Good news for Israelis visiting and working in Italy: Israelis visiting or living in Italy will soon be able to drive with an Israeli driver’s license, Transport Minister Miri Regev announced today.
According to the new agreement, holders of an Israeli driver’s license who have established residency in Italy for the needs of studies, work and any other reason, will be able to convert their license to an equivalent Italian driver’s license, without the need to pass theoretical and practical driving tests.
As part of the agreement, holders of an Italian driver’s license who visit or stay in Israel legally, will be able to drive with their license and convert it to an Israeli license without the need for any exams.
Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Miri Regev: “Mutual recognition agreements for driver’s licenses allow Israelis who leave the country for extended periods to drive with the Israeli license abroad without the need for an expensive, complicated and complex bureaucratic procedure, which includes taking theoretical driving tests and practical tests in a foreign country.”
“Transportation connects peoples and countries, and every step that facilitates movement between and within countries brings us closer to a future era of open borders and regional peace. The agreement with Italy joins the agreement we recently signed with the United Arab Emirates, and we are promoting similar agreements with other countries in the world, including Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Ukraine and Cyprus,” said Minister Regev.
It should be noted that Italy is a desired destination for many Israelis, among them students, businessmen and professionals in the fields of design and others. Following the signing of the agreement, Israelis will be able to purchase vehicles in their name and get around using their own vehicle instead of a rented vehicle or taxi, thus saving costs.
The driver’s license exchange agreement was signed between the State of Israel and the Italian Republic, and it will replace the agreement that existed in the past and has not been renewed since 2017.