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
The city is flat, genuinely cycleable, and üstra's Stadtbahn covers it densely within the GVH fare network — all of which the Deutschlandticket already pays for nationally. Hannover Hbf is a first-order ICE hub: Hamburg and Berlin are both reachable inside two hours.
OnlineWho: You
2
Find your country on the exchange list
Germany maintains a country-by-country list: 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
Apply at the right Fahrerlaubnisbehörde for your address
Unlike the Ausländerbehörde, licensing is split: residents of the city of Hannover apply to the Landeshauptstadt's own Fahrerlaubnisbehörde, while residents of the twenty surrounding towns apply to the Region Hannover's. Check which one your address falls under before booking, then submit the application with your documents and surrender your foreign licence, which is usually retained.
In personWho: You
6
Get the green badge for the Umweltzone
Hannover has run a low emission zone since 2008 and it is green-badge-only. It is a city-centre zone rather than the continuous regional block the Ruhr operates, but you still need the Plakette before your first drive into town.
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

Check the trade fair calendar before booking anything that needs a road or a bed.

Hannover Messe, Agritechnica, EMO and IAA Transportation each bring hundreds of thousands of people into a city of half a million. Motorway approaches to the Messegelände jam, the Stadtbahn runs a special service, hotel rates multiply and short-term flats disappear across the whole region. The calendar is published far in advance; using it is the single highest-value local planning habit.

Source: Deutsche Messe — event calendar

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. 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: Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr — Anlage 11

Licensing is split between city and Region, unlike the Ausländerbehörde.

The Ausländerbehörde is a Region function, so newcomers reasonably assume the Führerscheinstelle is too. It is not: the Region Hannover's Fahrerlaubnisbehörde states plainly that it covers the twenty towns and communities around Hannover and that residents of the city should go to the Landeshauptstadt instead. Booking at the wrong one costs an appointment slot in a queue already running around eight weeks.

Source: Region Hannover and Landeshauptstadt Hannover Fahrerlaubnisbehörde pages

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 Digitales und Verkehr

Common mistakes to avoid

Booking a move, a viewing or a hotel into a major trade fair week.
Booking at the Region Hannover's Fahrerlaubnisbehörde when you live in the city itself, or the reverse.
Assuming your country exchanges freely without checking the state or province-level list.
Letting the six-month window lapse and losing your exchange rights.
Buying a car before testing whether the Stadtbahn and the Deutschlandticket cover your life.

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