Guide

Driving licence Switzerland: process, cost, age - every step

From the first-aid course to the probationary licence: every step to a Swiss driving licence, with costs, ages and deadlines. Plus the driving school comparison.

Updated: September 2026 Category B By  Lesson prices live from the town pages

In short

The most important answers in brief

You can get the category B learner’s permit from the age of 17; you may sit the theory test one month before your 17th birthday. Anyone under 20 has to complete a learning phase of at least twelve months before the practical test – so the test is possible from 18 at the earliest. More on this under Driving at 17.

Depending on the canton and the number of driving lessons, around 2’900 to 4’400 francs – that is the calculation of the TCS, as of August 2025 for 20 driving lessons in Zürich and 35 in Schwyz respectively. The driving lessons make up the largest part. What a lesson costs where you live is shown live on our town pages, taken from the driving schools’ own prices; the individual items are listed in the cost overview.

The learner’s permit is valid for 24 months and cannot be extended; you have to pass the practical test within that time. Under the age of 20 a minimum learning phase of twelve months applies; from 20 you set the pace yourself – with an intensive course a few months are possible. When you hand in your application, the first-aid certificate may be at most six years old and the eyesight test at most 24 months.

The Swiss document is officially called the Führerausweis. «Führerschein» is the German word, which most people use anyway. Both mean the same thing: the category B authorisation for cars up to 3’500 kg – all the other categories are explained in Swiss driving licence categories.

Three years. In the first year you have to attend the WAB-Kurs, or you risk a fine. Having your licence withdrawn for a medium or serious offence extends the probationary period by one year; a second withdrawal cancels the licence and you start again from the beginning (Canton of Zürich).

This is what the Swiss driving licence looks like! The most important facts about the Swiss Führerausweis are here!

There is a lot to know about the Swiss car driving licence, especially when you are about to take it yourself and are coming across the subject for the first time. How high are the costs? What is the minimum age? Which cars am I actually allowed to drive?
This article gives you an overview of the Swiss driving licence and of the road you have to travel to get one.

Driving licence costs in Switzerland

A category B driving licence in Switzerland costs between 2`660 francs (automatic) and 3`560 francs (manual). That is a lot of money, especially for young people, who make up the largest share of new drivers. You should be aware that this amount is not due all at once, but spread over a longer period (between 6 and 24 months).  The detailed breakdown in the following table will give you a clearer picture.

Driving licence costs - this is how much money you need to learn to drive in Switzerland

These costs are Swiss averages and can differ a great deal not only from canton to canton, but also from learner to learner. That is a lot of money, especially for young people, who make up the largest share of new drivers. You should be aware that this amount is not due all at once, but spread over a longer period (between 6 and 24 months). In the following table we have set out the monthly costs, depending on how long you take to get your licence and on whether you learn with an automatic or a manual gearbox:

Automatic or manual - this is how differently the costs of learning to drive, or of the Swiss driving licence, work out

As you can easily see, there are big differences in when costs arise and how large they are.

You will find a more detailed cost overview for the driving licence in the article «Cost overview driving licence»

For a picture of your own situation, see our cost overview for the driving licence.

You can also get further information from the Strassenverkehrsamt (cantonal road traffic office) of the canton you live in.

Driving licence in Switzerland at 17

Starting the road to your driving licence at 17 is allowed in Switzerland. From your 17th birthday you can apply for the Lernfahrausweis (learner’s permit), followed by a compulsory learning phase of 12 months, after which you can take the practical driving test. This newer rule applies to everyone who applies for the learner’s permit before the tender age of 20. If you are older, you no longer have to do a learning phase.

What else you need to know about «a driving licence at 17», and which special rule applies to everyone born in 2005, is explained in the article „Driving licence at 17“.

Lernfahrausweis Switzerland

Before you can apply for the Lernfahrausweis (learner’s permit) in Switzerland, you have to have completed the Nothelferkurs (first-aid course) and the eyesight test. You also have to be at least 17 years old. Next you go to the Strassenverkehrsamt (cantonal road traffic office) of the canton you live in and hand everything in, with the completed form and the passport photos enclosed. After a certain amount of administrative processing you receive a number with which you can register for the theory test. Once you have passed it, your Lernfahrausweis is sent to you. Here is what you need to know about the Swiss learner’s permit:

  • The learner’s permit is valid for 2 years and cannot be extended
  • Whenever you are behind the wheel, the car must be clearly marked with the «blue L».
  • You may only drive with an accompanying person. Your passenger must be at least 23 years old, have held the licence for the relevant category for 3 years and hold the final, non-probationary licence.
  • With the learner’s permit you can take driving lessons with a driving instructor.
  • You first have to complete the 12-month learning phase and take the VKU before you can register for the practical driving test.

Swiss driving licence: period of validity / expiry date

How long are the various driving authorisations actually valid in Switzerland? Plenty of people have certainly wondered. Here is the answer:

  • The learner’s permit is valid for 2 years.
  • The probationary licence is valid for 3 years.
  • The International Driving Permit is valid for 3 years. But the International Driving Permit is only valid in combination with the Swiss licence. So you always have to carry both.

You will find more information about the International Driving Permit here.

Category B driving licence

When people talk about a category B driving licence, they mean the ordinary licence that most people in Switzerland hold. This is the driving authorisation that, in everyday language, lets you drive a car. But which vehicles exactly may you drive with a category B licence? Good question, here is the answer:

  • You may drive cars and three-wheeled motor vehicles with a total weight of no more than 3500 kg and no more than eight seats. The driver’s seat is not counted.
  • You may drive a combination of a category B towing vehicle and a trailer. The trailer must not exceed a total weight of 750kg.
  • You may drive a combination of a category B towing vehicle and a trailer with a total weight of more than 750kg. But the combined weight (car + trailer) must not exceed 3500kg.

You will find more information about the driving licence categories here.

Abroad on a probationary licence

The probationary licence is valid abroad as well. But if you want to drive further afield than Europe, there are, in rare cases, certain special rules. Ask the relevant embassy or consulate.

Applying for the Lernfahrausweis

Step 1: Nothelferkurs (first-aid course)

The first thing you have to do is the Nothelferkurs. After completing the course, which lasts 10 hours in total, you receive the Nothelferausweis (first-aid certificate). It is valid for 6 years.

You will find more information in the article „Nothelferkurs“.

Step 2: Eyesight test

You can take the eyesight test at any recognised optician or eye doctor.

You will find more information in the article „Eyesight test“.

Step 3: Applying for the Lernfahrausweis

With the completed application form for the learner’s permit (including the eyesight test), the first-aid certificate, colour passport photos and a valid identity document (ID card, passport or residence permit), you go to the Strassenverkehrsamt (cantonal road traffic office) of the canton you live in, or to the residents’ registration office of your municipality, and hand the documents in. Your application is checked and you receive a reference number with which you can register for the theory test.

You will find more information in the article „Applying for the Lernfahrausweis“.

Step 4: Theory test

With the reference number you can register for the theory test. How you register differs from canton to canton.

You will find more information in the article „Theory test“.

Step 5: Lernfahrausweis

Once you have passed the theory test, your learner’s permit is sent to you by post.

You will find more information about the learner’s permit in the article „Lernfahrausweis“.

The probationary licence in Switzerland

In Switzerland you receive the Führerausweis auf Probe (probationary licence) once you have passed the practical driving test. This time-limited driving authorisation is valid for 3 years. In the first 12 months of this Probezeit (probationary period) you have to take the WAB-Kurs (compulsory further-training course). The probationary licence counts as a full driving licence, but offences and breaches of the road traffic act are punished more strictly.

You will find more information in the article „Probationary licence“.

You can pick up useful tips on how best to behave during this probationary period in this video.

The Swiss car driving licence - this is how the road to the licence runs: through the first-aid course, to the learner's permit, into driving school with an instructor, on to the practical test and so on.

Exchanging a foreign driving licence

Anyone moving to Switzerland has to exchange their foreign driving licence at the Strassenverkehrsamt (cantonal road traffic office) of their canton of residence within twelve months of taking up residence. Licences from EU and EFTA states are exchanged without a test; for licences from most other states the office requires a Kontrollfahrt (assessment drive), but no theory test. Bring: the application form, the foreign licence, your passport or ID card with your residence permit, and an eyesight test. Once the twelve months are up, you may no longer drive in Switzerland until the exchange has been completed. The addresses of all the road traffic offices are listed under Lernfahrausweis beantragen.

Unsere eigene Messung

Der teuerste Posten auf dem Weg: die Fahrstunden

55CHF bis 111.50CHF

Wie viele Fahrstunden jemand braucht, entscheidet sich unterwegs — was eine kostet, haben wir gezählt: bei 140 Fahrschulen, die ihren Tarif auf todrive.ch selbst pflegen, je Lektion von 50 Minuten. Die ganze Rechnung mit Gebühren, Kursen und Prüfungen steht auf der Kostenseite. Stand: 22. September 2026.

Günstigste55 Schnitt93 Höchste111.50

Diese Erhebung zitieren

Die Zahlen dürfen weiter

Preis einer Fahrstunde von 50 Minuten in der Schweiz, CHF 55 bis CHF 111.50, Mittel CHF 93, aus den Tarifen von 140 Fahrschulen, erhoben von ToDrive am 22. September 2026, https://todrive.ch/en/fuehrerschein-schweiz/

Verwendest du sie in einer Redaktion, einer Fahrschule oder an einer Hochschule, nenn bitte Quelle und Datum. Das Datum gehört dazu: die Zahlen werden nachgeführt, und eine alte Zahl ohne Datum ist eine falsche Auskunft.

Nach Kanton

Was die Fahrstunde im Kanton kostet

Schweizer Durchschnitt günstiger teurer

Franken je Lektion von 50 Minuten, Kategorie B. Die Skala reicht von null bis zur teuersten Lektion des Landes (CHF 111.50). Der Blauton folgt dem Kantonsschnitt: je teurer, desto satter. Wie viele Fahrschulen hinter einem Schnitt stehen, steht neben dem Kantonsnamen — drei sind etwas anderes als vierundfünfzig. Ein Kanton steht nur hier, wenn mindestens drei Fahrschulen dort ihren Preis führen — bei zwei wäre die Spanne der Preis einer einzelnen Fahrschule, als Kantonswert ausgegeben.

Nach Ort

Was die Fahrstunde in deiner Stadt kostet

günstiger teurer Das Band zeigt, von wo bis wo die Preise im Ort reichen; die Kerbe ist der Schnitt.
Aarau7 Fahrschulen, CHF 71–111.50 CHF 92
Basel10 Fahrschulen, CHF 66.50–100 CHF 87
Bern15 Fahrschulen, CHF 75–106.50 CHF 96
Bülach32 Fahrschulen, CHF 79–111 CHF 94
Dübendorf42 Fahrschulen, CHF 79–111 CHF 94
Frauenfeld5 Fahrschulen, CHF 75–100 CHF 89
Luzern11 Fahrschulen, CHF 83.50–100 CHF 92
Olten6 Fahrschulen, CHF 71–105.50 CHF 88
Solothurn3 Fahrschulen, CHF 90–100 CHF 97
St. Gallen7 Fahrschulen, CHF 82–99 CHF 90
Thun6 Fahrschulen, CHF 66.50–90 CHF 81
Zug13 Fahrschulen, CHF 87.50–102 CHF 94
Zürich39 Fahrschulen, CHF 55–111 CHF 93
55 CHF 111.50 CHF

Alphabetisch. Aufgeführt sind die Orte, nach denen am häufigsten gesucht wird; Anzahl, Spanne und Schnitt sind die der jeweiligen Ortsseite, die alles im Umkreis von 15 Kilometern zählt — eine Fahrschule in Rümlang unterrichtet auch in Zürich. Darum überschneiden sich benachbarte Orte, und darum stehen die Zahlen hier genauso auf der Seite, auf die der Verweis führt. Unter drei Fahrschulen im Umkreis erscheint ein Ort nicht: dann wäre der „Ortsschnitt“ der Preis einer einzelnen Fahrschule. Dein Ort fehlt? Alle Fahrschulen nach Ort zeigt auch die kleineren, mit Preis, Bewertung und Anfrage direkt bei der Fahrschule.

Wie gerechnet wird. Gezählt werden aktive Fahrschulen auf todrive.ch mit einem gepflegten Preis für Kategorie B. Je Fahrschule zählt der Preis einer regulären Fahrstunde, umgerechnet auf 50 Minuten — Probelektionen bleiben aussen vor, weil ein einmaliger Einstiegspreis keine Fahrstunde ist. Führt eine Fahrschule Handschaltung und Automat getrennt, zählt der Schnitt aus beiden, damit jede Fahrschule genau einmal zählt. Dieselbe Rechnung liegt hinter jeder Ortsseite. Die Zahlen stammen aus der Datenbank von todrive.ch und werden stündlich neu gelesen.

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The whole road to your driving licence

The full overview
Step 01

First-aid course (Nothelferkurs)
Step 02

Apply for the learner's permit
Step 03

Eyesight test
Step 04

Learning the theory & where to learn it
Step 05

Theory test
Step 06

The learner's permit (Lernfahrausweis)
Step 07

Driving lessons
Step 08

Private practice drives
Step 09

VKU course
Step 10

Practical driving test
Step 11

Probationary licence
Step 12

WAB course (further training)
Step 13

Unrestricted licence