Best time to join driving school

Your initial 6 months in Germany. You can drive with your foreign license only during this time.

Why you end up spending thousands? Because of unfamiliarity of road signs & different priority combinations and not because of lack of your general driving skills. And for people who travel less in cars here, the road rules continue to be alien.

Process

Complete below in any order before Burgeramt appointment
- book date for bürgeramt appointment (do this asap as it has a longer waiting)
- Find & register at a Fahrschule to receive the contract(bring this contract for burgeramt appointment).
- First Aid & Eye Test. usually you can get this done at the same place in single visit.
Attend Burgeramt Appointment
wait for few days for the confirmation
Start theory classes - Better to begin learning from app the moment you decide to plan for a DL.
Pass the theory test
Start practical class and exam (when you pass, will receive provisional license paper on the spot).
mail for an appointment to collect plastic card

How to find a driving school

Careful with introductory offers.

Some schools run offers with hidden & exit clauses & you end up loosing more money.

Eg. Some offers of 1€ theory class have hidden clause of a huge fine if you don't complete the practical classes also with them. (Many change driving schools mid way due to trainer conflicts/distance/long waits for english classes etc)

Better to opt for classroom theory training than skipping it altogether even if you are well versed holding a foreign license
- Believe me, you get lot of practical knowledge that are worth knowing in addition to theory exam questions.
- Also it boosts your confidence than learning from app & you end up taking less practical classes(€).
  
  My suggestion is to attend theory and you can convert license, so you can avoid some mandatory classes.
Always choose a school nearby.
- Your commute will feel real hectic after the initial days.
- Practice where you will do exam. Some districts have longer waitings & you end up booking exams in a different district. In exam, they take you to tricky spots. Unfamiliar roads increases exam failure rates.
- If you get exam in another district, to practice for a 30min there, your car need 60-90 mins additional to reach(schools will always start & end the car from school only).

Clarify these before joining the school

Confirm they give proper receipts Many don't accept online payments and might give unnamed/invalid/handwritten invoices.
- Even your google review get removed without a valid bill in Germany when reported by the school.
- You can change driving school anytime without any repercussions to your learning path as per law. You ask for a Ausbuildung certificate with indication of your progress so far. In case they don't update your progress correctly, bills come handy.
Start classes in manual car.

If you have opted for B197 (remember you still have to take a 450min mandatory manual class). Many schools try to schedule/inform this only towards the end. When you think you have completed learning all classes, you will be suddenly informed by the school of this and to pay additional ~500€ for manual.

So during registration/initally, tell/ask them that you want to start with

the mandatory manual classes and
Since some not so great instructors are not ready to teach a lot during this and unfairly considers this as leisure ride(you confirm it has to be learning classes).

Ensure class availability

Availability is a big concern in most English driving schools.

there might be only one or two english trainers(inhouse/visiting). Some might be doing only manual, some automatic. So you end up waiting for months to get your next driving class appointments. No classes after 6pm and many trainers don't work on Sat & Sun.

Always book continuous classes.

also book them well in advance for English.

Burgeramt appointment

You would need to show the foreign license for verification(you can still keep it) while registering with Burgeramt. But surrender of foreign license is required only while picking up your plastic card post passing of practical exam.

Changing of driving school

you need to pay again the registration fee(usu a small amt)
inform Dekra/TUV - walk in with your ID and share them the new school name.

After practical test

Examiner will give you a paper which is your provisional driving license(not a plastic card but a paper valid only in Germany for few months). This is not accepted by most rental companies like Miles/bolts(they need plastic card)

To receive plastic card:

write to Labo asking for an appointment to pickup (& exchange old DL if conversion). They reply back in few days generally with an appointment that is few weeks away.

Other Steps - updating soon

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