Germany’s parliament has approved a reform aimed at making it easier and less expensive to obtain a driving licence. Most of the changes are scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2027. Before the reform can be implemented, however, it must also receive approval from the Federal Council, or Bundesrat, a step expected to be completed soon.
The government led by Friedrich Merz argues that the new rules will reduce the cost of obtaining a licence by about €1,000. The current average cost in Germany is €3,400, while it exceeds €4,500 in some regions. By comparison, the average cost is €1,500 in Luxembourg and about €2,000 in Belgium.
Under the new framework, applicants will be able to prepare for the theory test through an app or training platform to be introduced online. The requirement to attend in-person classes at a driving school before the test will be removed. The question bank for the theory test is also set to be reduced by 30 percent, from the current 1,169 questions to 840.
The reform also changes practical driving preparation. Applicants who have passed the theory test and completed at least six driving lessons will, under certain conditions, be allowed to practise with family members without a driving-school instructor in the vehicle. The driving test will be cut from 55 minutes to 40 minutes, with the aim of allowing more tests to be conducted each day.
Driving schools will be required to submit their prices to a central database. Comparison websites will be able to process the data so that applicants can compare course fees, and a similar system is planned for schools’ pass rates. Transport Minister Steffen Bilger told Welt last month that the reform would enable applicants to save about €1,000.
The proposal has drawn mixed responses. SPD lawmaker Truels Reichardt said a driving licence represents “very great freedom”, particularly in rural areas, but that costs are a problem for many young people. Green lawmaker Swantje Henrike Michaelsen and Left Party lawmaker Jorrit Bosch argued that family-supervised practice would benefit more privileged families and that the projected savings were unrealistic. Driving schools submitted more than 40,000 signatures calling for the reform to be stopped, while ADAC backed the prospect of more supervised driving experience, saying: “It has been proven that more driving experience reduces the risk of accidents.”
