How does this compare to the requirements where you live? #dwberlinfresh #driverslicense #driving #livingabroad #shorts
DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.
Do you get your driving license in Germany? Germany is one of the hardest countries in the world to get your license. And as someone currently doing it, let me tell you what you have to do. It’s a lot. Firstly, you register as a learner with the authorities and join a driving school. Next come the 21 hours of mandatory theory lessons that you have to do in person. Then the theory exam, which I did a solid 2 weeks of revision for. And with questions about the car technology and the maximum weight for trailers, it is definitely not a test you can guess at. I had to complete mandatory driving hours on country roads, the autoban, and driving at night, plus the actual learning to drive part. It’s also mandatory to do a 1-day first aid course, and a vision test. And it’s expensive. A driving license costs between 2.5 and 4.5,000. And living in Berlin, I’ll probably pay around 4,000 for mine. So, what do you think? Could you pass your driving test in Germany?
50 Comments
I'm British and I have to be honest, the German seems far harder.
In the UK, you have to do a theory test consisting of 50 multiple choice questions and 14 hazard perception clips where you click once you see a hazard develop.
One clip has two hazards and you can score up to five points per clip, making the highest score 75. To pass, you must get at least 43/50 on the multiple choice and 44/75 on the hazard perception and once you pass that, you need to take the practical within two years.
The practical test lasts between 30-45 minutes and you will do one of four reversing manoeuvres: parallel park, reverse bay park, reverse out of a bay or park on the right and reverse. There is also a period of independent driving where you follow a satnav or traffic signs and you might be asked to do an emergency stop. You also have one show me question and one tell me question. A show me question is where you have to show the examiner how to use one of the cars controls (i.e, rear demister, clear front windscreen, etc) and a tell me question is where you tell the examiner how to make certain checks (i.e, tyres, coolant level, etc).
There are three kinds of faults: driving, serious and dangerous. A driving fault (also referred to as a minor) is one that is not dangerous on its own, but could be if you keep making it. You can make up to fifteen (not fourteen, as many people commonly believe) and still passz but sixteen or more and you automatically fail. You may also get a serious for making multiple of the same, but there isn't a hard an fast rule for converting serious faults into dangerous ones. A serious fault is one with great potential to cause danger and a dangerous fault is one that actually causes danger. These are often collectively referred to as majors, as even one of these will cause you to fail.
You're also on probation for the first two years of having your license as six or more points will get your license revokes and to get it back, you need to do your theory and practical again. Once you pass again, you'll still have the points. So its still pretty hard, but not as hard as the German, or indeed many other European countries.
Meanwhile in the balkans you get your license in under 30 days and just a few hours driven
Pretty much classic european exam with doubled price
10 years ago, I paid some 1.200 EUR for my licence in Berlin.
It's not a lot It's to much
4000 dollars for your license screw that
I think the tests and everything are reasonable, but that price is absolutely prohibitive.
I think the US should implement stricter guidelines like this, but the cost would leave poor and even most middle class people in the dust.
A license shouldn't just be for the rich.
Its often the only form of ID some people have.
Honestly that price is disgusting.
wow in america we have a written test taken in person but the studying is done at home during your own time, and after you pass it you are immediately allowed to drive with a guardian above 25 with a license in the passenger seat. we have the option for driving schools but in a smallish town like mine (16k population) we don’t even have one so you rely on your parents or grandparents usually (or anyone with a license above 25). with your permit you have to complete and record 40 hours of daytime driving and 10 of nighttime driving. then its just a simple drivers test around town (at least for me in jan 2020) before you get your picture taken and your license is mailed
Yep, I am german, and passed the test a long time ago
Nein ich sehe zu schlecht sogar mit Brille…
It is not hard, it is necessary. If you want to drive and not endanger someone else, you need to know the rules!. The cost, yes, high…
I am Austrian and drive through Czechia and Germany regularily.
Germans say Czechs drive hazardous, while they do the same.
A car coming with 150km/h? Yeah, I should pull out right in front, with my car barely going 100 to overtake the truck doing 90.
As an American i think i could pass. I've always done well in school so test part wouldn't be that bad i don't think, and also I think i have good driving sense too overall.
Mhh Germany is the hardest country in world. Don't be silly. The same rules applies to all eu countries. And in Germany you can not learn to drive on the snow, or minus temperature (and it happens every year). Then why do a lot of people who live in Germany still struggle with basic rules like look at the mirror, to see if there is no cars and turn the signal seems basic but too many people do this mistake on autobahn as specially where is exits where it is the most dangerous place to do this mistake. I can count endless time where i saw those people make almost horrible accidents on the route just because they turn to the second line without signal and as specially when someone is driving on the second line on reality high speed. Honestly, people in my home country driving much better than here is Germany. So i don't think that is sooo hard to get the driver's license. You just have to have a some kind of memory and little bit of driving skills. That's it you will get drivers license
I just got my license in Germany a little while ago and it's honestly not very hard. I feel like it's more of just a longer process, which I feel just makes one more confident and a better driver. So besides the price, I think it's a good trade off
How difficult is it compared to the Danish process?
Cause it all sounds VERY similar to studying for a driver’s license here in Denmark!
So is it equally difficult or is it also more difficult than obtaining your driver’s license in Denmark?
What does the theory exam consist of? This just sounds like regular driver's ed if the theory exam isn't absurdly hard.
Traffic is one of the major accident causes. Driving a 2-3 ton mass with 50km/h through cities can be deadly if you only get distracted for few seconds or if you dont know who when how shall drive.
So yeah. Its tatally fair to be not as easy as e.g. in the US where in some states you need to probe almost nothing to get it.
In switzerland its quite similar except we can drive with someone that has the license since at least 3 years sitting in the passenger seat. I think thats great to get practive without paying too much.
21 theory lessons? back in 2012 when I was learning it was 14 😳
What about winter roads/conditions?
As a german, I think it is good, that is hard. The problem is, that it is getting more and more expensive the more you fail. I paid 2800 €, but I did everything on the first try and live in a small city where it is "cheaper". If I failed once, then I had to pay another 120€, just to do the test again. And if u fail, you have to wait 2 weeks to do it again, so you have to take more lessons to stay fit, which also cost another 55€ per 45 minutes. And again: I live where it is cheap to do the test.
The money part sucks, everything else sounds reasonable
€4,000 euros are you joking – £50 for the theory and £65 for the driving test and you’ll probably do about £300-400 in driving lessons before you could pass
The most scared I've been on a road was a taxi in San Francisco.
The second most scared was a taxi in Berlin.
Russian here. The only difference with our test and the only reason I would not pass is the cost. Otherwise, this one is not hard.
Well, I DID pass my driving test in Germany, soooo.. 😂
I'm from Poland and it's more or less the same. We do not have Autobahn and mandatory first aid (but we do learn this in regular school)
Da ist einfach Manuel Hagel
Wow, there is a written test😂. I had an oral test, and they asked me one question, and it was to identify the stop sign. After driving training, you become eligible for the main test, which is the driving with an officer who can quiz you while driving and will actively tell you wrong instructions, and you would have to correct him.
Ps I do think written tests are overkill. It's driving, not rocket science
Me who didnt revise or anything before i took my theory test in the UK
I’ll just move to the UK get a license and get one easily in Germany
you dont need to pass, some lkw driver dont even have a license and Germany does nothing but give a hit on the hands -.- there was a Person who was allready caught 3 times without license (the same person but he was not from Germany). sometimes i would like to have switzer punishments here
And sometimes you have the feeling its still to easy. Given what I experience in traffic every day.🤔
And many of them still don t know how to drive
wait… 21 hours of theory?!?!
we have 30 in poland….
I could pass if I studied but omg, I couldn't AFFORD a license!!
Is richtig, der Führerschein ist vielleicht hart aber danach ist jeder vorbereitet für die Gegebenheiten und natürlich auch die "German Autobahn". Auf ein gutes Miteinander und immer an die Rettungsgasse denken 😅🎉
I guess two times, got it 2 times XD ( bike and car)
It is the SAME in Slovenia too! I am currently going through this process. First is the doctor health check, pass it, then go to first aid course, pass it again, then I can go to the theory, pass it too, then finally I can go to the practical course with highway, normal day driving and night driving 😂
Similar to Holland
I did
I passed two years ago and somehow in some unexplainable way I only paid 2k for the license
40 years ago exactly my german drivers license bill was (converted into Euros) 800,00, already! A friend of mine made her drivers license in Colorado high-school for € 7,50 in 1987! Her brother always says, that's similar to the quality of her driving… 😉 Americans are allowed to drive, germans are educated to drive! 😉😉
Same thing in the Netherlands
I have my license and want to see what Europe is like.
Good but that's extreme
4,000€ per month?!
You're joking, right?
The price is daylight robbery. In the UK with all my driving lessons, theory test and practical test. It cost me about £250. 😂
Without German language license is possible??