How to get a driver's license in Luxembourg

Before signing up for a driving school, you should make sure that there are no obstacles to recieving a license associated with your age, lifestyle, and health conditions.

To receive a driver's license, individuals must

Check yourself

If you meet the criteria, you can become a driver after obtaining a licence through driving school.

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

Be 18 years of age or older

Or recieve a consent of the guardian, when under the age of 18 years old

Be without addictions and bad habits

The driver-to-be must not be dependent on or regularly use alcohol or psychotropic substances

Be without serious illnesses

The presence of angina and/or arrhythmia will not let you qualify for a driver's license

Check yourself

If you meet the criteria, you can become a driver after obtaining a licence through driving school.

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

In Luxembourg there are 40 officially approved driving schools. A full list is available on the website of the Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile (SNCA), the national organization that handles automobile traffic — at snca.public.lu.

If a school is not to your liking in the process, you can switch schools during the course of training, this is not prohibited. Just enroll in a new driving school with your learner's certificate.

To choose a driving school please read reviews in themed groups on social media.

I found these schools in expat community groups on Facebook, with real feedback from other people. The only problem happened to be with the lessons in English: they were only scheduled once a week. Maybe now they have more classes, because of course, if we knew more languages, the theoretical part would be faster.

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First and foremost, a candidate for a driver's license is required to undergo a medical examination. Exactly a specific health checkup for driving license is necessary. To do this, you need to get an appointment with your general practitioner and obtain a medical certificate of ability. 

Your medical examination results will be provided to you in a sealed envelope. Don't open it and bring it straight to your school: the seal verifies that the doctor's recommendations have not been changed or corrected. For example, I can only drive a car wearing glasses, as the medical commission decided.

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Upon enrolling in a driving school, the student first attends a theoretical course. This is where you learn the traffic regulations of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg — the Code de route.

How to learn the theory and prepare for the exam

Once all marks have been obtained, you can sign up for the exam at the National Society of Automobile Traffic, or SNCA. You can practice before taking the test with the exam demo on the official website. Some driving schools also have online simulators for self-testing and preparation in apps and on websites.

Regularly attend the driving school

Learn the traffic rules

Practice with online tests

At the end of the theoretical course, a final test of your knowledge of the traffic regulations is held. Only those who have attended the entire theoretical course at the driving school and received the necessary presence marks are allowed to take the test. You can complete the examination in two ways either digitally or orally.

Digital format

Oral format

Registration for the theory test

You have to inform the SNCA at least one week before the chosen date for the theoretical examination. There are three different ways to do this.

On the day of exam

Arrive about 10 minutes before the beginning of the test. This time will give the examiners time to check your documents and clarify the instructions for taking the test.

ID card or passport

That is, you must have an identification papers with you to take the exam.

Learning certificate

You must present the certificate from the driving school containing marks of attendance of all obligatory theory themes in order to get admission to the test.

Once you have successfully passed the theoretical examination, you will receive a stamp which you will take back to the school. It means that the practical training can commence.

To get a driver's license, a candidate needs to study not just theory, but also gain practical driving experience with a tutor. For example, an instructor at the driving school where the course takes place can act as such.

Upon taking the basic practical course, lasting 16 compulsory hours, the driving school once again has to register the student to take the practice exam.

The price of one hour of practical training usually depends on the driving school; on average, a lesson with an instructor in Luxembourg will cost 80-90 euros. Paying the exam fee is another 100-120 euros.

Extra driving practice

Those candidates who have reached the age of 17 and have already completed the theoretical and medical examinations may drive a passenger car when accompanied by a relative or a close friend, under certain conditions.

Accompanied driving without license

When 16 hours of expensive practicing with an instructor did not give you the confidence to pass the final driver's license examination, but you still want to drive and practice, you can ask someone close to you to be your accompanying driver.

Who can act as an accompanying driver

The accompanying driver must have a minimum of 6 years of experience from the date of obtaining a driver's license and not have any serious traffic violations or license revocations under their belt. Additionally, a criminal record, proof of insurance, and proof of identity will be required.

The tasks of the accompanying person are not limited to supervision: the accompanying persons must train their mentees, report and take full responsibility in case of incidents. The driver must attend a minimum of 2 hours of practical training by a licensed instructor and be authorized to perform these duties by the driving school itself.

Once the practical lessons are completed, the instructor or driving school will register you for your driving test.

At this stage, the candidate will also be required to submit the following documents:

Documents required

There's something missing

You will not be allowed to take the exam without a complete list of documents

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

Photo

As for documents, made in full-face, format 45x35

Medical certificate

No older than 3 months

Excise duty stamp

Evidence of payment of a fee of 30 euros. Produced by the driving school

Criminal record statement

Form No. 4 serves as proof that you are not involved in a criminal case

Identity card

You need to provide a copy of any document that is good for this purpose

There's something missing

You will not be allowed to take the exam without a complete list of documents

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

The driving competency exam is conducted at several SNCA centers around the country — in Sandweiler, in Diekirch, in Esch-sur-Alzette and in Findel. The examination is scheduled depending on available dates, usually the evaluation itself takes no longer than 30-45 minutes.

Before the exam

On exam day, come to SNCA with your instructor. Bring all the necessary documents and introduce yourself to the examiner.

Route

The test will take place on a pre-determined route. It is essential that you memorize all the necessary rules: you will encounter signs along the way that you must take into account, as well as other drivers that you must respect.

The examiner will have the opportunity to intervene and signal an error if you make one. The route is usually circular, i.e. it starts and ends at the same point.

Result evaluation

During the exam, you will receive points for correct maneuvers and lose points for mistakes. For example, if you fail to pull over at a stop sign or exceed the speed limit.

Another try

If you fail, you will be given a chance to try again. However, an extra 8 hours of practice with an instructor at the driving school will be required before you can retake the driving license practical test in Luxembourg. This applies to every failure.

By the way, during your exam, you will get points for the right moves, and lose them for mistakes. This is exactly how I failed my first driving test! After we drove the route, the inspector told me about all the errors I made: once I drove too close to the wall, another time – hit the brakes too late. All these details lowered my total score and I failed. On my second attempt to take the driving exam, I was trying to go slower, so I make no mistakes. And it was a success! Though the examiner told me there is no need to drive like a turtle: of course, it's not a crime, but it's usually rather uncomfortable for other drivers.

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The first driver's license, to be issued shortly after a driver successfully passes the final practical exam, will be time-limited. They are only valid for 2 years and are considered a training or probationary license.

Within 24 months, the freshly licensed driver will have to navigate the rules of the road as well as complete several important tasks.

Extreme driving courses

Three months after obtaining a probationary driver's license and at least six months before the training period ends, drivers must take a compulsory one-day extreme driving course. It includes both practical and theoretical elements and is taught in English, French, Luxembourgish, German and Portuguese at a special center in Colmar-Berg.

Although an application for a permanent driver's license can be submitted at any time during the training period after completing the course in Colmar Berg, a permanent license will still not be issued until one month before the expiration of the probationary license.

Driving the motorbike

While driving in Luxembourg, you can also drive light motorcycles (≤125 cm3), subject to a few conditions: first and foremost only within the territory of the country, as long as you have a category B driver's license.

Experience

at least 2 years of a driving experience and license ownership are required

Training

7 hours of motorcycle program training in an authorized driving school

Rules

the authorization is valid only in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg