Driving Tests

Foreign Driver's License in Michigan: Visit, Convert or Test

informational·how to guide·Published May 1, 2026

Can I drive in Michigan with a foreign driver's license?

Yes, while you are temporarily in the U.S. Drive on your home license, and carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit if it is not in English. Once you live in Michigan, apply for a Michigan license right away. Licenses from Canada, Germany and South Korea convert without knowledge or driving tests. Others need a $25 TIP, at least 30 days of practice and a driving skills test.

Where these Michigan rules come from

This guide uses the Michigan Department of State (the Secretary of State) page Licenses and ID questions, the handbook What Every Driver Must Know (October 2025 edition), the page New drivers (18 and older), the Department's first-time license and new-resident pages, and its news release of July 2, 2025, on online testing. The information is correct as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Michigan Department of State (michigan.gov/sos) before you drive.

Foreign license in Michigan: what applies to you

Foreign license in Michigan: what applies to you
Your situation	What Michigan asks
You visit and live in another country	Drive on your home license. Carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit if the license is not in English.
You moved to Michigan with a Canadian, German or South Korean license	Convert it at a Secretary of State office. No knowledge test, TIP or driving skills test. A vision test is still given.
You are 18 or older and moved to Michigan with a license from any other country	Get a Temporary Instruction Permit (TIP), then pass a driving skills test.
Your foreign license is expired	Get a TIP and pass a driving skills test before Michigan issues a license.
You are under 18 and moved to Michigan	Pass Michigan's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL): driver education Segment 1 and Segment 2, then the driving skills test. With a license from Canada, Germany or South Korea, ask the Michigan Department of State which rule applies.
You live here with temporary legal presence in the U.S.	You receive a limited-term license, valid only while you may stay in the country.

Driving in Michigan as a visitor: home license and IDP

A resident of a foreign country who is temporarily in the United States may drive in Michigan with the home country license. If the license is not in English, you also need an English translation of it or an International Driving Permit (IDP). The IDP is a translation of your license. You carry it in addition to your home license, not instead of it.

When you move to Michigan

Michigan law defines a resident as a person who lives in Michigan and is legally present in the United States. If you move here from another country, apply for a Michigan license as soon as you establish residency. Michigan law gives no grace period.
At a Secretary of State office you show proof of legal presence, proof of identity and proof of Michigan residency. After the Department approves your documents, a vision test is given. If you hold a license from Canada, Germany or the Republic of Korea (South Korea), you may convert it without the written knowledge test, TIP or driving skills test.

The TIP route for adults with a license from any other country

1
Pass the vision test and the written tests
Residents 18 and older who hold a foreign license and want a Michigan license start with a TIP. To get one, you pass a vision test and the written knowledge and road sign tests. The knowledge test is available in English and a number of foreign languages, in audio and written formats; see test languages and interpreters in Michigan. You can take it online for a $6.50 convenience fee or free at a Secretary of State office. A passed knowledge test is valid for one year.
2
Show your documents and pay $25
You show a valid Social Security number (or a letter of ineligibility), legal presence, identity and Michigan residency, and you pay the $25 TIP fee.
3
Practice for at least 30 days
The TIP is valid for 180 days from the day it is issued. It is not a license, and it is illegal to drive alone with it. You practice with a licensed adult. You must complete at least 30 days of practice driving on the TIP before the driving skills test. Try our free practice question on who must ride with you on a TIP.
4
Pass the driving skills test
Independent driver testing businesses that the Secretary of State approves give the test. The state does not set their fees. The test has three parts: a vehicle inspection, a basic control skills test and an on-road test. A foreign language interpreter may be in the vehicle to translate the examiner's instructions.
5
Pass in time and get your license
Adults who pass the road test before the TIP expires receive the license free of charge. If you do not pass within the 180 days, the whole process starts again: you apply for a new TIP and take the knowledge test again.

What if my foreign license is expired?

With an expired foreign license, you must apply for a TIP and pass a driving skills test before Michigan issues a license. This also applies to an expired license from Canada, Germany or South Korea. Follow the TIP steps above.

Documents a new Michigan resident from abroad brings

Legal presence: a valid, unexpired foreign passport with a U.S. visa and evidence of entry. F-visa holders show Form I-20, and J-visa holders show Form DS-2019. B1 and B2 visas are not acceptable. Other immigration documents that show legal presence, including Form I-94, can also serve.
Social Security number: a Social Security card, W-2, 1099 or pay stub. If you are not eligible for a number, bring an SSA-L676 letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration issued within the last 60 days.
Identity: if you have no accepted ID, show two documents, such as a foreign passport and Form I-94.
Michigan residency: two documents, such as a utility or credit card bill or a bank statement issued within the last 90 days (electronic copies are accepted), a lease, a pay stub or an insurance policy.
Originals for everything else: photocopies are not accepted, and all documents must be in English or come with an English translation.

Check your legal presence early

Documents may need a check in the federal SAVE system before Michigan issues a license. As of 2026, the Department says most cases take about 40 days between intake and processing, so plan for that time. The guide on what to bring to the Secretary of State lists every accepted document. Residents with temporary legal presence in the U.S. receive a limited-term license that is valid only as long as they are authorized to remain in the country.

Key takeaways

Visitors drive on the home country license. Without English on it, carry an English translation or an IDP too.
Residents apply for a Michigan license as soon as they establish residency. There is no grace period.
Only licenses from Canada, Germany and South Korea convert without the knowledge test, TIP or driving skills test.
Every other foreign license, and any expired foreign license, needs a $25 TIP, at least 30 days of practice and a driving skills test.
Next step: practice on the free Michigan operator practice test (English only) before your knowledge test.

Foreign license questions in Michigan

Can I use my foreign driver's license as ID at the Secretary of State office?

Only a Canadian license is on the list. Canadian applicants may use the Canadian driver's license as proof of identity if it has been expired for less than four years. With a license from any other country, show two identity documents instead, such as a foreign passport and Form I-94.

Can I swap a UK, Indian or Mexican license for a Michigan license?

Not without tests. Michigan names only Canada, Germany and South Korea for conversion with no knowledge test, TIP or driving skills test. With a license from any other country, you get a TIP, pass the knowledge and road sign tests, practice for at least 30 days and pass a driving skills test.

Do I still take a vision test if my license converts?

Yes. At the Secretary of State office, the Department approves your documents first, and then you take a vision test. Your photo is taken, and you pay a license fee that depends on the license type. The knowledge test, the TIP and the driving skills test are the steps you skip.

How long does the TIP route take?

Plan for at least 30 days. You must practice on the TIP for at least 30 days before the driving skills test, and the TIP is valid for 180 days, so you have the remaining 150 days to pass. If your legal presence documents need a federal SAVE check, add time for it.

I am 16 and moved to Michigan with a foreign license. Do I get a TIP?

No. The TIP route is for residents 18 and older. If you are under 18, you must pass Michigan's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). That means driver education Segment 1 and Segment 2 and the on-road driving skills test. If your license is from Canada, Germany or South Korea, ask the Michigan Department of State which rule applies to you.

Where do I get an International Driving Permit before I travel abroad?

Michigan residents may wish to get an International Driving Permit if they intend to drive in a foreign country. The Michigan Department of State tells them to contact a full-service Automobile Club of Michigan (AAA) office or American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA) before they travel out of the U.S.