Foreign licence in Italy: validity and conversion 🌍

Updated 30 August 2026 · Sources: Italian Highway Code (L. 177/2024), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, official portals cited in the text. Leggi in italiano 🇮🇹

The three possible situations (table)

Countries with agreements include, for example, Albania, Morocco, Brazil (with conditions), Argentina, Ukraine and many others; the list is dynamic and some deals carry special terms — the only reliable source is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's list.

Conversion: documents and steps

1. Registered residence in Italy and a foreign licence still valid, obtained before residency.

2. Medical fitness visit with a revenue stamp.

3. Application at the Motorizzazione with a sworn translation of the licence, photos and PagoPA payments.

4. Your foreign licence is withdrawn and sent to the issuing country's authorities; you receive the equivalent Italian licence.

Timelines vary a lot (weeks to months) depending on the authenticity checks requested from the issuing country.

If the exam it is: the route for non-natives

Without an agreement, the only road is the ordinary process: theory in Italian (30 questions / 20 min / max 3 errors) and the practical test. The good news: the exam vocabulary yields to the bilingual method — ministerial quizzes with English side by side — described in the guide for studying in English, and the paperwork in the documents checklist.