Driving Tests

Foreign Driver’s License in Minnesota: Can You Exchange It?

informational·how to guide·Published July 27, 2026

Can I exchange my foreign license in Minnesota, or must I take the tests?

Most licenses from outside the U.S. and Canada cannot be exchanged in Minnesota. With one, you pass the Class D written test, a vision check and the road test. Germany (18 or older) and Taiwan (21 or older) are the two exceptions: if you surrender a license that is valid or expired less than one year, you skip the road test. You do not need a permit first.

Where these Minnesota rules come from

The test rules, the Germany and Taiwan options, the transfer list and the road test rules come from the Driver and Vehicle Services new resident page. The 60-day rule, the vision standard, the translation form and the pass mark come from the Minnesota Driver’s Manual and Minnesota Statutes 171.03. The document lists, test languages and interpreter rules come from the DVS standard document list and the DVS pages for new drivers age 18 and older, group knowledge testing and Driver’s License for All. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs) before you drive.

Which Minnesota tests a foreign license needs

Which Minnesota tests a foreign license needs
Your license	Written test	Road test
Most countries outside the U.S. and Canada	Yes	Yes
Germany, age 18 or older, you keep the license	Yes	Yes
Germany, age 18 or older, you surrender the Class B license	Yes	No
Taiwan, age 21 or older, you keep the license	Yes	Yes
Taiwan, age 21 or older, you surrender the license and bring a certificate	Yes	No

Who can transfer a license without tests?

The no-test transfer is only for a person over 21 with a valid, unexpired, non-commercial license from a place on the DVS list: another U.S. state, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, the U.S. military or Canada.
With a license from any other country, you pass the Class D written test, a vision check and the road test. The vision check needs normal or corrected vision of at least 20/40 and peripheral vision of at least 105 degrees. You do not need an instruction permit before your first road test.

Germany and Taiwan: who can skip the road test

You are 18 or older with a German license that is valid or expired less than one year

Surrender your German Class B license, then pass the written test, do a vision check and apply. No road test. If you keep your German license, you pass the written test and the road test.

You are 21 or older with a Taiwanese license that is valid or expired less than one year

Surrender your license, pass the written test, do a vision check and present an original Verification Certificate of Driver’s License (VCDL) from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, or an English certificate of validity from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago. It must be issued within three months before you apply. If you keep your license, you pass the written test and the road test.

Your license is from any other country outside the transfer list

Plan for the written test and the road test. DVS can change its list, so check the new resident page before you book.

Can I drive on my foreign license before I get a Minnesota license?

Minnesota law lets a nonresident who is at least 15 drive with a valid license from the home state or country in immediate possession. A nonresident 18 or older from a place that does not license drivers may drive up to 90 days in any calendar year, if the vehicle is registered for the current year in the home state or country.
When you become a Minnesota resident, you have 60 days to get a Minnesota license or permit. Check yourself with our free question on the 60-day rule.

Documents to bring for a standard license

Two primary documents, or one primary and one secondary document.
Primary documents include an unexpired international passport (foreign or domestic) and an unexpired consular ID with your photo.
A driver’s license, ID card or permit from a foreign or domestic government, with a photo and expired five years or less, counts as a secondary document.
Any document in a language other than English needs a translation and a translation attestation.
All your other driver’s licenses and ID cards. You must present them to DVS before you can get a Minnesota license. Do not get an ID card before you get your license.
Citizens of foreign countries may apply for a REAL ID. For the full lists, see our guide to Minnesota license documents and REAL ID.

What is on the Minnesota written test?

The written test has multiple choice and true-or-false questions on Minnesota traffic laws and road signs. You may take only one test per day, and you need 80 percent to pass. Try our free question on a 78 percent score.
Your first two written tests at a DVS exam station are free if you have not already tested with a third-party proctor. After two failed tests, you pay a $10 retest fee.

Written test languages and interpreters

The DVS license pages list the test in English, American Sign Language, Somali, Hmong, Russian, Vietnamese, Karen and Spanish. The Driver’s License for All page also names Dari, Pashto and Ukrainian. Confirm your language when you book.
For a language that is not on the list, ask for a verbal exam. It is by appointment only at a DVS exam station, not all stations offer it, and the time limit is one hour.
For a verbal exam, bring your own interpreter who has a valid Minnesota driver’s license. The interpreter reads the test in English and translates it.
Groups of 3 to 7 testers can ask for a group oral test.
At a third-party proctor, no interpreter or other help is allowed.

Road test steps for a new resident

1
Book the road test
You do not need a permit first. Make an appointment with DVS.
2
Bring a vehicle with proof of insurance
The test date must fall on or between the issue date and the expiration date on the proof of insurance.
3
Bring your interpreter if you need one
The interpreter cannot be in the vehicle, but can help before and after the test. Only the driver examiner may ride with you.
4
Cancel in time
A no-show, or a cancel or reschedule less than 24 hours before your appointment, costs $40. A cancel or reschedule 24 to 72 hours before costs $20.
5
Take the test
In winter, a vehicle that gets stuck during the test means you fail that test. For the test parts and the fail rules, read our guide to the Minnesota road test.

Can I get a Minnesota license without immigration status?

Yes, a standard license. Since October 1, 2023, you can get a standard card regardless of your immigration status. DVS does not ask if, or track whether, a person is undocumented. You still show two documents, give a Minnesota home address and pass the written test and the road test.
Since May 7, 2025, a standard license or ID card cannot be used at U.S. airport security checkpoints, on U.S. military bases or in federal buildings, including some courthouses.

Key takeaways

Most licenses from outside the U.S. and Canada are not exchanged: pass the Class D written test, a vision check and the road test.
Germany (age 18 or older) and Taiwan (age 21 or older) can surrender a license that is valid or expired less than one year and skip the road test. Taiwan also needs a VCDL or a TECO certificate.
You do not need a permit first, and you have 60 days after you become a resident to get a Minnesota license.
Bring your own interpreter for a verbal exam or the road test. Only the examiner rides in the car.
Next step: practice on the free Minnesota Class D practice test.

Foreign license in Minnesota: common questions

What if my foreign license is not in English?

Give DVS a translation of your license. For other documents that are not in English, you need a qualified English translation. The Certificate of Translation form is at drive.mn.gov, at DVS exam stations and at driver’s license offices.

My German license expired. Can I still skip the Minnesota road test?

Yes, if you are 18 or older and the license expired less than one year ago. Surrender your German Class B license, pass the written test and do a vision check. The same time limit applies to a Taiwanese license, for drivers 21 or older who also bring a VCDL or a TECO certificate.

Can I use my eye doctor’s report instead of the vision check?

Yes. You can bring a vision report from your eye doctor when you apply for your card, instead of the vision check at the office. The office check is not a medical exam. It only checks that your vision meets the minimum standards.

Does a Canadian license count as a foreign license in Minnesota?

No. Canada is on the DVS transfer list. If you are over 21 with a valid, unexpired, non-commercial Canadian license, you take no written or road test. Under 21, you pass the written test. If the license is expired, you pass the written test, and both tests if it expired more than one year ago.