American Drivers in Europe

[Ryan Scott]

I've been to the UK and know US citizens can drive with our US licenses there. However, my cousin just arrived for a tour of duty with the US Army in Germany and he had to get an EU driver's license before he could rent a cart or drive there. Does that very from country to country? Anyone else have European driving experience?

[Hal Paul]

I can't say for Europe since I havn't been stationed there, but members of the U.S. military fall under Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) when they are stationed in other countries. SOFAs are made between the U.S. government and the host nation to establish legal authority/responsibility over U.S. service members. Sometimes the SOFA provides different rules for military stationed in a country than it does for tourists or other expats.

One aspect of SOFAs is drivers licenses. When I was in Korea on military orders, the SOFA required that I take a driving test and get a license that the Korean government recognized. It was a specific license issued to U.S. service personnel stationed there. I imagine there is something similar in SOFAs for U.S. service members stationed in Europe.

[Hans Deventer]

I've been to the UK and know US citizens can drive with our US licenses there. However, my cousin just arrived for a tour of duty with the US Army in Germany and he had to get an EU driver's license before he could rent a cart or drive there. Does that very from country to country? Anyone else have European driving experience?

I know I only needed my Dutch driver's license in the US. Can't imagine it would be different the other way around. And it probably would be EU regulated.

[Ryan Scott]

One aspect of SOFAs is drivers licenses. When I was in Korea on military orders, the SOFA required that I take a driving test and get a license that the Korean government recognized. It was a specific license issued to U.S. service personnel stationed there. I imagine there is something similar in SOFAs for U.S. service members stationed in Europe.

That makes sense. If you're going to be in a country for a number of years, it makes sense that you would need to get a license. The US would so the same, I assume.

[Hal Paul]

According to this State Department site (http://germany.usembassy.gov/germany/services/drivers_license.html), Americans living in Germany as a private citizens, can use their U.S. drivers license for six months before getting a German license, the same rule applies for Americans traveling to The Netherlands (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_982.html).

Here is a link (http://rmv.hqusareur.army.mil/ssimportinfo.htm) to U.S. Army Europe requirements for U.S. military and their family members stationed in Germany that states they are required to get a valid country license before driving in Germany (I couldn't find a similar link for The Netherlands but would not be surprised to find similar rules there). Ryan's cousin would fall under these regulations.

This Stars and Stripes article (http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,94859,00.html) states the U.S. Army Europe headquarters recommends U.S. military personnel get an international permit if they plan to drive across borders. It is common for subordinate commands to take recommendations from higher commands and make them requirements, which may be another reason Ryan's cousin had to get an EU license.

In my experience, guidelines for U.S. military, government employees and their families who are living abroad on government orders, are more restrictive than they are for private citizens living abroad as expats.

[Glenda Harvey]

This may because the military is responsible for things that their soldiers do in other countries.

[Jamie Wayne]

I didn't need anything other than my US drivers license in France, Switzerland, and Italy...or Brazil, for that matter.

Speaking of Germany, my brother just left for Heidelberg yesterday on his way back from his long trip from Egypt and Nigeria.

[Hal Paul]

This may because the military is responsible for things that their soldiers do in other countries.

Yes, not only soldiers, but dependent family members of soldiers in the host country.

I remember when I was about 10 years old, and my dad was stationed in Japan, one of my classmates in the Department of Defense School I was attending was arrested by the Japanese police for shoplifting. His dad's tour was cut short and his family was immediately sent back to the United States. I think the dad also got some type of negative report placed in his official file as well.

My class got a stern lecture from our teacher about how we should conduct ourselves among our Japanese hosts. She explained that even though we were kids, we represented the United States to the Japanese people and that we should conduct ourselves in a manner that would leave a positive impression.