Driving license in Germany

Today we will tell you how to get a driving licence in Germany. This note will be interesting even for those who already have such a document issued in another country, because it will be valid in Germany only 6 months (you can extend it, but only if you prove that you will be in Germany less than a year).

It all starts with a choice of driving schools, there are enough of them in big cities. You can find out more about the school by reading the reviews on the internet. The choice of school is also influenced by the price, the intensity of classes, the length of the course, the availability of places, etc. The prices of these schools vary between 50 – 400 Euros. If you already have a driver’s licence, you do not need to attend theoretical lessons, but they will be extremely useful as German roads have their own special features. Everybody must take the theory test. You can even take it in Russian. For those who want to try their hand, there is a website fahren-lernen.de/ with examples of theoretical tickets and useful information.

Next, let’s move on to practice. Practice, as well as taking the exam, takes place in the city. You must roll back a certain number of hours in the dark and on the motorway. If you already have a driver’s licence, you will still have to roll back at least a couple of hours of practical training. Once your instructor knows you are ready, you will be sent to take a practical exam. Lessons with an instructor are not cheap, a few lessons can cost you 70 euros. Evening classes and autobahn will cost you one and a half times as much. Each attempt to pass the practice exam will cost almost 200 euros.

In addition, you will need to take a first aid course to obtain a German driving licence. The course lasts about 6 hours and costs about 30 euros. You will be told at your driving school exactly where to do it. You will need to take a vision test (less than 10 euros). If your eyesight is not good, you will not be allowed to practice or take the test without glasses. You also need to take a photo.

All the certificates you have received must be taken to the Motor Vehicle Licensing Office. There you will need to provide an ID card (foreign passport), translate your driver’s licence and pay a fee (around EUR 45). It is most likely that the school will solve these bureaucratic issues for you.

Getting a license is not a cheap pleasure. If you already have a driver’s licence, you will have to pay 1000 euros for everything, if not, 1500 euros. But it’s worth it, especially if you’re planning to stay in Germany for a long time.

In the following we will tell you how the theory and practice exams go and what tasks you should expect.