Driving in Germany: A necessity turning into a privilege
Getting a
driving license
in
Germany
now requires not only time and commitment but also a significant amount of money. According to Germany's leading automobile club ADAC, the cost of a driving license ranges from €2,500 to €3,500, and in some cases, even more. For students and young adults, it is fast becoming a luxury, as per a report by TOI.
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Germany's driving education system is strictly regulated. Learners must complete 14 mandatory theory classes and 12 practical driving lessons. In contrast, countries like Poland offer less regulated and more affordable programs, where a license may cost as little as €600.
According to the TOI report, Florian Müller, transport policy spokesperson from the CDU party, said driving education in Germany needs reform. 'We need a contemporary and modern driving education that is affordable and reflects current road realities,' he said. For students like Varsha Iyer, who moved from India to study in Düsseldorf in 2018, the process was financially exhausting. She worked part-time at a bakery to pay for her lessons. While she cleared the theory test in one attempt, she failed the practical exam five times.
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'The main culprit was that testing conditions were quite strict,' she said. 'I understand the need for high standards,' she added, but noted that the tests did not reflect real-life driving. Her total cost exceeded €5,000.
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Migrants
often face added challenges such as language barriers and unfamiliar traffic systems. 'Driving in Germany is clearly still a privilege,' Iyer said. 'Very few people have unlimited resources to keep paying for retesting.'
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Some residents are considering getting a license abroad. But according to ADAC spokesperson Katharina Luca, this is not a simple solution. 'People often forget that you have to live in the country for at least 185 days to get a license there,' she said. Additional travel and stay expenses also apply. Luca said reforming Germany's own system would be more effective. The CDU's Müller agreed, noting that delays in getting a license are becoming common.
According to TÜV Association data, failure rates are rising. Nearly half of theory test-takers now fail, and one-third fail the practical exam. Experts say the major cost driver is the number of lessons needed.
'Our clientele has changed. Young people don't look at the road anymore, but at their smartphones. They come to us and no longer have any traffic awareness,' said Kurt Bartels, head of the driving instructors' association in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The complexity of German traffic has increased with new road users like e-scooters and advanced car systems. Driving schools also face rising costs due to rent, vehicles, and instructor shortages. One idea gaining attention is the use of simulators. These could teach basic skills like gear shifting and blind spot checks, potentially easing instructor workloads. 'You can consider what tasks only a driving instructor can do, and what parts could potentially be handled by a machine,' said Müller.
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However, simulators still lack official recognition in Germany. Bartels remains cautious. 'If you use a simulator, it still has to be supervised by an instructor,' he said. 'And no simulator can replace real-life driving – especially on the Autobahn or at night.'
Despite growing pressure, Müller's proposal to reduce licensing costs was rejected by the Bundestag. Since 2020, driving school costs have increased by 38%, outpacing inflation.
'Maybe our driving education is expensive, but it's also very thorough,' said ADAC's Luca. 'At the same time, we also see that other countries with cheaper training programs don't necessarily have higher accident rates.'
Austria, for example, allows learners to practice privately with a qualified adult, reducing the need for professional lessons. In Germany, the license remains 'a privilege that opens the door to other privileges,' said Iyer. 'If you can afford it, you're at an advantage. If not, the steering wheel remains out of reach.'
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