Exchanging a foreign licence

A licence from the EU, EEA or the UK

No exams are required. CSDD checks the licence against foreign registers itself.

• A valid health check is required.
• The Latvian licence carries the same categories as the foreign one.
• For a UK licence you need a code from gov.uk.
• If the licence expired more than three years ago, the category B exams will still have to be taken.

A licence issued outside the EU

Here exams are compulsory, and that is what surprises people most. You do not have to take the whole course — you have to pass the exams.

• You may drive on a foreign licence in Latvia for up to a year after arriving.
• To exchange it you must pass the CSDD category B exam — theory and driving.
• For every additional category (motorcycle, lorry, bus) — a separate driving exam.
• CSDD requests confirmation from the foreign authority itself.
• From Russia, Belarus, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Egypt, Turkey and Israel CSDD receives no answer: the person obtains the confirmation themselves at an embassy or consulate, legalised or with an Apostille.

What to bring to CSDD

No appointment is needed in advance.

• A passport or eID card.
• The foreign driving licence itself.
• A valid health check — CSDD sees it in the register.

How the school helps

Someone who has been driving for years usually needs not a course but a few lessons with an instructor and a refresher on local rules. Lessons can be taken one at a time, and the theory trainer is in Latvian, Russian and English.