Documents You Need for Your Driving Licence Application
Documents you need for your driving licence application: a complete checklist is the kind of thing everyone wishes they had before their first visit to the driving licence authority, and almost nobody has. The application is not difficult, but it has more parts than most people expect, and a missing paper is the most common reason for a wasted journey. This guide gives you the full list, explains what each document is for and what can go wrong with it, and covers the special cases, for minors, for professional licences, for foreign licences, and for people whose name has changed, so that you can arrive at the office with everything in one folder.
Use it as a checklist. Tick each item off as you put it in the folder, and check the notes for the items that cause trouble, especially the photograph, the first aid certificate and the eye test certificate. The requirements are the same across Germany, with only small local differences in how the authority works, and the fee is similar everywhere. Once the file is complete, the application takes minutes to hand in, and the waiting time is measured in weeks, not months.
The full checklist at a glance
For a first driving licence in Germany, the standard set of documents is: a valid identity document, your passport or identity card; one recent biometric passport photo; the certificate from the first aid course; the eye test certificate; the completed application form; and the fee. If you already hold a licence and are adding a class, you also need your current licence, and for professional classes you need the medical certificate that belongs to the eye test. If you are under eighteen and applying for accompanied driving, BF17, you need the written consent of your parents or guardians and the details of the people who will accompany you, and both parents usually have to sign.
That is the core list, and it fits on one line, but each item has its own rules, which is where the trouble starts. The identity document must be valid on the day you apply, not expired last month. The photograph must follow the biometric rules, which are stricter than most people expect. The first aid course must be the recognised one for a driving licence, not just any first aid course, and the eye test certificate must be in date. The application form must be complete and signed, and the fee must be payable in a way the office accepts. The rest of this guide goes through each item in turn, so you can check your own papers against the requirements.
Identity documents and photographs
The identity document is the easiest item to check and the most commonly forgotten. The authority needs to confirm who you are and where you are registered as living, and it does that from your passport or your German identity card, together with the registration of your address. The document must be valid, and the name on it must match the name on every other document in the application. If you have recently married or changed your name, make sure the identity document is already in the new name, because a mismatch between the identity card and the eye test certificate is one of the most frequent causes of delay. If you are not a German citizen, bring your passport and your residence permit, and be prepared for the authority to check the permit’s expiry date.
The photograph is a separate problem. The biometric photo must be recent, taken within the last few months, and it must follow the rules: a plain, light background, your face looking directly at the camera, no head covering unless it is worn for religious reasons, and no shadows on the face. The simplest way to get it right is to go to a photo booth or a photographer that takes biometric photos for official documents, because they know the rules and their machines check the size. A photo that is too old, too dark, or badly cropped will be rejected, and many authorities have a photo booth near the entrance so you can take a new one on the spot, but that costs time and money that a correct photo from the start saves. Keep a spare photo in the folder.
The eye test certificate and the first aid certificate
The eye test certificate is the document this site is about, and it is also one of the most important in the application. It must be issued by an authorised person, an optician or a doctor, it must show the result of the eye test, and it must be in date: the normal eye test certificate is valid for two years. For professional classes, the medical certificate that includes the eye test follows its own rules, and it is the medical certificate that the authority wants, not the simple optician’s test. The certificate must also be legible, with your name spelled the same way as on your identity document, and with the optician’s stamp and signature. A certificate that is torn, faded or hard to read will be sent back. If you are not sure about yours, our guide to how long the eye test certificate stays valid explains the rules.
The first aid course is the item that people most often get wrong. It must be the recognised first aid course for a driving licence, which in Germany is a nine-hour course, in one day, run by an approved provider such as the Red Cross or the Johanniter. The certificate from that course is called a Nachweis ueber die Teilnahme an einem Kurs in Erster Hilfe, and the certificate from a shorter course, from your employer, or from a sports club is not the same thing and will usually not be accepted. The first aid certificate does not expire as quickly as the eye test: it remains valid for a long time, and in practice it is accepted for many years, but if yours is very old, bring the original and ask if it is still accepted, rather than assuming. Studying the whole procedure, from the eye test to the licence, is easier with our guide to the driving licence eye test procedure.
Extra documents for special cases
Some situations need extra papers. If you are under eighteen and applying for accompanied driving, the authority needs the written consent of your parents or legal guardians, with the names of the accompanying drivers, and both parents usually have to sign on the form. The accompanying drivers also have to meet conditions, a minimum age of thirty, a licence held for at least five years, and no more than one penalty point, and their details are recorded on the application. If you are not yet eighteen, do not expect to sign the form alone: the authority will ask for the parents, and they will need their identity documents with them.
Other extra documents appear when your situation is less standard. If you are applying for a professional class, bring the medical certificate and, for the bus licence, the extract from the criminal record, which you can request from the registration office. If you are exchanging a foreign licence, bring the licence itself, an official translation if it is not in English or German, and proof that you have lived in Germany for at least 185 days. If your name has changed, for example by marriage, bring the marriage certificate or the official name change document, so the authority can connect the old name on your papers with the new one on your identity card. For each of these cases, the general rule is the same: the more complete the file, the faster the decision.
Fees and payment
The fee for a first driving licence application at the authority is usually between 40 and 60 euros, and for an extension to another class it is a little less. The exact amount is set by the cost regulations and varies slightly from state to state, so check your own authority’s website or the fee list at the office, and do not rely on a figure from a friend in another city. The fee is separate from the costs of the driving school, the eye test, the first aid course and the theory and practical tests, and it is normally paid when you hand in the application. Most offices accept card payments and some still expect cash, so bring both. If the application has to be resubmitted because a document was wrong, the fee may have to be paid again, which is another good reason to check the file before you go.
A useful habit is to keep every receipt, both the official ones, with the authority’s stamp and your reference number, and your own copies of everything you submitted. The reference number is what you need if you have to call and ask about the application, and the receipts are what you need if there is ever a question about what was submitted and when. If you are applying as part of a larger plan, for example a professional licence for a new job, keep the receipts with your job documents, because some employers reimburse the application fee, and they will ask for the receipt.
What to do if a document is missing
Do not cancel the appointment if one document is missing, but do not arrive empty-handed either. First, work out whether the missing document can be replaced quickly: a new photograph can be taken in a booth, a first aid certificate can be requested as a duplicate from the course provider, and an eye test can be repeated in an hour. If the missing item is an identity document that has expired, renew it first, because the authority cannot process an application without valid identification. If you cannot get the document before the appointment, phone the office and ask whether the rest of the application can be handed in and the missing paper posted afterwards, which some offices allow, or whether it is better to rebook.
If the authority tells you that a document is missing or wrong after you have applied, respond quickly and in writing. The letter will say what is missing and by when it is needed, and the deadline is usually a few weeks. If you cannot meet the deadline, call the office and say so, because the staff can often extend it, whereas a file that simply goes quiet is closed and the fee is lost. Keep a copy of anything you send afterwards, and note the reference number on the envelope. A missing document is not a refusal, it is a request for the paper that completes the file, and a prompt answer is usually all that is needed.
Your driving licence application: the order to do things in
The order in which you do things matters more than people think, because some documents depend on others. Start with the eye test certificate, because it is valid for two years and everything else can be arranged around it, and because a failed eye test changes the whole timetable. Then take the first aid course, because its certificate is needed for the application and it takes a day to complete, and book it early, because popular courses fill up. Then have the biometric photo taken, because the photo must be recent and in the right format, and a photo booth in a shopping centre is usually quicker than a photographer. Only when those three are in hand should you make the appointment at the driving licence authority, because the authority will ask for them all, and a missing document means a second visit.
It is also worth keeping a list of what has been submitted and what is still missing, because applications have a habit of stalling on a single forgotten document. Many people keep a folder, physical or digital, with the eye test certificate, the first aid certificate, the photo, the identity document and the application form, and they take it to every appointment. If the authority asks for something extra, such as proof of residence, you will know exactly where to find it, and the application will not be delayed by a search through drawers. A little organisation at the start saves a lot of time later, and it is the simplest part of the whole process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need for a first driving licence? A valid identity document, a biometric passport photo, the first aid course certificate, the eye test certificate, the completed and signed application form, and the fee. For extensions you also need your current licence, and minors need parental consent.
Does the first aid certificate expire? The recognised nine-hour first aid course certificate remains valid for a long time and is accepted for many years, but bring the original and ask if it is very old. A short workplace first aid course is not the same and will not be accepted.
What if my name has changed? Make sure your identity document is in the new name, and bring the marriage certificate or name change document so the authority can connect the old and new names on your papers.
Can my driving school submit the documents for me? Many driving schools submit the application for their pupils and know the office’s requirements. Ask your school whether the service is included, and still check your own documents before you hand them over.
Can I submit the application online? In many regions you can start the application online, but you will usually still need to visit the authority in person to show the original documents and to have your identity checked. Check the website of your local authority before you go, because the procedure varies from place to place.
Conclusion
Documents you need for your driving licence application are a short list with a few traps, and this guide is the checklist that avoids them. Identity document, biometric photo, first aid certificate, eye test certificate, application form and fee: six items, plus the extras for special cases, are the whole file. Check each one against the rules before you go, keep the papers in a folder with a copy of everything, and note the reference number when you hand the file in.
Once the file is complete, the application moves forward without you. If a letter arrives, answer it quickly and in writing, and if a paper is missing, ask what is accepted instead. A complete file is a fast file, and a fast file is the quickest route from the eye test to the licence in your hand.