Driving in Italy on a foreign licence

Two regimes, one clock. An EU/EEA licence is recognised as-is (art. 136-bis of the Codice della Strada); a non-EU licence works for one year counted from the day you register residence — not from the day you arrive (art. 135). "Normal residence" is where you live at least 185 days a year (art. 118-bis). Facts verified 24 July 2026; orientation, not legal advice.

EU/EEA licences: nothing to do — until expiry

Your licence is equiparata to an Italian one: same rules, same penalties, no exchange obligation. Two real duties come with residence: Italian validity and medical-check rules apply to you, so when the licence expires you don't renew it back home — you convert it at the Motorizzazione (no exams); and an old licence without an expiry date (or with a longer validity than the EU standard) must be converted within 2 years of taking residence. Optionally you can register (riconoscimento) or convert earlier — both bring you into the Italian penalty-points system.

Non-EU licences: the one-year window

For one year from residence registration you may drive on your valid licence plus an international driving permit or an official Italian translation — carry it, or the fine is €408–1,634. After the year, the licence is no longer recognised: you either convert it (if your country has an agreement) or take the Italian exams.

Conversion without exams: who qualifies

Conversion exists only with reciprocity-agreement countries. The MIT list (updated July 2026) includes the UK (with Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey — agreement to 30 March 2028), Switzerland (extended to June 2031), Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia, Albania and a dozen more; for the USA, Canada and Chile conversion is limited to diplomatic/consular staff — everyone else takes the exams. Check the official MIT list: agreements lapse and return.

• The licence must be valid and obtained before you became resident in Italy.
• Hard application windows since 2023: 4 years from residence for some countries (Switzerland, Ukraine, Albania, Argentina), 6 years for most others (UK, Brazil, Morocco…) — miss it and the application is rejected.
• A licence that was itself obtained by converting a non-convertible one cannot be converted.

How conversion works

At the Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile: form TT2112, PagoPA payment of €10.20 + €32.00 (tariffa N003), your licence with photocopies, ID, codice fiscale, two photos, and a medical fitness certificate (always for non-EU conversions; for EU ones when the licence is expiring or has no expiry). The foreign licence is withdrawn and returned to the issuing state — you keep only the Italian one.

No agreement? The Italian exams

Same path as a new driver: theory test in Italian (the Motorizzazione's candidate guidance offers translation only into German or French — no English; audio support exists for eligible foreign candidates), 2 attempts within 6 months; then the foglio rosa (12 months) with 6 mandatory driving-school hours before the practical test. Budget roughly €42 + €16 in fees plus driving-school costs; the medical certificate is required here too.

If you get it wrong