Offices for swapping and replacing driving licences

Online, by appointment or both: it depends on your city

Many cities take licence swaps at a citizens’ office, while others use a separate driving licence authority. Whether you can apply online with a digital ID, and whether the new card must be collected in person, depends on the city. The right counter may also depend on your situation, such as an old paper licence or a lorry or bus category.

About this serviceBrowse offices by city
1 office in Cologne

  • Cologne

    Kundenzentrum Innenstadt

    Laurenzplatz 1–3, 50667 Cologne

    Apply online and collect at the city-centre customer centre, or visit in person on the days without an appointment.

    Apply onlineBook an appointmentOffice website+49 221 2210

    Bring ID or passport, any required residence permit, old licence and current biometric paper photo, or use the €6 city terminal. For a pre-1999 licence issued outside Cologne, ask the issuing authority to send a Karteikartenabschrift to your chosen Cologne centre. Online applications need JPEG/JPG files: a borderless portrait photo at 45 × 35 mm and a landscape signature image at 115 × 35 mm, plus licence issue and category details. The photo should be no older than three months. Pay online using a method offered by the form; bring your old licence for exchange at collection.

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Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.

Where to next

Renew or replace your German licence

For drivers who already hold a German licence. See which situation applies to you and where to ask for the new card.

Renew a German driving licence

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