Converting a foreign driving licence in Italy: documents, translation and timing

In short

• With a driving licence issued outside the European Union, you can drive in Italy for up to one year after taking up residence, if the licence is valid and you carry it with an International Driving Permit or an official translation into Italian.
• After one year you must convert it at the Motorizzazione civile (the Italian vehicle and driver licensing office), but only if your country has a reciprocity agreement with Italy; otherwise you have to take the Italian driving test.
• The licence must have been obtained before you took up residence in Italy and, for many countries, the application must be submitted within 4 or 6 years.
• You need the translation to drive during the first year and, for some countries, for the conversion too: check with your office which form it accepts.

Anyone moving to Italy with a foreign driving licence soon discovers that the rules change depending on the country that issued it and how long ago they registered as resident. This guide sets out the steps: when you can drive with your foreign licence, when and how to convert it, what the Motorizzazione requires and how to get a driving licence translation without wasting time.

How long can you drive with a foreign licence?

The rule is in Article 135 of the Italian Highway Code, and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport summarises it as follows: anyone holding a licence issued by a non-EU or non-EEA State "may drive the vehicles the licence entitles them to for up to one year after taking up residence in Italy". The licence must be valid and must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit, issued by the State that issued the licence, or by an official translation into Italian (MIT, foreign licence conversion).

In practice:

• tourist or resident for less than a year: valid foreign licence plus International Driving Permit, or plus an official translation;
• resident for more than a year: the foreign licence is no longer enough. You must convert it, if possible, or obtain an Italian licence;
• licence from an EU or EEA country: valid in Italy without translation and without compulsory conversion, but you must comply with Italian rules on validity period and medical examination.

The one-year period runs from taking up residence, i.e. registration with the Comune (the municipality), not from the day you arrived. Make a note of that date: it is the reference point for all the conversion deadlines.

Which licences can be converted?

Conversion without tests is only possible if the State that issued the licence has signed a reciprocity agreement with Italy. As of 9 October 2026, the Ministry's list includes:

• Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, the Philippines, Japan, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, the Principality of Monaco, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, San Marino, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine;
• El Salvador, with a new agreement valid from 20 October 2026;
• Albania and Uruguay, with agreements in force from 31 October 2026 and valid for applications submitted from 2 November 2026.

Some agreements have an expiry date (the one with Ukraine, for example, is listed as valid until 24 January 2027) and others apply only to certain people: Canada, Chile, the United States and Zambia only for diplomatic staff or those on government missions and their family members. Licences that were themselves obtained by converting a licence that is not convertible in Italy cannot be converted. The list changes often: check it again on the Ministry's website before you start.

The two conditions behind most rejections

• The licence must be valid and obtained before taking up residence in Italy. A licence obtained in your home country after registering as resident in Italy cannot be converted.
• The deadline from taking up residence. For licences from Albania, Argentina, Switzerland and Ukraine, the application must be submitted within 4 years of taking up residence; for Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Kosovo, Israel, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco and Moldova within 6 years. After that, the application is rejected with no possibility of a re-examination test. For other countries, conversion after 6 years is possible but with a re-examination test.

Which documents does the Motorizzazione require?

To convert a non-EU licence, you apply to the Motorizzazione civile office. The Ministry's basic list:

• application on form TT2112, available at the counter or on the Portale dell'automobilista (motorists' portal);
• pagoPA payment receipt for fee N003, conversion of a foreign driving licence from non-EU countries (10.20 euro in fees and 32 euro in stamp duty, according to the Ministry);
• original foreign licence, for inspection, and a full photocopy, front and back;
• receipt for the medical examination of physical and mental fitness, dated no more than three months earlier if carried out by an authorised doctor, or six months if carried out by the local Medical Commission;
• the additional documents for non-EU citizens, starting with the residence permit;
• for licences from some States, the official translation of the licence.

Each bilateral agreement may add its own instructions, and several offices require, for some countries, a certificate of validity and authenticity issued by the Consulate of the issuing country. The Ministry itself refers you to the office for the full list: ask at the counter or by email before gathering the documents. When you receive your Italian licence, the foreign one is withdrawn and returned to the authority that issued it.

What is an "official translation" of a driving licence?

The Ministry explains it on a dedicated page: an official translation means "a full translation of the foreign licence into Italian, which must be certified as conforming to the foreign text" (MIT, official translation of the driving licence). It can be made:

• by an official of the diplomatic or consular representation in Italy of the State that issued the licence, with the signature legalised by the Prefettura (the local office of the Ministry of the Interior);
• by an official of the Italian diplomatic or consular representation in the State that issued the licence, without legalisation;
• by a qualified official translator, or by anyone who takes responsibility for a translation sworn (asseverata) before a court clerk, a notary or a justice of the peace.

The general rule for foreign documents is the same: Article 33 of Presidential Decree (DPR) 445/2000 requires a translation certified as conforming by the Consulate "or by an official translator". The differences between these forms are explained in our guide to sworn, asseverated, certified and legalised translation.

How translation works with Giuradoc

Our sworn translation of a driving licence costs 30 € per page and works like this:

• you upload a legible photo or scan of the licence, front and back, and choose the language pair;
• a translator sworn before the competent courts of appeal translates the document in full (categories, codes, restrictions, dates, stamps), signs it, stamps it and certifies that it is faithful to the document received;
• you receive the PDF by email within 24-48 working hours.

Two honest tips before ordering:

• for the conversion, ask your Motorizzazione office whether it accepts a translation by a sworn translator or wants a translation from the Consulate or an asseverazione (sworn certification) in Italy. If it requires the Consulate's translation, there is no need to order it from us; if it requires conformity with the original, an apostille or an asseverazione in Italy, write to us for a quote;
• to drive during the first year, you must be able to show the translation together with your licence in the car. It is worth having the paper copy by post (15 €) to keep with the car documents, as well as the PDF.

The available combinations are into Italian (and from Italian) for English, Spanish, French, German, Romanian and Arabic, as well as between these six languages. For another language, write to us for a quote. For licences in a non-Latin alphabet, the translation gives the name as it appears in your passport: tell us in your order. The comparison between PDF, paper copy and conformity with the original is on the which translation to choose page and in our guide on when a PDF translation is enough.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

There are four cost items:

• Motorizzazione fee (N003): fees and stamp duty set by the Ministry, payable via pagoPA;
• medical examination: the fee of the authorised doctor or the Commission, plus the required payments;
• any consular certificate: according to your Consulate, with the signature legalised at the Prefettura if required;
• licence translation: 30 € per page with Giuradoc, plus any options you choose.

Motorizzazione processing times vary widely from one office to another, partly because for many countries the office verifies the licence with the authority that issued it. Apply as soon as possible after registering as resident, so you do not risk exceeding the year during which you may drive. For a more general comparison of official translation prices, see our guide on how much a sworn translation costs.

The most frequent mistakes

• Letting the year run out: one year after taking up residence you can no longer drive with your foreign licence, even if the conversion is under way. Ask at the counter what applies in your case while the application is being processed.
• Exceeding the 4 or 6 years for the countries that set them: the application is rejected.
• Expired licence: it cannot be converted. If possible, renew it first in your home country.
• Incomplete translation: front and back, with all categories, dates and codes. A translation of the front only is not a full translation.
• Name spelled differently on the licence, passport and residence permit: tell the translator the spelling in your passport and, if needed, ask the Consulate for a certificate of identity (certificato di esatte generalità).
• Translating it yourself: a translation made by the licence holder is not an official translation.

Other documents you may need

Licence conversion usually comes alongside other procedures. For the residence permit or for entry under the decreto flussi, you may need translations of your passport or identity card and of your foreign certificate of residence. If you are importing a car, the vehicle registration document is translated via the other document page. All documents are on the our services page and the most frequently ordered ones among the most requested translations; apostille and conformity with the original are among our additional services.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive with my foreign licence while waiting for the conversion?

Only within the year after taking up residence, with an International Driving Permit or an official translation. After that year the foreign licence is no longer valid for driving in Italy: ask the Motorizzazione office what it issues you while the application is being processed.

Does an International Driving Permit replace the translation?

Yes, for driving during the first year: Article 135 requires one or the other. The International Driving Permit must be requested in the country that issued the licence, before you leave. If you do not have one, or if it has expired, you need the official translation.

Does a licence from an EU country need translating?

No. EU and EEA licences are valid in Italy without translation. After taking up residence, Italian rules on validity and medical examinations apply, and conversion remains optional.

Is your translation accepted by the Motorizzazione?

The Ministry allows three forms of official translation, and each office applies its own instructions, sometimes different for each country. Ask your office which form it accepts before ordering: if it accepts a translation by a sworn translator, ours is designed for exactly that; if it requires something else, we will tell you before you pay. More answers in our frequently asked questions.

My country has no agreement: do I still need the translation?

Yes, to drive during the first year if you do not have an International Driving Permit. After that, you will have to take the tests for an Italian licence: in that case the foreign licence is not converted.

Sources: Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, foreign licence conversion (page updated on 9 October 2026); MIT, official translation of the driving licence; Highway Code (Codice della strada), Art. 135; DPR 445/2000, Art. 33; Portale dell'automobilista.