# Driving a foreign car as dependent of a student



## milan_ns (Jul 30, 2018)

My wife is a MSc student in Germany, on a student visa and I'm her dependent.

I know she is allowed to drive a foreign car in Germany during her entire studies.

Am I also allowed to drive a foreign car in Germany (during her studies)?

Thanks


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## neo-the-one (Jul 10, 2018)

Hi

Which country License do you guys have? I dont think driving has anything to do with Visa Type. Depends on the license type.

Best Regards,
neo-the-one


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

My experience may be out of date, but in the past when we were living in Germany (wife on research post-doc, me as dependent then later working) we could only use our Canadian license for 6 months, after that we needed to convert. It may be a simple process now, but at the time a road test and other things were required, so I didn't bother.

PS on edit: That was only the license. We did not have a foreign-registered car, coming from Canada. So I can't really answer your question.


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## milan_ns (Jul 30, 2018)

Thanks for your replies!

I know non-EU driving licence is valid only for 6 months and then has to be exchanged. We got that covered.

My question relates to using a foreign registered car in Germany. 

I have read on several websites that students do not have to register the foreign car in Germany and can drive it freely on foreign plates for the duration of studies. 

Non-student would have to put the car on German plates (take out the German insurance, etc) after 1 year latest, or risk fine.

I would like to know if I, as a student dependant can also drive our foreign registered car during wife's studies, or not. I can not find this information anywhere :S

I realise it's a bit of a unusual questions... but I thought somebody here would have an idea... or at least point me to where I would be able to find this information.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

milan_ns said:


> Thanks for your replies!
> 
> I know non-EU driving licence is valid only for 6 months and then has to be exchanged. We got that covered.
> 
> ...


My guess is, that if the car is registered to your wife, and it is legal for her to keep the car registered on foreign plates, and you are in Germany as her dependent, and are otherwise allowed to drive the car, then logically it would be okay for you to drive it with foreign plates. But that is only my guess. 

You may need to actually go in person to the office that handles car registration and ask someone to confirm this. 

Presumably your foreign registration needs to be valid for the time you are in Germany, which potentially means getting a new sticker if it expires, or even bringing the car back home for vehicle inspections if required (the equivalent of TÜV). I would also check that your vehicle insurance is valid for long-term residence in Germany.


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