Driving Tests

Foreign Driver License in Oregon: Which Countries Skip the Tests

informational·how to guide·Published September 20, 2026

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

Oregon DMV may waive both the knowledge test and the drive test if you are new to Oregon and surrender a license from Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan that is not expired more than 1 year. With a license from any other country, you pass the knowledge test (28 of 35 correct) and then the drive test. Everyone takes a vision test.

Where these Oregon facts come from

The country list, test steps and license rules come from the Oregon DMV pages Get a Driver License, Over 18 and New to Oregon, and from the DMV pages on identity documents, REAL ID, drive tests, testing businesses and driver fees. The test languages and online limits come from the DMV page on online knowledge testing, and the office limit from a DMV news release of September 24, 2025. The pass mark comes from the 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, and the residency rules from Oregon Revised Statutes 807.062. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with Oregon DMV (oregon.gov/odot/dmv) before you drive.

Which tests you take, by country of your license

Which tests you take, by country of your license
Your license is from	Knowledge test	Drive test
Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, not expired more than 1 year	May be waived	May be waived
Any other country	Required	Required, after you pass the knowledge test
A listed country, but expired more than 1 year	Required	Required, after you pass the knowledge test

Which countries skip the Oregon tests?

The DMV list names five countries: Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The same DMV rule also covers a license from a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia or the U.S. Department of State. To use it, you must be new to Oregon, surrender the license, and the license cannot be expired more than 1 year. DMV says you "may not" have to take the tests, so the waiver is not automatic.
DMV can change this list. Check the DMV pages or call DMV Customer Assistance at 503-945-5000 before you plan your visit.

Does a foreign license transfer a motorcycle endorsement?

Not for most countries. The endorsement transfers without testing only from a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, Canada or Japan. A license from Germany, South Korea or Taiwan may skip the Class C tests, but it is not on this shorter list.

How to get an Oregon license if your country is not on the list

1
Pass a vision test
DMV tests your vision for every driver license. If you wear glasses or contacts for the test, you must wear them when you drive. Try our free question on what passing with glasses means.
2
Pass the knowledge test
The test has 35 multiple-choice questions, and the Oregon Driver Manual says you must answer 28 correctly. Each try costs $7.00. See our free question on what a score of 27 out of 35 means.
3
Book and pass the drive test
You must pass the knowledge test first, and drive tests are by appointment only. Book at least three to four weeks ahead. The DMV drive test costs $45.00. If you fail, you can test again on the next business day.
4
Pay for the license
The original Class C license costs $64. A REAL ID costs $30 more.

What you must turn in, and what blocks a license

You must turn in any driver license, permit or ID card that you hold from another state or country. You cannot get the license while your driving privileges are suspended, canceled or revoked in Oregon or in any other state. Everyone, also people from the five listed countries, must pass a vision test.

Which languages can you use for the knowledge test?

The Class C knowledge test can be read and heard in eight languages, both online and in DMV offices: Arabic, Chinese (simplified Mandarin), English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. DMV says everything you need to pass is in the Oregon Driver Manual, so study it first. Our free practice questions help you review the manual topics, but they are in English only.

Where can you take the knowledge test?

You have a Social Security number

You can take the test online. At 18 or older, you do not need a proctor. You can test online only twice in any 24 hours and four times in total. Later tries must be at a DMV office.

You have not been assigned a Social Security number

Take the test in a DMV office. Walk in for standby service or make an appointment. In an office, you can take only two Class C knowledge tests in 24 hours.

Where to take the drive test

You can schedule a drive test with DMV online or with a Class C testing business. A testing business sets its own price, and some require you to use one of their own vehicles. At DMV, bring a passenger vehicle with current registration and valid proof of insurance. The test takes about 20 minutes. If you want to practice driving before the test, you need an instruction permit. For more on the road test, read our guide to the Oregon drive test.

Which ID can you bring?

A foreign passport that has English or an English translation, not expired more than five years.
A Consulate ID card issued by Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, South Korea or Uruguay, not expired more than five years.
A Certificate of Identity issued by a Foreign Consulate.
Your Social Security number if you have one, or an electronic statement that you do not have one.

What you need for a REAL ID

A REAL ID follows different rules. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you need an unexpired foreign passport with a valid, unexpired U.S. visa attached, and an unexpired I-94 form or I-797A. DMV calls it REAL ID 1-2-3: bring one proof of identity, two proofs of address and allow three weeks to get your card. People who live in the U.S. for a limited time get a limited term REAL ID license. It expires on the date your authorized stay ends, or in 1 year if your stay is indefinite. Read more in our guide to Oregon DMV documents and REAL ID.

Visitors and new residents: when do you need an Oregon license?

As a visitor, you can legally drive in Oregon with a valid license from another country. DMV counts a student who attends school in Oregon and pays non-resident tuition as a visitor. Once you become a resident, DMV says you must get an Oregon license within 30 days if you want to drive.
Under Oregon law, a job in Oregon or any action to acquire residence, such as a stay of six months or more in a row, makes you a resident. A job alone does not, if you take no other step. The law gives a student at a publicly funded school who pays nonresident tuition as an example.

Key takeaways

Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are on the Oregon DMV list. A license from one of them may skip both tests if it is not expired more than 1 year.
From any other country, pass the vision test, the knowledge test (28 of 35) and then the drive test.
Plan for $7.00 per knowledge test try, a $45.00 DMV drive test and a $64 license. A REAL ID costs $30 more.
Surrender your foreign license, and bring a passport or consulate document as ID.
Next step: practice on the free Oregon Class C passenger permit practice test.

Foreign license in Oregon: common questions

What if my foreign license expired more than 1 year ago?

Then the waiver for the listed countries does not apply. You must take the knowledge test, and each try costs $7.00. After you pass it, you book and pass the drive test. You still turn in the old license and pass the vision test.

Do I need an appointment at Oregon DMV to switch my foreign license?

Oregon DMV says you can visit a DMV office for standby service or make an appointment. Check with your office before you go. The drive test is different: it is by appointment only, and DMV says to book it at least three to four weeks before the date you want. With a Social Security number, you can also take the knowledge test online.

Can I use a translation dictionary on the Oregon knowledge test?

Yes, with permission. The Oregon Driver Manual says you may use a paper foreign language translation dictionary in a DMV office. You cannot use a DMV manual, notes, a phone or other electronic devices to help you answer. The test itself can be read and heard in eight languages, and you may bring your own earbuds or headphones.

Will I get my Oregon license the same day?

You get an interim card that proves you may drive, and DMV mails the license card later. Many agencies, such as the TSA and the Social Security Administration, do not accept the interim card as proof of identity. Keep your passport for those, because you turn in your foreign license at DMV.