This driver's license guide, curated by Luxtoday's editorial team, aims to walk you through the steps of obtaining a driver's license and familiarize you with the general process. We've gathered extensive information and worked with various experts to create this material.
If you plan to navigate the Grand Duchy and Europe by car, you will therefore need a valid driver's license. Both residents and non-residents can obtain one, and the procedure is generally similar for each.
Check if you can become a driver 10 minutesBefore 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
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
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 . Select a driving school in LuxembourgIn 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.
To enroll in a driving school, you only need to show your ID card or passport.
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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Complete a health checkup at SNCAFirst 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.
Fill in all the required fields, or only those you can, on the specialist selection screen. Write "Luxembourg" in the location field. Then, press the green Find button. Alternatively, you can use the direct link we provide. You need a general practitioner, so choose General Practitioner, or GP.
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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Take a theoretical courseUpon 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.
the minimum number of hours of theoretical training required for a first-time driver a mark of attendance required for each, otherwise you will not be allowed to take the examOnce 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.
The driving school keeps records of attendance in a special attendance sheet (learning certificate). You will need to give this certificate to the examiners during the theory test. If a certain topic is particularly difficult to learn, you should go through it twice. For example, the priority rule and how to behave in case of danger on the road.
Having a knowledge of the traffic rules is regarded as the best foundation for passing both practical and theoretical tests for driving. The most recent up-to-date version of the Code is available online in English, as well as in French and German on the website dedicated to traffic safety in Luxembourg.
You can test your skills in the demo version of the exam on the SNCA website. The test offers 20 questions randomly selected from all theoretical topics for obtaining a category B license.
The test is available in four languages
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.
You will take the test on a computer i.e. electronically, picking the answers. However, the exam cannot be administered remotely.
There are three SNCA centers available to take the exam digitally
To be able to take the exam orally, your driving school must send the relevant request and the required documents to SNCA. In this case it will be possible to answer all exam questions orally (even with a professional translator, if necessary).
The oral examination is only available on Mondays and Fridays, exclusively by appointment at the SNCA center in Sandweiler.
It is possible to pass the theoretical exam orally
Only one of the three SNCA exam centers offers oral exams and they are held by appointment only during the specified hours.
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.
Using the government website MyGuichet.lu, you can do this even without the authorization on the website itself.
Registration is only available during weekdays, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., via phone: (+352) 26 626 400.
Selected examination center — one in Sandweiler, the Friedhoff center in Diekirch or the center in Esch-sur-Alzette;
Examination language — French, English, German, Portuguese or Luxembourgish;The selected hours, based on the opening hours of the examination centers — from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with 30-minute intervals.
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.
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.
If for some reason you are unable to pass the test, you will have to re-study the theory and take no less than 6 full lessons. In addition, you will have to pay a new fee of 30 euros. First-time passers do not have to pay, as the fee is usually included in the price of the course in the school.
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.
Complete a practical training with an instructor 1200 eurosTo 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.
hours of practical training is required to be admitted to the motorcycle or passenger car driving test
hours of practical training is required in case the applicant has already got a motorcycle driving license
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 good news is that the student will take the exam using the same car in which they were trained! However, in case of failure, not only must you re-register for a second attempt, but also complete an additional 8 hours of driving lessons with an instructor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Following extra training with a companion, whenever the candidate feels they are ready to take the practical exam, they must complete a minimum of 4 more hours of practical training with the driving school instructor before the exam.
Pass the driving examOnce 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
Please note the additional rules that apply in Luxembourg:
If you are under 18 years of age, you will need to provide a copy of any legal guardian's ID card.If you have lived in Luxembourg for less than 5 years, you will need to provide a criminal record certificate from your previous country of residence.
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.
On exam day, come to SNCA with your instructor. Bring all the necessary documents and introduce yourself to the examiner.
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.
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.
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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