Before you start

Completed Anmeldung establishing your residence
Your foreign licence, with certified translation if not in German or EU format
An eyesight test certificate
A first aid course certificate for most applicants

Step-by-step

1
Test whether you need a car at all
BSAG runs the trams and buses inside the city; the VBN network extends across the Lower Saxon districts around it, and both are covered by the Deutschlandticket at EUR 63 a month since January 2026. Bremen is flat and the cycling share is among the highest of any large German city — most people who keep a car here keep it for the coast and the Lüneburg Heath rather than for commuting.
OnlineWho: You
2
Find your country on the exchange list
Germany maintains a country-by-country list in Anlage 11 to the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung: some exchange freely, some require a theory test, some a practical, some both. For the United States, Canada and Australia the treatment depends on the individual state or province.
OnlineWho: YouBefore the six months expire
3
Act inside the six-month window
A non-EU licence is valid for six months after you take up residence. Applying before it expires preserves your exchange rights; letting it lapse can push you into the full German licensing process.
In personWho: You
4
Get a translation, eyesight test and first aid certificate
Non-German licences generally need a certified translation from ADAC or a sworn translator. An eyesight test and a short first aid course are standard requirements.
In personWho: You
5
Get the green badge for the Umweltzone
Bremen operates a low emission zone covering the city centre and the districts around it, and only green-badge vehicles may enter. Buy the Plakette at a testing station or garage before your first drive in, and check the current rules before buying an older diesel.
In personWho: You
6
Work out which side of the state line your commute is on
If you live in Delmenhorst, Stuhr, Weyhe or Achim you are in Lower Saxony, and vehicle registration, licensing and any local scheme run through that district rather than through Bremen. The transport network is continuous; the administration is not.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence and certified translation
Meldebescheinigung from your Anmeldung
Passport and residence permit
Eyesight test certificate
First aid course certificate
Biometric photograph

Things most newcomers don’t know

For US, Canadian and Australian licences the answer depends on your state or province.

Germany's exchange arrangements with federal countries are negotiated per state, and the schedule that governs it is Anlage 11 to the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung. One US state may exchange with no test while its neighbour requires both theory and practical. Look up your specific issuing jurisdiction rather than your country.

Source: FeV Anlage 11

Letting the six months lapse can cost thousands.

A non-EU licence is valid for six months from establishing residence. Applying within that window preserves exchange rights; letting it expire can put you into the full German process — theory, practical and compulsory driving school, which routinely runs past EUR 3,000.

Source: Bundesministerium für Verkehr

Your daily fare network is a Lower Saxon one as much as a Bremen one.

The VBN spans Bremen, Bremerhaven and the surrounding Lower Saxon districts, because that is where the commuter belt is. It is why the Deutschlandticket is close to universal here and why house-hunting one town out — into a different Bundesland — costs you nothing in journey planning even though it changes which state's rules you live under.

Source: Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen

The bike is not a lifestyle choice in Bremen, it is the default.

The city is flat, small in diameter and has separated cycle infrastructure on most main axes, and the cycling share of trips is among the highest of any German city of its size. Newcomers who buy a car in month one frequently sell it in year two. Ride first, decide later.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your country exchanges freely without checking the state or province-level list.
Letting the six-month window lapse and losing your exchange rights.
Driving into the city without a green Umweltplakette.
Registering a vehicle in Bremen when you actually live over the line in Lower Saxony.
Buying a car before testing whether BSAG and a bike cover your life.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.