Getting a driver's license in Italy

By Richard Greenbury
18 Jan 2021

Can I drive in Italy?

Is my license valid? For how long?

Can I convert my license to an Italian driver's license?

Read on, below you will find the answers to the above questions, plus more!

Driving license from EU states

If you have a driving license issued by a European Union state, there are no problems, the license is fine and does not need to be converted even if you have lived in Italy for more than a year. Even for EU driving licenses, however, it is advisable to request the conversion, or the recognition of validity, in order to speed up the procedures relating to the renewal or to any duplicates due to loss, theft, etc. In the conversion procedure, the original license is replaced by the Italian license, while in the recognition operation the original license remains in the driver's hands, a sticker is simply applied to it which allows it to be identified in the national registry of authorized drivers.

Driving license from non-EU countries

Foreigners with a non-EU driving license can drive in Italy for a maximum of 1 year as long as they have an International Drivers Permit (IDP) or an official translation with the license. When traveling you should carry with you at all times:

your valid driver’s license from your own country + an International Driving Permit (IDP) as the two documents work in tandem, OR
your valid driver’s license from your own country + the official translation as the two documents work in tandem.

The translation can be done by:

translator and certified with an oath taken before a judicial chancellor or notary
consulate with signature of the consular officers legalized in the Prefecture.

Getting an Italian driver's license

Foreigners residing in Italy for more than one year must either convert their license or apply for the Italian driver’s license. Not all driving licenses can be converted, much depends on the existence of reciprocity agreements between Italy and the country concerned.

More on license conversion by clicking here.

Non-convertible driving license holders, if they want to reside in Italy for more than one year, have no alternative: they have to take the license exams in Italy. Non-EU citizens who want to register a vehicle in Italy must have their residence in Italy and be in possession of a residence permit or receipt of the request for renewal or first issue of the document.

To obtain an Italian driving license, you must:

be 18 years old +
have residence in Italy
medical certificate - pass a recent medical exam

The process for obtaining an Italian driver's license is:

Pass a theory test (multiple choice, in Italian)
Obtain a learner's permit (foglio rosa)
Practice driving
Pass a practical driving test (road test with instructor and examiner)

As of January 19th 2013, the foglio rosa is only issued after the theory test has been passed. The learner then has five months in which to pass the practical driving exam.

The theory exam for the driving license is in the form of quiz (true or false) in Italian. In some regions you can ask for a translation into French or German, or if you have difficulty reading, you can ask for audio support, that is, you can listen to the questions on headphones.

To prepare for the driving license exam, we recommend that you go to a SIDA driving school and ask for a BILINGUAL MANUAL to study the driving license on a book translated into your language.

In SIDA you will find manuals and quizzes (SIDA QUIZ App for smart phones) written in the following languages: Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Russian, Romanian, Spanish, German.

Patente B

The patente B is the most popular license and allows you to drive a normal car plus the following vehicles:

125 cm³ and maximum 11 kW motor-cycles in Italy
Motor-cycles with side-car
Three-wheelers
Quadricycles
Motor vehicles with maximum 8 seats, driver excepted, and of full load weight up to 3.5 tons
Truck having a weight at full load up to 3.5 tons
Agricultural machines (special ones too)
Operator machines (not special ones)

Foreign license conversion

The conversion of a foreign driving license requires the replacement of the driving document with an Italian one.

EU LICENSE CONVERSION

NON-EU LICENSE CONVERSION

EU LICENSE CONVERSION

The procedure is intended for drivers in possession of a driving license issued by a state of the European Union or the European Economic Area who obtain a registered residence or a normal residence in Italy.

Driving licenses issued by states belonging to the European Union or the European Economic Area are equivalent to Italian licenses.

Those who have a Community driving license with the expiry date provided for by the European Union regulations ( Article 7 paragraph 2 of Directive 2006/126 / EEC ) can circulate regularly until the expiry date.
At the end of the period of validity, the foreign driving license must be converted at a Civil Motorization Office. After conversion, the foreign document is withdrawn and returned to the State that issued it.
Conversion can also be requested before the deadline. In this case, the driver obtains an Italian license with the same expiry date as the foreign one or, if he presents a medical certificate for renewal, an Italian license with a new period of validity according to the deadlines set in Italy.

On the other hand, those who have a Community driving license with no expiry date or with an expiry date exceeding that provided for by the European Union regulations ( Article 7 paragraph 2 of Directive 2006/126 / EEC ) must convert the foreign driving license after two years from the acquisition of registered residence or of normal residence in our country. This obligation also applies to anyone residing in Italy who must be subjected to a driving license revision measure.

All citizens holding a driving license issued by a Member State who acquires residence in Italy must comply with the Italian provisions regarding the duration of validity of the license and medical supervision.

EU LICENSE CONVERSION REQUIRED

Where

Civil Motorization Office

Documentation

question about model TT2112 available
- at the office counter
- online on the Motorist's Portal
certification of € 10.20 on the current account 9001
(pre-printed bulletin for distribution at post offices and motorization offices)
certification of € 32.00 on current account 4028
(pre-printed bulletin distributed at post offices and motorization offices)
if the license is about to expire, has expired of validity or does not expire or has a validity longer than that provided for by EU regulations:
- photocopy of the receipt of the fitness examination psychophysical issued by a qualified doctor , with a date no earlier than three months if the visit is carried out by a tyrannical doctor, not older than six months if it is performed by a local Medical Commission: documentation and payments for medical examination
if there is NO obligation to carry out a medical examination for psychophysical fitness:
- 2 identical passport-size photographs, one of which is authenticated ;
valid original foreign license (for inspection) and complete double-sided photocopy
original and photocopy identification document
tax code in original and photocopy

If the license has expired, it is always possible to submit the conversion request, obviously attaching the medical certificate and knowing that it may be necessary to verify the ownership of the license and the fact that it is not subject to sanctions (i.e. it is not suspended, or withdrawn, or revoked).

If three years have passed since the license expired, it is generally subjected to a revision of the same.

It is not possible to renew or convert European Union licenses issued following conversion if the original document was issued by a non-EU country with which the conditions of reciprocity provided for by art. 136 of the Highway Code.

Additional documents for practices presented by non-EU citizens

Motorization rates for Sicily, Valle d'Aosta and the provinces of Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia

Additional documents for cases submitted through a delegated person

NON-EU LICENSE CONVERSION

driving license for holders of a non-EU driving license it is possible to drive vehicles for which the license enables up to one year from the acquisition of the residence.
After one year it is necessary, in order to drive vehicles on the Italian territory, to convert the license.
This is possible if the State that issued the driving license has signed reciprocity agreements with Italy.

Non-member states of the European Union / European Economic Area that issue convertible driving licenses in Italy:

Albania ( agreement valid until 25 December 2019)
Algeria
Argentina
Brazil ( agreement valid from 13 January 2018 to 13 January 2023)
El Salvador ( agreement valid until 4 August 2021)
Philippines
Japan
Israel ( agreement valid until 10 November 2018)
Lebanon
Macedonia ( update of the agreement which entered into force on 23 January 1998)
Morocco ( update of the agreement entered into force on 26 November 1991)
Moldova
Principality of Monaco
Republic of Korea
Republic of San Marino
Serbia ( agreement expired on 8 April 2018)
Sri Lanka ( agreement valid until 4 March 2022)
Switzerland ( agreement valid until 11 June 2021)
Taiwan
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine ( agreement valid until May 29, 2021)
Uruguay ( agreement valid until May 17, 2020)

Foreign states that issue convertible licenses in Italy only to certain categories of citizens:

Canada (diplomatic and consular staff)
Chile (diplomatic staff and their families)
United States (diplomatic personnel and their families)
Zambia (citizens on governmental missions and their families)

Conversion without exams is only possible if

the foreign driving license was obtained before acquiring residence in Italy
the license holder has been resident in Italy for less than four years at the time of submitting the application (those who have resided for more than four years will have to take the revision exam)

Foreign licenses obtained by converting another foreign license not convertible in Italy cannot be converted.

REQUEST FOR CONVERSION ON NON-EU LICENSE

Where

Civil Motorization Office

Documentation

question about model TT2112 available
- at the office counter
- online on the Motorist's Portal
proof of payment of € 10.20 on the current account 9001
(pre-printed bulletin distributed at post offices and motorization offices)
proof of payment of € 32.00 on current account 4028
(pre-printed bulletin for distribution at post offices and motorization offices)
license held in original (in vision) and in complete double-sided photocopy
photocopy of the receipt of the fitness examination psychophysical issued by a qualified doctor , with a date no earlier than three months if the visit is carried out by a tyrannical doctor, not older than six months if it is performed by a local Medical Commission: documentation and payments for medical examination

For the conversion of driving licenses of some states, a sworn translation of the driving document is required .

Any further specific instructions for the conversion of driving licenses issued by some non-EU states are specified in the appropriate reciprocity agreements, some of which are available in the table indicated above.
In any case, for complete documentation, it is necessary to contact the Civil Motorization Office.

Additional documents for practices presented by non-EU citizens

Motorization rates for Sicily, Valle d'Aosta and the provinces of Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia

Additional documents for cases submitted through a delegated person

Info for Foreign License Conversion source.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is meant for an educational discussion and it contains only general information about legal matters. It is not legal advice, and should not be treated as such.

Author
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Richard

Richard is the founder of Cribmed. He was born and grew up in New Zealand. In his twenties, he traveled and backpacked extensively before finally settling down in Rome, Italy in 2011.