Eye Test for Taxi Drivers and the P-Schein (Passenger Transport Licence)

Eye test for taxi drivers and the P-Schein: if you want to drive a taxi, a hire car, or a minibus for paying passengers, you need a special licence on top of your car licence, and that licence is called the P-Schein, or the passenger transport licence, in German, the Personenbeförderungsschein. To get it, you need more than the simple eye test that you took for your car licence. You need a professional eye test, a medical examination, and a clean record, because you are carrying people for money, and the rules are stricter. This guide explains the eye test for taxi drivers and the P-Schein, what it involves, what it costs, and how to get your passenger transport licence.

The P-Schein is not the same as a lorry or bus licence, but it is closer to a professional licence than to a car licence, and the eye test requirements are the professional ones, not the car ones. That means that you need a visual acuity of at least 0.8 in your better eye, and at least 0.5 in your weaker eye, with your glasses or contact lenses if you use them, as well as a full visual field and good colour vision. You also need a medical examination, which covers your general health, your blood pressure, your hearing, and your fitness to drive for long hours with passengers. Those are the same requirements that lorry and bus drivers have to meet, and they are the same because the risk is the same: you are responsible for the safety of people who are paying you to drive them.

Many people are surprised by how much is involved in getting a P-Schein, because they think of driving a taxi as a simple job, and they assume that the car licence is enough. It is not, and that is a good thing, for passengers as well as for drivers. A taxi driver spends every working day on the road, in traffic, in all weathers, and often at night, and their vision needs to be good enough to do that safely, with a car full of passengers who trust them. This article explains the rules, the tests, the costs, and the procedure, so that you can decide whether the P-Schein is right for you, and so that you can get it without delays.

What the P-Schein is, and who needs one

The P-Schein, or passenger transport licence, is the licence that you need to carry passengers for payment in Germany. You need it if you want to drive a taxi, a hire car, a minibus, or another vehicle that carries passengers for money, and you need it in addition to your driving licence, because it is a separate authorisation, granted by the licensing office, that says you are fit to carry passengers. It is not a replacement for your car licence. You still need your car licence, class B, and in some cases you need a car licence that you have held for a certain period, usually two years, before you can apply for the P-Schein.

The P-Schein is not the same as the professional driving licence for lorries and buses, but it is related to it, and the medical and eye test requirements are the same. That is because the law treats all professional driving in the same way: if you are driving for money, and if you are responsible for other people, your health and your vision need to be checked more thoroughly than they are for a private driver. The P-Schein is valid for five years, like the professional lorry and bus licences, and it has to be renewed every five years, with a new eye test and a new medical examination. That is the rule, and it is worth knowing before you apply, so that you know what you are signing up for.

It is also worth knowing who does not need a P-Schein. If you are driving a car in your own family, or if you are giving a friend a lift without being paid, you do not need one. If you are a volunteer driver, or if you are driving for your employer and the passengers are your colleagues rather than paying customers, you usually do not need one either, although the rules depend on the situation, and it is worth checking with the licensing office. The P-Schein is for commercial passenger transport, and that is the line. If you are not sure whether you need one, ask the licensing office, or ask your employer, because they will know, and because it is better to ask before you start driving than to find out afterwards that you needed a licence you did not have.

The eye test for taxi drivers

The eye test for taxi drivers is the professional eye test, and it is more detailed than the car eye test. It is usually done by an ophthalmologist, the eye doctor, rather than by an optician, because it includes tests that the optician does not do, and because the results need to be certified by a doctor. The test covers your visual acuity, which must be at least 0.8 in your better eye, and at least 0.5 in your weaker eye, with your glasses or contact lenses if you use them. It covers your visual field, which must be at least 160 degrees wide in the horizontal direction, with no significant blind spots. And it covers your colour vision, which is tested with the Ishihara plates, and sometimes with a practical test using coloured lights, in the same way as it is for lorry and bus drivers.

The reason the eye test for taxi drivers is the professional one is that a taxi driver is a professional driver, and the law treats them as one. The test is the same as the test for a lorry or bus driver, and the numbers are the same, because the risk is the same, and because the licensing office needs the same assurance. If you have already taken the professional eye test for a lorry or bus licence, you may be able to use the same certificate for the P-Schein, provided that it is less than two years old, and provided that it covers the right requirements, but you should check with the licensing office before you assume that. For a full explanation of the professional test, read our guide to the eye test for professional drivers, lorry and bus.

There are a few practical points to remember about the eye test. First, it takes longer than the simple eye test, usually 30 to 60 minutes, because it is a medical examination, not just a test of whether you can read the letters. Second, it costs more, usually between 50 and 100 euros, depending on the practice, and it is often part of a larger medical examination, which can cost 100 to 200 euros in total. And third, the ophthalmologist may use drops to dilate your pupils, which will make your vision blurry for several hours, so do not drive yourself to the appointment, and do not plan to drive afterwards. Bring sunglasses, ask someone to drive you, and plan your day around the appointment.

The medical examination: what else is checked

The P-Schein is not just an eye test. It is a full medical examination, and the eye test is only one part of it. The medical covers your general health, your heart and your circulation, your blood pressure, your hearing, your reaction time, and your ability to drive for long hours, day after day, with passengers. The doctor will ask about your medical history, about any medication you take, and about any conditions that could affect your driving, such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, or a problem with your back. They will also ask about your alcohol and drug use, because a taxi driver has to be sober and alert whenever they drive, and because a history of substance abuse can be a reason to refuse the licence.

The medical examination also includes a check of your eyes, which is the professional eye test described above, and it includes a check of your hearing, which must be good enough to hear a passenger, a horn, and a siren, and which can be tested with a simple hearing test, or with a more detailed test if the doctor thinks it is needed. It also includes a check of your blood pressure, which must not be too high, and which can be controlled with medication if necessary. If your blood pressure is high, the doctor will tell you to see your family doctor, and to get it under control, before you apply, because a high blood pressure can be dangerous, and because it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke while you are driving, which would be a risk to your passengers as well as to you.

That medical examination is the same as the medical for a lorry or bus licence, and it is usually done by a doctor who is authorised to do driving licence medicals, rather than by your family doctor. The examination takes 30 to 60 minutes, and it costs between 100 and 200 euros, depending on the doctor and on how many tests are needed. That cost is on top of the eye test, but it is often charged as a single fee, for the medical and the eye test together, and it is worth asking about the price before you book, so that there are no surprises. For a full explanation of the professional medical, read our guide to the eye test for lorry and bus licences and the professional medical examination.

How to apply: step by step

The application for a P-Schein is straightforward, if you know the steps, and it is worth planning it in advance, because there are several documents to collect, and the licensing office can take several weeks to process the application. First, make sure that you have a car driving licence, class B, and that you have held it for at least two years, because that is a common requirement, although the exact period can depend on the licensing office. Second, take the eye test and the medical examination, and get the certificates, one for the eye test and one for the medical, from the doctor. Third, get a certificate of good conduct, a so-called Führungszeugnis, from the registration office, because the licensing office will check your criminal record before it grants a licence to carry passengers.

Fourth, gather the remaining documents: your identity card, your driving licence, a biometric passport photo, and the application form, which you can get from the licensing office, or from their website. Fifth, hand in the application and all the documents at the licensing office, and pay the fee, which is usually between 40 and 80 euros, depending on the office. The office will check your documents, your driving record, and your medical certificates, and if everything is in order, it will issue the P-Schein, which is a separate card, or an entry on your driving licence, depending on the office. The whole process, from the first medical appointment to the licence in your hand, usually takes four to eight weeks, so start early.

It is worth knowing that there is one more requirement, and it is the one that many applicants forget: a certificate that you have passed the test of local knowledge, or that you have a navigation system. In many cities, taxi drivers used to have to pass a test of local knowledge, the so-called Ortskundeprüfung, which tested their knowledge of the streets, the hotels, and the hospitals, and which could take months of study. In recent years, that test has been abolished in most areas, because satellite navigation has made it unnecessary, and the requirement is now that you have a working navigation system in the car, or that you know the area well enough to do the job. Check with your licensing office whether a local knowledge test is still required in your area, because the rules are changing, and because it is better to know before you apply.

Renewal: every five years

Like the professional lorry and bus licences, the P-Schein is valid for five years, and it has to be renewed every five years, with a new eye test and a new medical examination. That means that a taxi driver has a medical check every five years, throughout their working life, and that the licensing office has a regular record of their health and their vision. If your vision has got worse since the last renewal, the new eye test will show it, and the renewal may be refused, or it may be granted with a restriction, or it may be delayed while you get new glasses or treatment. That is the point of the five-year cycle: to catch a deterioration early, before it becomes a safety problem.

It is important to keep track of the renewal date, and to book your medical examination and eye test in good time, at least a few months before the licence expires. If the P-Schein expires before you have renewed it, you are not allowed to carry passengers for payment, and you may lose work, or you may be fined if you do it anyway. The licensing office will send you a reminder before the licence expires, but it is your responsibility to act on it, and to allow enough time for the medical examination, the eye test, and the processing of the application, which can take several weeks. Set a reminder on your phone for six months before the expiry date, and start the process then, so that you are not caught out. For the rules on renewals, read our article on driving licence renewal when your eye test expires.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do taxi drivers need an eye test?
Yes. Taxi drivers need a professional eye test, as part of the medical examination for the P-Schein, the passenger transport licence. The requirements are the same as for lorry and bus drivers: at least 0.8 in the better eye, and at least 0.5 in the weaker eye.

What is the P-Schein?
The P-Schein, the passenger transport licence, is the licence you need to carry passengers for payment in Germany, in a taxi, a hire car, or a minibus. It is granted by the licensing office, it is valid for five years, and it needs to be renewed every five years, with a new eye test and a new medical.

How much does the P-Schein cost?
The medical and eye test usually cost 100 to 200 euros, the fee for the application is 40 to 80 euros, and the certificate of good conduct costs about 13 euros. The total is usually between 150 and 300 euros.

How long does it take to get a P-Schein?
Usually four to eight weeks, from the first medical appointment to the licence in your hand, so it is worth starting early.

Can I use my car eye test for the P-Schein?
Usually not, because the P-Schein needs the professional eye test, which is more detailed than the car eye test, and which must be done by an ophthalmologist rather than an optician.

Conclusion

The eye test for taxi drivers and the P-Schein is the professional eye test, and it is the same as the test for lorry and bus drivers, because a taxi driver is a professional driver, and the rules are the same. You need a visual acuity of at least 0.8 in your better eye, and at least 0.5 in your weaker eye, a full visual field, and good colour vision, and you need a medical examination that covers your general health as well. The P-Schein is valid for five years, and it has to be renewed every five years, with a new eye test and a new medical, so that your health and your vision are checked regularly throughout your working life.

If you want to drive a taxi, or any vehicle that carries passengers for payment, book the medical and the eye test early, get the certificate of good conduct, gather your documents, and hand in your application in good time. It takes four to eight weeks, and the total cost is usually between 150 and 300 euros, but at the end of it you will have a licence that lets you earn a living carrying passengers, safely and legally, with a clear record that your vision and your health are up to the job.