Category: Driving licences
If you have an Albanian driving licence and live in Italy, this article is important for you. The bilateral agreement between Italy and Albania that allows the conversion of an Albanian driving licence into an Italian one without taking driving exams has a specific deadline: July 12, 2026. After that date, anyone who has not converted their licence will need to complete the entire process to obtain an Italian driving licence from scratch — theory exam, driving test and full driving school training.
Time is running out. Here is everything you need to know to act in time.
The expiring agreement: what it says
The bilateral agreement between Italy and Albania on the mutual recognition of driving licences entered into force on July 12, 2021 and has a duration of five years. The expiration date is July 12, 2026, unless a renewal is announced — which, at the moment, has not yet happened.
This means that:
- Anyone submitting the conversion request before July 12, 2026 can still benefit from the agreement
- Anyone who misses this deadline will have to obtain an Italian licence by taking the full exams
This is not a flexible deadline: it is a strict term established by an international agreement between the two countries.
Who can still convert an Albanian licence?
Even before considering the agreement deadline, not everyone is eligible. The following requirements must be met at the same time:
✅ The Albanian licence must be valid (not expired)
✅ The licence must have been obtained before becoming a resident in Italy
✅ At the time of the application, you must have lived in Italy for less than 4 years
✅ The licence must be in card format (plastic card), not paper format
✅ The licence must not have been obtained through conversion from a non-convertible licence
⚠️ Important: the 4-year rule matters. If you have been resident in Italy for more than 4 years but less than 6 years, you cannot convert the licence without an exam, but you may access a licence review exam (simpler than obtaining a new licence). If you have lived in Italy for more than 6 years, you must take the full driving licence exam.
How much time do you really have?
Less than you think. The conversion process requires:
- Collecting documentation (a few days)
- Sworn translation of the Albanian licence at an Italian court (a few days)
- Booking and completing the medical examination
- Submitting the application to the Civil Motorization Office
- Waiting for the Italian licence to be issued (several weeks)
In total, from starting the process to receiving the new licence in Turin, it can take from 4 weeks to 4 months or more.
It is now March 2026: time is running out.
Required documents
To start the conversion process, you must provide:
- Original Albanian driving licence and front/back copy
- Full sworn translation of the Albanian licence (this can be done at our office)
- Valid identity document
- Italian tax code
- Valid residence permit (or renewal receipt)
- Passport
- Historical residence certificate indicating the date of your first residence in Italy
- 2 passport photos
What if the agreement is renewed?
It is possible, but not guaranteed. The previous agreement expired in 2019 and for two years Albanian citizens could not convert their licences until the new agreement came into force in 2021. There is no certainty that a renewal will happen quickly — or that it will happen at all.
Waiting and hoping for a renewal could cost you years and force you to start the entire driving licence process from the beginning.
Don’t wait: start the process now
If you are eligible to convert your licence, this is the right moment to act. Every week that passes reduces the time available.
GR Servizi in Turin manages the entire Albanian driving licence conversion process: we collect the documentation, translate and swear the licence at court, book the medical examination, submit the application to the Civil Motorization Office and collect your new Italian licence as soon as it is issued.
Contact us now to check if you are still within the deadline and start the procedure immediately.
📞 011 4366827 / 011 4319261 / 011 0266975
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📍 Via della Consolata 17/E – 10122 Turin
🕐 Mon–Thu: 09:00–17:00 | Fri: 11:00–15:00
Sources: MIT – mit.gov.it | Direzione Generale Territoriale del Nord Ovest – dgtno.it | Circular Prot. n° 25025 of August 3, 2021.