Is driving becoming a luxury in Germany? | World News

Learning to drive in Germany these days requires more than just patience. It also takes a lot of money. According to Germany’s largest automobile club, the ADAC, obtaining a driver’s license can cost anywhere between €2,500 ($2,839) and €3,500 –– in some cases, even more. For young people, still in education, it is becoming a luxury.
Although a driver’s license obtained in one EU country is valid across the bloc, how you get there is still regulated nationally. Each country has its own driving school concept, which in turn determines the price.
In Germany, driving education is extensive and strictly regulated by law. Learners must complete a minimum of 14 theory sessions and 12 practical driving lessons. By contrast, Poland offers a more compact and less tightly regulated program, where a license can cost as little as €600.
Calls for reform are growing louder. Florian Müller, transport policy spokesperson for the center-right CDU party, is among those pushing for a “contemporary and modern driving education” that is both affordable and reflects current road realities. After all, “the car is still the number one mode of transport” in Germany and many people depend on having a license, Müller told DW.
‘Driving in Germany is a privilege’
Varsha Iyer knows this all too well. Originally from India, she moved to Germany in 2018 to study. Her journey to getting a license was emotionally exhausting and financially draining. At the same time, it was unavoidable, as it was difficult to get from her home to her place of study in the city of Düsseldorf without a car.
To pay for driving lessons, Iyer worked part-time in a bakery while studying. She passed the theory test on her first try but failed the practical exam five times.
“The main culprit was that testing conditions were quite strict,” she told DW. “I understand the need for high standards,” she said but added that they did not seem to reflect the way people drive.
In total, her license cost over €5,000 –– her entire savings.
The process is especially tough for migrants like Varsha, who face language barriers and come from very different traffic systems. “Driving in Germany is clearly still a privilege,” she said. “Very few people have unlimited resources to keep paying for retesting.”
Getting a license abroad –– not really an option either
Due to the high costs, more people in Germany are considering doing their driving test abroad, for example in neighboring countries like Poland.
But it’s not that simple, warns ADAC spokesperson Katharina Luca. “People often forget that you have to live in the country for at least 185 days to get a license there. And then there are added costs for travel and accommodation,” she told DW.
Luca believes the real solution lies in reforming the system within Germany to make driving lessons more accessible.
For Florian Müller, the training process provides a point of reference. “We’re seeing that it’s taking people significantly longer to get their license,” said the CDU spokesperson.
According to statistics from the TÜV Association, a safety standards group, nearly one in two candidates now fails the theory test –– an all-time high. The failure rate for the practical test is also rising, with over a third not passing.
Practice drives the price
Germany’s state transport ministers are now pushing to simplify the theory portion of the training. However, Kurt Bartels, chairman of the driving instructors’ association in North Rhine-Westphalia, doubts whether this will make the driving license cheaper. After all, registering for the theory test costs just €25. “What really drives up the cost is the number of driving lessons people need,” he told DW.
“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 Bartels.
The traffic situation has also become much more complex in recent years. Dealing with new road users, such as e-scooters or advanced driver assistance systems all must be taken into account in training today. That all costs money.
On top of that, driving schools are struggling with rising rents, vehicle costs, and a shortage of qualified instructors.
Are driving simulators the answer?
One proposed solution is to incorporate driving simulators into training programs. Basic techniques like gear shifting or checking blind spots could be taught virtually.
With fewer instructors available, simulators could help ease the burden, Müller believes. You can consider “what tasks only a driving instructor can do, and what parts could potentially be handled by a machine.”
In countries like France, simulators are already an established part of the driving curriculum. But in Germany, they’re still waiting for official recognition.
Bartels remains skeptical: “If you use a simulator, it still has to be supervised by an instructor,” he points out. “And no simulator can replace real-life driving –– especially when it comes to Autobahn or night driving.”
Between ambition and reality
A recent proposal by Florian Müller to make licenses more affordable was rejected in the Bundestag. Yet the pressure to act is mounting. Since 2020, the cost of driving school and exams has risen by 38%, far outpacing inflation.
“Maybe our driving education is expensive, but it’s also very thorough,” says ADAC spokesperson Luca, adding: “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 do private practice drives with a qualified adult, a system that saves money on professional lessons. In Germany, though, the driving license remains “a privilege that opens the door to other privileges,” Varsha Iyer thinks. “If you can afford it, you’re at an advantage. If not, the steering wheel remains out of reach.”