Thai Driving Licence for Scooters: Requirements, Routes and Costs

Contents of this article10 sections

1. When you need it and when you don’t
2. Who can get one at all
3. Convert or start from scratch
4. What you need at the office
5. How it works at the office
6. Do I have to take the theory test when converting?
7. Costs and duration
8. How long the licence is valid
9. And if I only stay briefly?
10. Frequently asked questions

You are staying in Thailand for longer, want to ride a scooter, and wonder whether an International Driving Permit will get you through in the long run. Short answer: not forever. After about three months, Thailand expects a Thai driving licence. The route there is doable, but it has two catches: tourists cannot get one at all, and the scooter licence is a separate licence.

In short

• For stays of more than three months you generally need a Thai driving licence. Until then, the International Driving Permit under the Vienna Convention is enough, together with your German licence.
• A car licence does not cover a scooter. The scooter licence is its own class, even for 110 and 125 cubic centimetres.
• You can apply with a long-stay visa (Non-Immigrant, DTV, LTR and similar) and a proof of residence. With visa-free entry or a tourist visa, usually not.
• Two routes: have your German licence converted, or start from scratch. Whether the theory test is mandatory when converting varies.
• The official fee is small (205 or 505 baht). With a medical certificate, proof of residence and translation, it comes to 2,000 to 4,500 baht.

The euro amounts are rounded, calculated at the European Central Bank rate of 16 October 2026: 1 euro = 37.60 baht.

When you need it and when you don’t

Since 1 May 2021, the rule in Thailand is: to drive you need either the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention, which is only valid together with the German licence, or a Thai driving licence. For stays of more than three months, a Thai driving licence is generally required. The conversion of a German licence into a Thai one can be applied for in Thailand.

This three-month limit has nothing to do with a visa class. If you enter several times and stay under three months each time, you can generally keep driving with the International Driving Permit. If you live in the country permanently, you should switch. Which classes the International Driving Permit covers and why class B is not enough for a scooter is explained in the guide Riding a scooter in Thailand.

Who can get one at all

The office (Department of Land Transport, DLT for short) requires a long-stay visa and proof that you live in Thailand.

• Accepted visas include Non-Immigrant (B, O, O-A, O-X, Education), DTV, LTR, Thailand Privilege and Smart Visa. Exactly which ones depends on the office.
• With visa-free entry or a tourist visa you are not eligible to apply.
• The proof of residence is issued by Thai immigration or the district administration (Amphoe). Some offices also accept a letter from the embassy. At the German Embassy it costs 36 euros (about 1,350 baht), and it requires a Non-Immigrant visa issued in Thailand plus evidence such as a rental contract or house book. These certificates are valid for 30 days at most. So get yours shortly before your appointment.

The visa calculator shows which long-stay visa fits your plan. All visas for three to six months are listed in the guide Wintering in Thailand from 50.

Convert or start from scratch

There are two routes, and the scooter licence makes the difference.

Converting means: you have a valid German licence of the right class and have it turned into a Thai one. Until now, this applied to a licence for the same type of vehicle. For the scooter, you therefore need a motorcycle class on your German licence, for example A1, A2 or A. The practical test is waived in this case. The International Driving Permit alone will not get you far; the national licence is what counts.

Starting from scratch means: you have no motorcycle class or no licence at all. Then you take the full tests, including the practical driving test. If you already have a Thai car licence, you can add the scooter licence a little more easily, because part of the training is dropped.

What you need at the office

At the core, you need the same documents everywhere:

• Passport with a valid long-stay visa, plus copies of the photo page, the visa page and the last entry stamp.
• Proof of residence from immigration or the Amphoe, no older than 30 days.
• Medical certificate from a Thai clinic, 30 days old at most. It confirms that you are physically and mentally fit to drive. It costs 100 to 500 baht.
• Passport photos.
• When converting: your German licence in the original and the International Driving Permit, plus, depending on the office, a certified Thai translation. Some offices also want a confirmation from the German Embassy. Ask about this at your appointment, as the requirements vary from office to office.

How it works at the office

Appointments run through the online system DLT Smart Queue. Large offices, for example in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, no longer accept foreigners without an appointment. For registration you usually need a Thai mobile number, and popular slots are gone quickly.

On site there are four fitness tests: colour vision, depth perception, visual acuity and a reaction test on a device. Then comes a training video (about four hours) and the theory test with 50 questions, of which 45 must be correct. It is in English.

If you take the scooter licence from scratch, you also sit the practical test on the training ground. Sources mention a slalom, a narrow beam, a figure of eight and an emergency stop, sometimes in a different combination. This probably differs from office to office. The office usually provides a scooter.

Do I have to take the theory test when converting?

Accounts differ here. In June 2025 there was a draft from the DLT: anyone who applies for a Thai licence with a foreign licence would always have to take a theory test, even with a valid licence for the same type of vehicle. The International Driving Permit is no longer supposed to be enough as proof. The draft also provided for extending the first validity from two to five years.

The theory test when converting is now seen in many places as mandatory. A licence service provider, however, argues the opposite: the draft had not appeared in the Government Gazette by August 2026, and many offices still skip the theory test when converting, while others require it. Whether you have to take it therefore depends on the office.

My advice: expect the test and study beforehand. Then you are on the safe side either way. At your appointment, ask about your office’s current practice.

Costs and duration

The official fees are small. The temporary licence costs 205 baht plus 100 baht for the photo and plastic card. The five-year licence costs 505 baht (about 13 euros), the two-year licence about 205 baht (about 5 euros).

The extras make it more expensive: medical certificate, proof of residence (500 baht at immigration, considerably more at the embassy), translation and photos. A realistic total is 2,000 to 4,500 baht (about 55 to 120 euros). Agencies that take over the paperwork charge their own fee on top. It varies a lot. Compare several offers.

Plan at least one to two weeks of lead time for the whole thing. Collecting documents and finding an appointment take longer than the day at the office.

How long the licence is valid

If you apply for a new licence, you first get a temporary licence for two years, then one for five. When converting, you usually get five years straight away, and some offices also issue two years first here. So this too depends on the office.

And in Germany? Holders of a Thai driving licence without a permanent residence in Germany may drive vehicles there of the classes the licence was issued for. This applies to visits, not to living in Germany. If you move back, you must have the licence converted, and the deadline for that is in the notes from your German driving licence authority.

And if I only stay briefly?

Then you don’t need any of this. With the International Driving Permit under the Vienna Convention and your German licence with a motorcycle class, you are properly covered for a holiday. For tourists whose foreign licence is not valid in Thailand, there is (as of 2023) a temporary licence for 30 days. For this you need an address confirmation from the tour operator, a medical certificate and the matching licence, as well as a fitness test and a one-hour training session. This normally does not concern Germans with a valid International Driving Permit.

Frequently asked questions