging it to my local driving license?
- Most countries in the world ask you to replace your foreign driving license if you just moved there and lived there (official residency) more than 6-12 months (depending on the country).
- If you are becoming a resident of a new country, you need to inform yourself what the process of swapping your license will be. Some countries have mutual agreements but some don't.
- In case of the European Union (EU) you can't use a foreign license in the whole EU after 6 months (or never if you got it after you've stayed in the EU for more than 6 months e.g. if you are born and raised in the EU) - There are some exceptions (listed below)
- If there is a mutual recognition agreement, then you'll be able to swap it without any additional exams (e.g. in Ireland, Hungary)
- double swapping is not allowed! - you cant's exchange Georgian DL to a Hungarian DL and then to a German DL.
- Georgia is not an EU/EFTA/EEA country!
IMPORTANT: this 6-12 months rule for swapping doesn't work if:
- You already lived in that country for more than 6-12 months. In your case these 6 months are already over.
- If You are moving inside the EU (e.g. from Portugal to Germany - it's still inside EU) you need to double check if you count as a new resident. If yes - you might still exchange it to a local one as a new resident.
This rule might theoretically work if:
- You can prove that you've lived in Georgia for at least 185 days.
- You de-register from the EU completely and then register there again. It's not an easy process though, and involves a lot of bureaucracy and taxation consequences, so we don't recommend to do it just for a cheaper driving license.
Swapping worked out! But is my license valid everywhere now?
Some EU/non EU countries might allow you to swap the Georgian license to a local one without exams, if there is a mutual agreement. (eg. Ireland. Hungary etc.)
BUT this new license will have a mark that it was swapped from the Georgian one, so some countries (in the EU like Germany), which would require additional exams to swap, will not accept it if you will move to live there, even if now your driving license is from the EU country! It's up to you to inform yourself about it. ADAC (German company) told us this limitation is only valid for those who claim German residency but for touristic reasons its ok.
We recommend to ask the EU country you plan to travel to about it before traveling and have their confirmation while traveling.
The mark on your swapped license will be: 70 GE
UK vs EU
After Brexit UK is not a part of the EU anymore.
If you are UK resident (with no residency in the EU) - you can use Georgian DL in the EU
If you are EU resident (with no residency in the UK) - you can use Georgian DL in the UK
For EFTA/EEA countries please inform yourself separately from the local authorities.
Germany and other countries which don't have mutual recognition agreements with Georgia
If you plan to move there and use it in such countries as resident, we generally don't recommend you to use our service, unless you plan to de-register and become a digital nomad or you mostly need it for travel outside the EU.
Example of such country is Netherlands.
If there's no mutual agreement and you are freshly arriving to this country, you will have 6 months to take the exams in that country: usually theoretical and practical exam. You will also need to provide documents ensuring validity of your driving license from Georgia.
This apostilled confirmation can be produced in Georgia right after you got your driving license. It's valid for 90 days.
Here you can read more about it for Germany written in an easier language.
Here is the official link to the German authorities document.
For example: that's one of the requirements for swapping:
- You were not a resident of Germany (defined as spending 185 out of 365 days in Germany) at the time you obtained the license.
Benefit for you: You will skip the theory lessons and all the required driving classes.
But you will still need to take some classes to prepare for the exam.
In the end it might be a bit cheaper than doing the German one from Zero but if you calculate all the costs + flying + accommodation for 2-3 weeks, it might be easier to just get it in Germany.
Always ask your local driving school about specific requirements in your country.
If you already lived there for more than 6 months (example: You are German living in Germany all your life or a student who moved there more than 6 months ago), to start the exchange process you'd need to prove residency in Georgia for more than 185 days (with bills, payslips etc.). There's no guarantee that it will work out so we don't recommend this process for you if you don't really live in Georgia for that time.
We don't provide any services connected to residency in Georgia.
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Examples
- If you live in the European Union (EU) for longer than 6 months, I won’t be able to use the Georgian driving license in the EU country you live in AND in the whole EU before exchanging it to an EU license. You can still use it everywhere outside the EU (e.g. America, Africa, Asia etc.). Some EU countries allow you to exchange this license without exams. (Ireland, Hungary etc.)
- If you are moving from EU to EU, e.g. Moving from Germany to Spain, you need to check in Spain if they count you as a new resident or not. Spain allows to exchange Georgian driving license if you got it before becoming a resident in Spain.
- E.g. if you lived your whole life in Germany, the regulation of the 6 month use does not apply to you, as you are not a newcomer.
- If you lived in Serbia (non EU), got the Georgian license and then moved to Germany (EU), then it works for 6 months in the EU/Germany and need to exchange it during that time.
- EFTA countries (Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland etc.) are not a part of the EU and have different regulations. Check with your local driving authority. Mostly if you are only resident in an EFTA country and don't hold any other residency you'll be able to use the license outside of your country of residence.
"But I read it online that I can use it for 6 months in my country..."
The exchange of the Georgian license is not guaranteed in your own country. You need to check with a driving school/local responsible authority in the area where you plan to exchange it.
Don't rely only on an online search, because it often does not show all the nuances and is mostly meant for foreigners.
Many people send us links saying "I read this online and I can use it for 6 months here in my country I lived my whole life in".
We read it for them and it (as always) means that a NEW PERSON who just arrived to the country can use their foreign driving license for 6 months and can exchange it in that time.
It doesn't apply to a person who is a resident for more than 6 months already.
Exceptions
There are some countries in the EU which have bilateral exchange agreements with Georgia. There will be more in the future and regulations often change.
We still suggest you to double-check with the relevant authority about your specific situation.
EU Countries where a swap without exams might be possible even if you were a resident in that country when you got the Georgian license:
Ireland:
Read the full article about it HERE.
For Ireland residents we recommend to inform yourself here
Georgia is one of the recognized states and their official Instagram account replied us that you can also do it while being a resident in Ireland.
We strongly recommend you to ask them about it here.
Below you can find screenshots or our communication with them on Instagram, which we base this information on.
Remember that even if you manage to exchange Georgian license for the Irish one without exams, you won't be able to legally use this new Irish license in countries which require exams to exchange it (e.g. Germany) if you claim residency there.
E.g. if you plan to move to Germany and become a resident there, they might not accept this exchanged license.
But its ok to use it there for touristic reasons if you dont live there, even if you are EU resident from another country.
Here is this German law.
Inform yourself about it before deciding to use our service.
Hungary offers a quick and easy exchange process as well and we have students who exchanged it in Hungary already.
IDP - International Driving Permit exceptions globally
Here you can find more info about the IDP.
Always inform yourself about driving license requirements when planning your trip abroad!
(Information was taken from this German website. It's a 100% quotation)
"Where else abroad are there additional exceptions to consider regarding the international driving license?
In most cases, you are on the safe side if you can present an international driving license during a traffic stop outside Europe. The responsible authority can thus verify your driving authorization, and you are allowed to continue driving legally.
However, there are also countries where additional laws and regulations apply to foreign drivers. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to inform yourself about these before your trip. Below are some important exceptions and additional regulations for driving abroad:
- Australia: In Australia, foreign drivers often encounter complications and misunderstandings during police checks and when renting cars. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to carry all necessary documents for driving abroad.
- Bolivia: You must have the international driving license stamped by a local authority before you can use it legally.
- Brazil: In some cases, a temporary national driving license document is issued, which should be used instead of the international driving license.
- China: In addition to the international driving license, you must take a driving test locally to be allowed to drive.
- Indonesia: You are only allowed to drive a rental car in Bali. It is not permitted in other regions, even with an international driving license.
- Japan: The Japanese authorities require a certified translation of your national driving license. The cost for this is about 20 Euros.
- Qatar: In Qatar, the international driving license is only valid for seven days. After that, a visitor driving permit must be obtained.
- Kenya: Here, an international driving license is only valid for three months.
- New Zealand: The validity of the international driving license here is limited to 12 months. Additionally, you should always carry your national driving license in New Zealand. Police checks often explicitly ask for it.
- Sri Lanka: It is also required here to apply for a temporary national driving permit. An international driving license is not sufficient.
- United Arab Emirates: In general, only the national driving license is required during checks. However, there is an exception in Abu Dhabi: an international driving license is mandatory for foreign drivers here.
- USA and Canada: Police checks are known to be very strict here. Particularly in the states of Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida, there are often issues with the authorization of foreign drivers. It is therefore strongly recommended to ensure you have all necessary documents with you on every drive and to keep them readily accessible to show immediately if needed.
- Vietnam: In Vietnam, you can only rent cars with a chauffeur; you are not allowed to drive yourself, even with an international driving license."
Quotation end.
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Closing Disclaimer:
Every country has different regulations so it's impossible for us to keep up with all changes and all the updates, thus information provided here doesn't have a legally binding character.
Please inform yourself from your country of residence/destination about any regulations that might hinder you from using/exchanging the Georgian driving license in that country or abroad.
We hope now it became clearer for you!
if you still have questions, feel free to text us on Instagram.
IG: @driving_license_urgent
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