Driving license of foreigners - issue/exchange
You often ask us how and when you can change your driver's license or when you can apply for one. In this article, we will take a closer look at the law on road transport and what are the conditions for issuing this authorization.
Granting a driver's license
If you have not yet been issued a driver's license in your country, it is necessary to have one at least 185 days of valid stay on place of Slovak Republic. Subsequently, by law, you will be allowed to take the test of professional competence to drive motor vehicles of the group you are applying for.
You can find a detailed breakdown and description of all driving license groups on this link.
According to the Road Transport Act § 77 par. 1 letter b), "A driver's license will be granted to an applicant who, on the date of the driver's license has a stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic lasting at least 185 days in a calendar year, in which he applies for the granting of a driver's license; if 185 days have not passed since January 1 of the calendar year in which the applicant applies for the granting of a driving license, it is decisive for the granting of a driving license whether this condition was fulfilled in the previous calendar year; this does not apply if he proves with his study document that he has been studying on the territory of the Slovak Republic for at least six months."
You can sign up for driving school lessons before the aforementioned 185 days expire.
You can take the exam, but only on the day when the stated requirement of the law is fulfilled.
Since 2012, the Ministry of the Interior has also provided tests in English, so you do not need an interpreter. However, it is necessary for the driving school to be conducted in English. In that case, you need to contact a driving school that offers driving school lessons in English.
Driver's license exchange
The procedure is practically the same, with the difference that when exchanging a driver's license, you must also submit an extract from the driver's card from your home country, which must be officially translated, and you must take a professional competence test. You will need to submit your original driver's license at the relevant department of the Ministry of the Interior when issuing a Slovak driving license. This department will then send your document to your home country.
Voluntary exchange of driving license in another EU country
If you want to voluntarily exchange your driver's license, you must reside in the country in question and meet the requirements conditions for obtaining a driver's license (e.g. you have reached the minimum age, your health allows you to drive, etc.).
Before exchanging your driver's license, the relevant authorities will contact the responsible authorities in the country of your previous residence to verify that your driver's license is not restricted, suspended or revoked. If you are exchanging an old driving license model, you will be issued with a new standard format (a plastic card the size of a credit card with a photo, which has been issued since 2013).
Mandatory exchange of driver's license in another EU country
You must exchange your driver's license:
- in case of its loss, theft or damage
- after two years of habitual residence if you have a driving license with unlimited validity (only if required by the national authorities of the country in which you live)
- if you have committed a traffic offense in the country in which you live
