In this article you will find information about what to do if you have a Ukrainian driver’s licence, how to exchange for a Czech one and information about professional drivers.
In the Czech Republic you can use your valid Ukrainian driver’s licence if it meets the standard set by the Convention on Road Traffic described shortly in Ukrainian here . You can read the description in English at the end of this article.
A valid driver’s licence issued in Ukraine is also a one which validity ended after 1st of January 2022 if it couldn’t have been exchanged due to the armed conflict in Ukraine.
Changing a Ukrainian driver’s licence for a Czech one
If you don’t have a permit for a stay longer than 1 year in the Czech Republic, you do not need to exchange your driver’s licence for a Czech one.
The exchange is possible only after you have lived in the Czech Republic for at least 185 days for personal or professional relations
You can exchange your driver’s licence at any municipal office with extended powers (a local government office that handles not only local tasks but also wider administrative duties for surrounding areas) – the list of municipalities with such offices in each region can be found here
You cannot exchange your driver’s licence immediately after you arrive to the Czech Republic – you can exchange it once you have a long-term stay.
What can I do if my driver’s licence does not conform to the international agreements?
You cannot drive in the Czech Republic if your driver’s licence by its appearance does not meet the standard of the international agreements.
Possible solution is getting a Czech driver’s licence: that means completing training and education at a driving school and passing the examination.
- It is not necessary to have a permanent residence in the Czech Republic in order to apply to the driver’s school but you need to have a stay for at least 185 days for personal or professional relations for issuing driver’s licence
- After passing the examination, you need to apply for issuing the driver’s licence
- You can get your driver’s licence issued at any municipal office with extended powers. You can find the map of these here
Information for professional drivers
It is possible to be employed as a driver in the Czech Republic if you have a valid Ukrainian driver’s licence. Driving lorries and buses is conditioned, however, by getting and holding professional driver competence as well as a driver card.
How can I become a professional driver?
- Professional competence is proven by a professional competence licence, which you can obtain to your valid Ukrainian driver’s licence
- You do not need to have a permanent residence in the Czech Republic to obtain the professional competence licence
- You can obtain the professional competence licence by completing a training
- It is also possible to prove your professional driving competence with a professional driver’s licence issued by another EU/EEC country or Switzerland
Where can I apply for a professional driver’s licence?
Professional driver’s licences are issued at municipalities offices with extended powers. You can find them on this map.
For the application you need to also bring:
- Valid identification card
- Valid Ukrainian driver’s licence
- Confirmation about completing the training or confirmation about attending the training
- Either your work contract with an employer with permanent residence in the Czech Republic, or an extract from the Trade Register
If you have a professional driver’s licence issued in Ukraine it is not possible to use it for employment. By law, you can only obtain professional driver’s competence only on the territory of the Czech Republic, in another EU/EEC country or Switzerland.
You can find more information on this website.
Description of driving licenses provided for by the Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968):
The national driving license must be in the form of a document. The license should be plastic or paper. For plastic driving licenses, it is recommended to choose a format of 54×86 mm. The colour should be pink. On the front side of the license, the title "Driving License" is displayed in the national language(s) of the issuing country, and it must also include the name or distinctive sign of the issuing state.
The driving license must contain the following information, numbered as follows:
- Surname;
- First name, other names;
- Date and place of birth (may be replaced by other details as defined by national legislation);
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- Date of issue;
- Expiry date;
- Name or stamp of the authority issuing the driving license;
- Identification number for registration purposes, other than listed under number 5, paragraph 4;
- Driving license number;
- Photograph of the holder;
- Signature of the license holder;
- Groups (subgroups) of vehicles for which the driving license is valid;
- Additional information or restrictions for each group (subgroup) of vehicles in the form of a code.
If additional information is required by national legislation, it should be indicated on the driving license under the following numbers:
- Place of usual residence;
- Date of issue for each group (subgroup) of vehicles;
- Expiry date for each group (subgroup) of vehicles;
- Information for registration in case of change of country of usual residence;
- Information for registration or other information related to road safety.
All data on the driving license must be written in Latin script. If another script is used, this information must also be transcribed in Latin letters.
The groups of driving licenses that constitute the content of the driving license are A, B, C, D, B+E, C+E, D+E with the corresponding pictogram, or the subgroups of driving licenses - A1, B1, C1, D1, C1+E, D1+E with the corresponding pictogram.
Additional information regarding the driving license sample can be found in Annex No. 6 to the Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna 1968) - Collection of International Treaties, volume No. 46/2013.
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