How do you convert a foreign driving licence in Austria in 2026?

EU and EEA licences are recognised. You may convert voluntarily if you want an Austrian card. When you convert, the authority checks with the issuing country, which can take several weeks. Categories C/C1 and D/D1 issued in another EEA state have extra validity limits after you move residence; convert before those limits bite if you drive professionally.

Bring passport or ID, the foreign licence, a compliant photo, and ideally your Meldebestätigung. A translation or extract from the issuing country can speed processing. Any driving-licence authority in Austria can handle the file; in Vienna that is typically the State Police Department traffic unit.

If you move your place of residence to Austria, a non-EEA licence is usually valid for six months from first Meldezettel registration. After that it expires for Austrian driving and must be converted while still valid in the issuing country. The standard path includes a medical certificate and, for many countries, a practical driving test in a suitable vehicle. oesterreich.gv.at lists exemptions: some countries skip the practical test for all categories, and a longer list skips it for category B only, including places such as the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, South Korea and the UAE for B.

Official guidance states the exchange fee at 90 euro, with driving-test and medical costs extra. If your foreign licence is not in German, use it with an international driving permit or a translation until conversion finishes. Book State Police appointments online where offered.

Finish address registration before you count the six-month window. Stay status still matters for long-term life: Apply for a residence permit. In dense Vienna districts, postponing a car can be rational; see Living in Vienna and Where to live in Austria.