The discipline and accuracy of German drivers is based on a clear system of state control of obtaining driver’s licenses. In Germany, it is not possible to buy a license or agree on an independent theory study: driver candidates go through theory and practice at a driving school and take an exam for independent experts. The article will tell you how to get category “B” rights or exchange foreign ones for German ones.
We choose a school
In order to obtain a driver’s license, residents of Germany study in special schools. Those who live in Germany study the feedback of those who have already completed training and received their licenses: they ask colleagues, neighbors and other acquaintances. After collecting reviews, they study the schools on the Internet and go to a trial lesson – some schools invite you to a theory or practice class – Schnupperkurs.
For the urgent issuance of licenses, schools operate with an accelerated course: they pass theory and practice in a week, but work from morning to evening. In other schools, they study for several months to six months. There are no temporary guarantees – everything depends on the person.
The choice of school is influenced by the location, price and volume of classes. The cost of one hour of classes, study materials and fees is determined by the school, so the prices are different. Future drivers ask the schools for a sample contract – Au Stimmungsbildsvertrag – study carefully, ask which cars they learn and take the test on, how the lessons are conducted, what the schedule of classes is, how many streams of cadets there are. For example, if there is only one stream in the school and the student missed the theoretical class, he will have to wait several months until the next set. If the school recruits several streams at the same time in different branches, it is allowed to close the pass in another place.
We pay for education
First, students pay a basic theory fee – Grundgebühr. It costs between 50-400 € and depends on the method of education: in some schools, they simply collect tickets for taking the exam, in others, the rules and nuances are explained in detail. Study material is purchased separately: at school or independently.
In the course of passing the theory, the teacher offers to start practice – approximately 4-6 weeks after the beginning of the theory, it depends on the driver candidate. After the first driving lesson, the mandatory part is paid for 12 hours of practice, set according to the law: in parts or all at once, depending on the rules of the school. The exam is paid separately.
How much does it cost to get a license in Germany if you pass the exam the first time:
- Practical exam €116.93
- Photos €5-10
- Vision test €10
- First aid course €30-50
By law, the basic charge cannot be more expensive than 10 normal hours of driving, and an hour of driving at night and the autobahn can be more expensive than one and a half of the basic cost. The test preparation fee cannot be more expensive than 5 normal hours of driving.
For example, in a driving school, an hour of driving costs €20. Then the basic fee is no more than 200 €, autobahns and night watch – no more than 30 €. There is also a fee for preparing for the exam, if desired – no more than 100 €.
In Germany, they give a loan to obtain a license: the bank pays the bills from the driving school, and the driver pays the bank a monthly fixed fee.
The average cost of obtaining rights from scratch in Germany by federal state:
- Bavaria 1700-2200 €
- Baden-Württemberg 1900-2100 €
- Berlin 1200-1400 €
- Brandenburg €1200-1400
- Bremen 1500-1700 €
- Hamburg 1400-100 400-1600 €
- Lower Saxony 1500-1900 €
- North Rhine-Westphalia €1500-1900
- Rhineland-Palatinate 1700-2000 €
- 1500-1900 € per month
- Saxony 1300-1500 €
- Saxony-Anhalt 1200-1400 €
- Schleswig-Holstein 1700-2000 €
- Thuringia 1400-1600 €
On average, getting a driving license in Germany costs €1,500 if you pass it the first time. Future drivers pay separately for each additional attempt.
We collect documents
Driver candidates collect documents before the beginning of theoretical classes or in parallel with them – the rules are established by the driving school. The list of documents is issued at the school. You can also ask clarifying questions there.
Documents
- The vision test is performed at an optician’s shop or at an oculist’s. It costs €5-10 and takes three minutes. According to the test results, a certificate is issued, which indicates whether the future driver needs glasses or not. If glasses are required according to the certificate, you will not be allowed to practice without them, and then you can also drive only with glasses . Driving without glasses or contact lenses in the presence of a sign indicating the need for Sehehilfe is severely fined.
- Photo 3×4 cm (4 pcs.) – Made for €10 in a photo studio or €5 in a photo machine. The school doesn’t care: the main thing is to have good quality. One photo goes to the personal file at the driving school, two more for the questionnaire in local authorities, the last one remains in the file of police drivers. If it turns out that you need glasses for driving, it is better to take a photo in them right away, so that no unnecessary questions are asked if you show your driving license.
- An application for a driver’s license is submitted to the local authority. Attached to the application are two photos and a production fee of €35. The rights will be produced in a few days and will be left in the archive until the end of the studies.
- Certificate of completion of first aid courses – the driving school tells you where and how to get it. For example, a student takes a course on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The classes are exciting and uncomplicated: the trainer shows how to make bandages and artificial respiration, gives useful advice on preserving life and health.
After collecting the documents, the originals are taken to the driving school, and the copies are kept for themselves – they will be needed to open other driver categories or at work.
Let’s go through the theory
If the school allows you to pass the theory before collecting the documents, then the students start classes after signing the contract. According to the law, in order to obtain a driver’s license of category “B” – driving passenger cars with a maximum permissible total weight of 3.5 tons – a minimum of 14 hours of theory is required. Theory consists of 12 hours of basic classes – Pflichtstunden – and 2 additional hours – Zusatzstunden.
In the classes, future drivers are prepared for the theoretical exam. This happens in different ways: in some schools, teachers give lectures on traffic rules, in others, they complete training tasks with cadets.
Training tickets are ordered online. It won’t hurt to buy a simulator program to understand the basic situations on the road. The problem cards change every year, but the questions are mostly the same.
In total, the catalog contains one and a half thousand questions. The same question occurs in different variations. Sometimes tickets with pictures. Several answer options are possible and an exact match is required, otherwise an error is counted. Each question has a “cost” of 2-5 penalty points. A lot of attention is paid to safety and the priority of passing through the intersection. These questions are often “worth” 5 points. Difficulty does not always correlate with the number of points. The questions are formulated in such a way that you have to apply mathematical logic to simplify the question and understand what is actually being asked. Sometimes the obvious and correct answer is wrong! Even negations of negations and very strange turns of language are used. In general, be careful!
It is advantageous to combine different categories of drivers, because some theoretical lessons for category “B” are also credited for category “A”. If you get a separate category later, you will have to take the mandatory theory hours again and pay for them.
We practice
After completing half of the theoretical courses, the student begins practice. The listener decides for himself: to go through theory and practice at the same time or alternately.
If a person gets his license for the first time, then by law he must drive at least 12 academic hours: 3 hours at night, 4 hours on autobahns, the remaining 5 – as you like. But on average, Germans take 24 hours of driving before the first attempt to pass the test.
The student himself agrees with the teacher on the schedule of classes. The maximum duration of one lesson is 2 hours. The teacher “leads” the student along the routes on which he will take the exam and works out the main elements of the movement with multiple repetitions. For example, in Germany, they are severely punished for not allowing pedestrians to pass at a crosswalk. If a cadet makes such a mistake on the exam, it is a failure. The same punishment follows for driving through a red traffic light, not stopping completely at a “Stop” sign or “stop line”, for creating any danger for road users or for not responding in time to a danger.
Tips for practical classes:
- When you get into the car, you need to adjust the position of the seat and mirrors to suit yourself. Not just to check what fits, but to adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors.
- You don’t even need to remind about the seat belt, do you?
- Be sure to turn left when touching, even if you are driving straight.
- During maneuvers, be sure to turn your head when you look in the mirror. But this is not enough. Look over your left shoulder, make sure you don’t disturb anyone. If you do not do this several times during the exam, the examiner will consider the student inattentive and state a failure.
- Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, except when shifting gears.
- Do not drive faster than 140 km/h on the autobahn, even if there are no restrictions.
- If the instructor is silent and makes comments, everything is fine. We just go straight without asking.
- It is not possible to exceed the speed, but it is forgiven, for example, 52 for the permitted 50. The main thing is to immediately reset the speed to the permitted.
- You can’t drive unreasonably slowly either. Minus 5 from the permitted speed is permissible.
- Pay special attention to circular motion.
- In “Zone 30”, where there are many opaque equal intersections, you need to stop on every street and check that there are no obstacles on the right.
- Narrow streets with parked cars should be driven carefully and slowly, paying special attention to pedestrians and cyclists.
- On a one-way street, drive in the center of the road. Before your left turn, keep to the left, right to the right.
- Be careful, assigning and prohibiting signs are sometimes hidden by houses or trees.
- In residential areas, the maximum speed is 7 km/h. It is necessary to drive in first gear at minimum revolutions, keeping your foot on the brake. It is necessary to clearly show that you put your foot on the brake pedal.
The manner of driving in German cities is significantly different from that adopted in the post-Soviet space. Drivers around are very polite and patient, help each other to move in the flow, follow the rules and take care of safety.
We take exams
After 14 hours of theory, the trainee passes the theory exam , even if he continues to undergo practice. The exam is taken on tablets, in any language – the driving school warns about this when signing the contract. But it is better to call or write to the company organizing the test (usually TÜV or DEKRA) before taking the exam and confirm the choice of language. If the student launched the application, and it turned out that the language was not the one that was requested, it is too late to change the language and it is considered a paid attempt.
At the exam, candidates solve a multiple-choice test: students are tested on their knowledge of traffic rules and adequate reactions on the road. The cost of taking the exam is €90. If he does not pass the first time, the student attends two more classes at the driving school and takes the test again after 2 weeks. It is allowed to pass the theory three times. If it doesn’t work out, you will have to wait three months. If after the break it was not possible to pass again three times – you will have to undergo a medical and psychological examination – MPU. If the result is positive, two more attempts are given to pass the theory. If not, you can forget about rights. Important: if a year has passed since the first theoretical class, and the exam has not been passed, the training is started all over again.
The practical exam is taken by special independent examiners: they cannot be bribed or bribed. The exam is held in German. Out of loyalty, the examiner may switch to English, but is not obliged to do so.
A necessary condition for admission is the successful passing of theory.
Much depends on luck. Learn from the instructor important words and phrases that will be used in the exam. It is allowed to order a certified translator who gets into the car and translates in synchronous mode. But this option is very expensive. It is usually enough to learn a few dozen words: left, right, straight, turn, park and other commands.
The examiner sits in the back seat of the car and monitors the actions of the person being examined. If the exam is not passed, the student immediately leaves the driver’s seat and hands over control to the teacher. To be admitted to the second attempt, the cadet must complete another 10 hours of practical classes. A retry is possible no earlier than 2 weeks. There is no limit on the number of failed driving tests.
The inspection lasts a maximum of 45 minutes and costs 150-250 euros. At the end of the exam, one theoretical question is asked to understand the car control device. For example, how to turn on the main beam or how to check if the parking brake is working. But if the German student is not good enough to understand the questions, the examiner has the right to skip this stage. This is not an obstacle for crediting.
When the test is passed, the examiner immediately issues a driver’s license, if it is already ready. Otherwise, a permit certificate is issued, with which you must go to the Führerscheinstelle.
We drive with German licenses
A driver’s license is issued in the form of a plastic card with a photo and driver’s data.
Personal data, validity period, place of issue, individual number in the database and assigned categories on the reverse side are indicated on the rights
Since 2013, German licenses have been issued for 15 years and then automatically renewed. If the driver intends to use the rights in another country, he issues an international driver’s license at the local town hall. This is a paper appendix to the rights with translation in different languages of the world. The price is €16.
To get a license in Germany
- Choose a driving school by location, price, reviews, and learning method.
- Collect the documents from the list.
- Go through theory and practice.
- Take the exam.
- Prepare at least €1,500.
Driving licenses in Germany are obtained from the age of 18. Locals are trying to get a certificate for the year of adulthood.
Exchange of foreign rights in Germany
If a resident of Germany has valid rights of another country obtained before moving , it can be changed to a similar German category for A or B. In the first six months of registration at the place of residence in Germany, it is allowed to travel with foreign documents.
A foreigner who has a permit to stay in the country for less than a year and then intends to leave the country, for example, a student, has the right to ask the Führerscheinstelle once to extend the period of use of foreign rights to one year. Outside the permitted period, driving with foreign documents is equivalent to driving without a license and is punishable by a fine of up to €5,000, and even further cars to imprisonment if aggravating circumstances are found.
A certificate obtained in an EU country or in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway is not allowed to be changed, provided that it was issued before immigration to Germany and not in exchange for a foreign one, but from scratch.
The rights of a number of countries, for example, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, Serbia, Ukraine, most US states, are exchanged without checks simply by applying to the Führerscheinstelle. The complete list is determined by Appendix 11 to the FeV law. In other cases, it is necessary to pass a theoretical and practical exam for exchange. The process is the same as in the case of training, but without attending theoretical classes. The law does not oblige you to take driving lessons, but it is recommended to take a few hours so as not to fail the test.