How to get a driving licence in Germany from scratch

3 min read · 8 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

If you have never held a licence, or your foreign licence cannot simply be exchanged, you get a German licence through a driving school (Fahrschule). You cannot learn privately with a relative: lessons with a licensed instructor are compulsory. This guide covers class B, the licence for cars.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, speak to an advice centre.

Step by step

1. Choose a driving school

   Compare prices for the basic fee, the lessons and the exam presentation, as they differ a lot between schools and regions. In larger cities there are instructors who teach in English, Arabic, Turkish and other languages.

   Done

2. Take the first aid course

   A one-day first aid course (Erste-Hilfe-Kurs) is required. Aid organisations and private providers offer it, often together with the eye test and the photo.

   Done

3. Do the eye test

   An optician or eye doctor tests your eyesight and gives you a certificate. It costs about 7 euros and is sometimes free.

   Done

4. Apply for the licence

   The application goes to the driving licence office (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde or Führerscheinstelle) of your town, often through the driving school. You need your passport or ID, the certificate of registration of your address, a biometric photo, the eye test and the first aid certificate. Some offices also ask for a certificate of good conduct.

   Done

5. Attend the theory lessons

   The theory lessons are compulsory and cover traffic rules, signs, right of way and behaviour in danger. Practise with the official question catalogue in an app in your language.

   Done

6. Pass the theory test

   For class B there are 30 multiple-choice questions and you may collect at most 10 error points. The test can be taken in German or one of 12 other languages, among them English, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Polish, French and Spanish. It costs about 25 euros. If you fail, you can try again after two weeks. A pass is valid for one year.

   Done

7. Take the driving lessons

   The instructor decides how many normal lessons you need. On top come compulsory special drives on country roads, on the motorway and in the dark.

   Done

8. Pass the practical test

   An examiner sits in the back for 50 to 60 minutes while you drive in town, on faster roads and through set tasks such as parking. It costs about 120 euros plus the driving school's fee. If you fail, you can repeat it after two weeks, as often as needed.

   Done

Good to know

The whole licence costs about 2,600 to 3,500 euros, depending mostly on how many lessons you need.

New drivers are on probation for two years. Serious offences in that time extend it by two more years and mean a compulsory course. For new drivers there is a zero alcohol limit.

The minimum age for class B is 18, or 17 with accompanied driving.

If you already hold a licence from abroad, check first whether it can be exchanged without tests: how to convert a foreign driving licence in Germany. A licence from outside the EU is valid for only six months after you register your address.

Rules, amounts and deadlines change. Check the official source named at the end before you act, and ask the office in your city, because procedures differ from town to town.

In short: Driving school, first aid course, eye test, application with photo and ID, theory lessons and test (30 questions, 13 languages), driving lessons with special drives, practical test of 50 to 60 minutes.