Converting a driving licence for refugees

Can refugees automatically convert a Ukrainian driving licence into an Italian one?
Yes, refugees from Ukraine can (are entitled to) convert their Ukrainian driving licence into an Italian one without taking any exams (theory or practical). This is possible thanks to the agreement between the Government of the Italian Republic and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on the mutual recognition of driving licences for conversion purposes: a Ukrainian driving licence can be exchanged for an Italian one, and vice versa, without having to take exams.
Holders of a driving licence issued outside the EU may drive the vehicles they are licensed for for one year after acquiring registered residence (residenza anagrafica). Within this period you must obtain an Italian driving licence (Article 135 of the Codice della Strada, the Italian Highway Code). If you have not registered your residence in Italy, you may use a valid driving licence issued in Ukraine with no time limit.
The agreement on the mutual recognition of Ukrainian and Italian driving licences for conversion purposes entered into force on 24 January 2022 and will remain in force for five years, until 24 January 2027, unless it is extended.

Conditions
Refugees who hold a Ukrainian driving licence can convert it into an Italian one, because a Ukrainian licence can only be used for 1 year from the date of official registration of residence in Italy (residenza). If you have no registered residence, this period does not start to run.
Once one year has passed since you registered your residence in Italy, you lose the right to drive in the country. If you are stopped by the police, you will be given an administrative fine of €2,000.
Only those Ukrainians who already held a Ukrainian driving licence before moving to Italy and who, at the time of applying, have been living in the country for less than four years can convert their licence: they can apply to exchange their Ukrainian driving licence for an Italian one without having to take any further exams.
Ukrainians who have been living in Italy for more than four years, on the other hand, can only obtain an Italian driving licence after passing the driving exams.
To exchange Ukrainian licences for Italian ones, the Motorizzazione civile (Italian vehicle licensing authority) checks the validity and authenticity of the Ukrainian licence by sending an electronic request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine through a Ukrainian consular office in Italy. Once the Ministry has replied, the Ukrainian consulate forwards the reply to the relevant Motorizzazione Civile office, which decides whether the Ukrainian driving licence can be exchanged for an Italian one.

What do you need?
To convert a Ukrainian driving licence into an Italian one, refugees from Ukraine must go to the Motorizzazione civile (Italian motor vehicle authority) for their place of residence in Italy (which will send Ukraine a request to confirm that you hold a driving licence). At the Motorizzazione civile they will have to submit the following documents:

• proof of payment of €10.20 on pre-printed payment slip no. 9001 (fee N003) and €32.00 on pre-printed payment slip no. 4028 (foreign driving licence from a non-EU country), made at a post office. Payment can also be made online through the Portale dell’Automobilista (Motorists’ Portal);
• the privacy notice, signed by the person applying for the conversion;
• a dichiarazione sostitutiva di certificazione (self-certification), made on the official form, stating your current place of residence and the date and place where you first acquired residence in Italy, together with the foreign country you came from;
• a photocopy of the certificate of physical and mental fitness issued by a qualified doctor, dated no more than 3 months earlier if the examination was carried out by a single doctor, or no more than 6 months earlier if it was carried out by the local medical board: documentation and payment for the medical examination;
• two photographs, one of which must be authenticated. You can ask for the photograph to be authenticated directly at the counter when you submit the application;
• your valid Ukrainian driving licence in the original, a full photocopy of it and a certified translation into Italian;
• a photocopy of your identity document;
• a photocopy of your codice fiscale (tax code);
• for non-EU citizens, a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) or carta di soggiorno (residence card) (in the original or a certified copy, or a plain copy with a declaration that it matches the original in your possession) + a photocopy, to be shown both when you submit the application and when you collect your Italian driving licence.

When can the conversion of a Ukrainian licence be refused?
– if you have been registered as resident in Italy for more than 4 years,
– if the Ukrainian licence was issued in Ukraine after you acquired residence in Italy,
– if the Ukrainian driving licence is forged, in which case there is also criminal liability for forging documents.
In any case, you can consult a lawyer to appeal against the Motorizzazione’s decision.

Disadvantages and advantages
Disadvantages:
Converting a Ukrainian driving licence into an Italian one can take up to 6 months.
The foreign national must have valid refugee status in Italy.
Advantages:
The foreign national can drive freely in Italy without having to take an exam.
The foreign national can use the Italian driving licence in other EU countries.

So converting a Ukrainian driving licence into an Italian one is a convenient option for refugees from Ukraine who want to drive freely in Italy. To convert your licence, go to the Motorizzazione civile for your place of residence in Italy and submit the required documents.