Before you start

Completed Anmeldung (the 6-month clock starts from your registration date)
Your original, valid foreign driving licence
Knowing your country's Anlage 11 category (full exemption, partial, or full tests)

Step-by-step

1
Check whether you even need to convert
EU/EEA licences stay valid in Germany until they expire — no action needed for most newcomers. Only non-EU/EEA holders must do the Umschreibung, and only they face the 6-month deadline.
OnlineWho: You—Free to check
2
Find your country's category in Anlage 11
Anlage 11 of the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung lists, per country (and sometimes per US/Canadian state), whether you are fully exempt from tests, need only the theory or only the practical, or must pass both. Listed states like the UK and many US states are commonly exempt; unlisted countries require both exams.
OnlineWho: You—Free to check
3
Gather documents, eye test and (if needed) first-aid course
You will need a biometric photo, an eye test, and — for non-exempt countries — a certified German translation of your licence and a first-aid course certificate. A driving school can confirm exactly what your category requires.
In personWho: YouEye test minutes; first-aid course ~9 hoursEye test <€10; first-aid ~€70; translation ~€60
4
Apply at the Berlin Führerscheinstelle and (if required) sit the exams
Submit your application and documents to the Berlin driving-licence authority. If your country is exempt you simply wait for the new licence; otherwise you book and pass the theory and/or practical test first. Berlin verifies foreign licences with the issuing authority, which is slow.
In personWho: YouBerlin processing ~2–4 months≈ €37.50 issuing fee (plus exam/lesson fees if required)

Documents you’ll need

Original valid foreign licence + a photocopy
Passport or ID card
Registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung)
Biometric photo
Eye-test certificate
Certified German translation of the licence or an International Driving Permit (non-exempt countries)
First-aid course certificate (non-exempt countries)

Things most newcomers don’t know

The 6-month clock starts at your Anmeldung, not your arrival.

A non-EU licence is only valid for six months after you register your address; after that, driving on it risks fines and voided insurance. EU/EEA holders have no such deadline.

Source: BMV / Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung

Your country — and sometimes your US/Canadian state — decides everything.

Anlage 11 treats licences case by case: some are a straight swap, some need only the practical, some need both exams. Two people from different countries face wildly different processes, so never rely on a friend's experience.

Source: Anlage 11 FeV (gesetze-im-internet.de)

Berlin is unusually slow — budget 2–4 months.

The Führerscheinstelle verifies your licence with the issuing authority, which takes far longer in Berlin than in smaller German cities (often 2–6 weeks elsewhere). Start early so you are not left unable to drive legally.

Source: guide consensus, verify with the Führerscheinstelle

Convert before the six months are up, even if you barely drive.

Once the window closes you legally need a full German licence to drive at all; there is no informal grace period, and an expired-validity foreign licence will not satisfy insurers after an accident.

Source: community-reported, verify

Common mistakes to avoid

Counting the six months from arrival instead of from your Anmeldung date
Assuming all US licences are exempt — it depends on the specific state in Anlage 11
Forgetting the first-aid course and eye test, which non-exempt applicants always need
Underestimating Berlin's processing time and being caught driving after the 6-month window