Information for foreign nationals
Having met conditions stipulated by law, you can apply, for example, for the following at the Brno City Municipality:
- Granting a driving licence or higher category entitlements to your licence
- Exchange of a driving licence (European driving licence, foreign driving licence)
- Issuing of a replacement driving licence for a lost one (European driving licence)
- Entering of professional qualification in a driving licence or issuing of a professional qualification card
- Issuing of a digital tachograph driver card
Our recommendation for applicants – foreigners without permanent residence:
Please come with an interpreter to the drivers’ registry counter for a consultation and information before starting your lessons at the driving school, filing your application for exchange of a foreign driving licence, or application for issuing of a professional qualification card or digital tachograph driver card.
Please bring your current driving licence, identity card (passport) and residence permit with you so that we can find out:
- whether the obligation to exchange your foreign driving licence applies to you
(Article 116, para 3 of the Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic)
According to the Act on Stay of Aliens in the Czech Republic, a holder of a driving licence issued by a foreign country who has a permanent or temporary residence (for more than 1 year) in the Czech Republic is obliged to apply for an exchange of a driving licence issued by a foreign country within 3 months.
Please note that the foreign driving licence needs to be issued in line with the Vienna (1968) or Geneva (1949) Convention on Road Traffic.
- whether your foreign driving licence entitles you to drive motor vehicles in the Czech Republic
(Article 104, para 1 c) of the Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic)
- whether the obligation applies to you to prove your usual domicile when filing your application
(Article 2 hh of the Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic)
hh) The usual domicile in the Czech Republic is the place or a permanent residence of a physical person in the area of the Czech Republic or, if the person does not have a permanent residence in the Czech Republic, a place in the Czech Republic where the physical person:
- stays for at least 185 days in a calendar year for personal bonds, which means especially cohabitation in a common household, family bonds, ownership or rent of property, and possibly also for the purpose of business, self-employment or dependent work in the Czech Republic, or
- stays for personal bonds and returns to this place regularly although performing business, self-employment or dependent work in another state, unless the performance of such activity in another state is for a limited period.
The issue of granting or exchange of a driving licence, or of proving the usual domicile is complex and it is not possible to define a precise list of documents that an applicant needs to meet this condition.
Exchange of a foreign licence not issued in line with the Vienna or Geneva Convention on Road Traffic
From 1 January 2024, according to Article 116, para 4 of the Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic, driving licences that are not issued in line with the Vienna (1968) or Geneva (1949) Convention on Road Traffic can be exchanged under the following conditions:
- showing a valid foreign driving licence, and possibly also a valid international driving licence (you will learn if you need the international DL at the consultation at the drivers’ registry) – please note that the international driving licence needs to be valid and issued in line with the Vienna (1968) or Geneva (1949) Convention on Road Traffic
- review of the driver’s qualification in the driving school (without the need to go through the whole course) – not older than 30 days as of filing the application at the drivers’ registry
- medical fitness certificate (medical assessment from a general practitioner issued in the Czech Republic) – not older than 30 days as of filing the application at the drivers’ registry
- permanent residence in the Czech Republic or meeting the conditions of the usual domicile
In this case we recommend a consultation even if you have permanent residence in the Czech Republic.
Further information
You can come for this consultation both with or without a prior electronic reservation (in Czech only).
The official language is Czech. We can provide you with basic information in English at orvr@brno.cz; please arrange for an interpreter for telephone or personal contact.
If an administrative fee (set by the Act No. 634/2004 Coll. on Administrative Fees) applies to you, you will be informed of it at the consultation.
Address
Odbor registru vozidel a řidičů (Vehicles and Drivers Register Department)
Kounicova 67