Passing driving test in other European countries

esperanza

I am currently doing research on passing driving tests in different European countries. Has anyone here passed their driving tests in England, France or Germany, and if so what is the quickest time period in which one can pass and how much does it cost in total? Is it possible to do the test with an automatic ?

Thanks in advance.

John R

AFAIK Ireland is the only place where there is a significant wait for driving tests.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/PracticalTest/PracticalTestArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4022540&chk=%2B5K2sU

Tests can be done with automatics but the licence awarded will only be valid for automatic cars.

Our man in Havana

The north would probably be your best bet.

Mucco

Did mine in the UK.
Phoned for a booking on a Thursday, had test the following Wednesday.

M

Litcagral

esperanza wrote:

Is it possible to do the test with an automatic ?QUOTE]




If you pass the test in an automatic you will have a restricted licence in that category and will not be permitted to drive any manual cars. You should do it in a manual if possible and then you will be licenced to drive either types.

esperanza

Mucco wrote:

Did mine in the UK.
Phoned for a booking on a Thursday, had test the following Wednesday.

M

I presume that was the practical test. Did you have to pass a theory test? Did you have to take a minimum of lessons before being allowed go for the test?

Our man in Havana

There is no min number of lessons needed. You need to pass a theory test before doing the actual driving test.

Mucco

esperanza wrote:

I presume that was the practical test. Did you have to pass a theory test? Did you have to take a minimum of lessons before being allowed go for the test?

Yeah, I had to do a theory test, but there was no waiting list for that either. I was living in Manchester at the time, so no big deal. This was c. 8 years ago now, so things might have changed. I think you'll probably need a UK provisional, though I could be wrong.

Our man in Havana

Yep a current UK provisional will be needed.

Victor

I imagine you need to be resident in the country where you are applying for hte test.

Our man in Havana

That can be faked. lol

esperanza

Victor wrote:

IO imagine you need to be resident in the country where you are applying for hte test.

No, not necessarily. In France for example, the carte de séjour nno longer exits so there is no residency permit anymore. Other countries, for example, Germany, require you to register with the town hall.

My guess is that in the UK, you can get away with murder!

Victor

esperanza wrote:

My guess is that in the UK, you can get away with murder!

But only if you have a postmarked envelope as evidence of identity.

Lennoxschips

i think ireland is possibly the easiest country in western europe to get your licence in, why you would want to do it anywhere else is beyond me. i have a dutch licence which ended up costing 1500 euro when you factor in lessons and everything. and they have no provisional licence here. yeah, in ireland you have a waiting list, but it's so much cheaper to get your licence it makes it more than worth it. plus, there are no cycle lanes, trams (well, hardly any) and the ridiculous traffic-from-the-right-has-right-of-way rule.

No, not necessarily. In France for example, the carte de séjour nno longer exits so there is no residency permit anymore. Other countries, for example, Germany, require you to register with the town hall.

indeed, my dutch residence permit ran out five months ago, but i refuse to renew it as an EU citizen. they've sent me a voting card for the council elections, so they don't seem to men. but if you want to get a licence you do indeed have to be registered at the town hall where you live (no matter if you are dutch or foreign)

Andrew Duffy

the ridiculous traffic-from-the-right-has-right-of-way rule

Huh? Would translate as traffic-from-the-left-has-right-of-way here, and if so, what does it mean? If not, we do have the same rule - at a junction with unclear priority you give way to your right.

Nevyn

Lennoxschips wrote:

I think ireland is possibly the easiest country in western europe to get your licence in, why you would want to do it anywhere else is beyond me.

The over a year waiting lists in Dublin is quiet a put off and having to wait the same ammount of time to retake it.

seamus

Lennoxschips wrote:

and the ridiculous traffic-from-the-right-has-right-of-way rule.

What's so ridiculous about it? At a contested uncontrolled junction (i.e. both roads having equal importance), you give way to vehicles coming from the right. What else would you do? Draw straws?

Our man in Havana

seamus wrote:

What's so ridiculous about it? At a contested uncontrolled junction (i.e. both roads having equal importance), you give way to vehicles coming from the right. What else would you do? Draw straws?

surely the otherway round, driving on the right?

seamus

Bond-007 wrote:

surely the otherway round, driving on the right?

I think his point was that the "give-way-from-x-direction" rule doesn't exist in Denmark.

Zaph0d

One trick I have seen is to exchange a licence from a country whose testing procedures are not accepted in Ireland for a licence in a country where the testing procedures are accepted by Ireland then exchange a second time for an Irish licence.

eg
Swap your US licence for a Swiss licence.
Swap your Swiss licence for an Irish licence.

If you are young and you have to wait a year for a test and then another year for a retake, that could cost a huge amount in extra insurance costs.


You can exchange the following countries licences for an Irish licence:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Greece
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
United Kingdom
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Australia
Gibraltar
Isle of Man
Japan
Jersey
South Africa
South Korea
Switzerland

Supercell

seamus wrote:

I think his point was that the "give-way-from-x-direction" rule doesn't exist in Denmark.

[pedantic mode]
Dutch = Netherlands/Holland

Danish = Denmark
[/pedantic mode]

I'm waiting for a company to set up business in one of our EU neighbours countries and offer Driving test holidays!!
I'd certainly pay for it, 4 months waiting and according to drivingtest.ie ..about another 9 to go

Lennoxschips

yeah, traffic from the right having right of way at an equal junction is normal. i should have been more clear, it's that sometimes the dutch have small roads leading on to main roads, but the traffic on the small roads have right of way. so legally they can bomb it out onto the main road without having as much as a look. during the last few years thought they've been putting up yield signs an putting an end to this madness

the waiting lists in dublin are a year? in other parts of the country it's a couple of months? if you're willing to go to europe to get your licence then surely you'd be willing to go to, say, athlone? or are you planning on fitting a weekend away into the bargain?

the driver theory test in ireland is a piece of piss too, or so i've heard...

seamus

Longfield wrote:

[pedantic mode]
Dutch = Netherlands/Holland

Danish = Denmark
[/pedantic mode]

(!) Must..turn..brain..on..before...posting

esperanza

Longfield wrote:

[pedantic mode]
Dutch = Netherlands/Holland

Danish = Denmark
[/pedantic mode]

I'm waiting for a company to set up business in one of our EU neighbours countries and offer Driving test holidays!!
I'd certainly pay for it, 4 months waiting and according to drivingtest.ie ..about another 9 to go

Great idea! Someone out there will do it ... eventually!

Lennoxschips

there was a company here in holland that did driving test holidays to dutch carribean islands, but unfortunately that loophole has been closed

four months is roughly the time it will take you to learn to drive properly, so i don't see the problem with waiting that long for the first test. but they really should fast track people who have failed and want to take a retest to within a month. i guess this is a consequence of driving tests in ireland being cheap; nobody wants to be an examiner, it obviously doesn't pay well enough.

dingding

Victor wrote:

But only if you have a postmarked envelope as evidence of identity.

A WIndow Envelope LOL

Supercell

Lennoxschips wrote:

there was a company here in holland that did driving test holidays to dutch carribean islands, but unfortunately that loophole has been closed

four months is roughly the time it will take you to learn to drive properly, so i don't see the problem with waiting that long for the first test. but they really should fast track people who have failed and want to take a retest to within a month. i guess this is a consequence of driving tests in ireland being cheap; nobody wants to be an examiner, it obviously doesn't pay well enough.

Four months, while still a rediculious lenth of time to wait by international standards, would be acceptable..however take a look at the waiting times http://www.drivingtest.ie/drivingtest/HTMLContent/passrates.html , apart from a few places many are a year or more!

Capt'n Midnight

Longfield wrote:

Four months, while still a rediculious lenth of time to wait by international standards, would be acceptable..however take a look at the waiting times http://www.drivingtest.ie/drivingtest/HTMLContent/passrates.html , apart from a few places many are a year or more!

Bearing in mind the pass rate is about 50% on average a person who bothers to attempt the test will spend twice this time waiting, if they reapply immediately.

Just a postmarked envelope - no bills or nutin ?

Victor

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

Just a postmarked envelope - no bills or nutin ?

It is evidence, not proof beyond reasonable doubt.

Pass rate and length of wait seem to have a definite pattern. The cause of this relationship may of course be speculated on.

esperanza

Longfield wrote:

Four months, while still a rediculious lenth of time to wait by international standards, would be acceptable..however take a look at the waiting times http://www.drivingtest.ie/drivingtest/HTMLContent/passrates.html , apart from a few places many are a year or more!

There are ways to avoid these waiting times. One of these is to say simply you need your driving licence for your job which starts asap, and they get their asses moving quick enough. Have a few friends for whom this has worked!

Supercell

esperanza wrote:

There are ways to avoid these waiting times. One of these is to say simply you need your driving licence for your job which starts asap, and they get their asses moving quick enough. Have a few friends for whom this has worked!

Who to say this too?, is there a number i can ring and request a cancellation test ?

Capt'n Midnight

Victor wrote:

Pass rate and length of wait seem to have a definite pattern. The cause of this relationship may of course be speculated on.

Where did you get the stats ?

You could always plot the fail rate vs. time to get a feel for what might happen if waiting time was shorter - this is from www.drivingtest.ie

Supercell

That does show a wait versus pass rate correlation to my eye easily in the 5% range.

Longer wait = lower pass rate = piss poor standardised testing.