Driving license for passenger transport; application

Special regulations apply to the driving of cabs, rental cars, ambulances, passenger cars in scheduled services and for commercial excursions and vacation trips. An additional driving license for passenger transport may be required here.

In addition to the general driving license, as a driver you need a passenger transport license if you

• transport passengers in an ambulance for a fee or for business purposes or
• transport passengers in a motor vehicle and a permit is required for this transport in accordance with the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG).

However, if you are in possession of a category D or D1 driving license, this only applies to driving cabs, rental cars and bundled on-demand transport within the meaning of Section 50 (1) sentence 1 PBefG. Otherwise, a driving license for passenger transport for motor vehicles is not required if you hold a category D or D1 driving license.

Furthermore, a driving license for passenger transport is not required for

• Ambulances of the German Armed Forces, the German Federal Police, the police and the troops and civilian staff of the other states party to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
• Civil protection ambulances if they are used for this purpose,
• ambulances of fire departments and rescue services recognized under state law.

The driving license for passenger transport serves to protect and ensure the safety of the persons transported and therefore places higher demands on the driver than the general driving license.

It must be applied for at the driving license authority responsible for your place of residence (= district office or independent city).

It can be issued for a maximum of five years and then requires renewal.

A driving license for passenger transport is issued by the driving license authority as proof of the driving license for passenger transport. This must be carried alongside the EU card driving license when transporting passengers.

• You will usually need the following documents:
  • valid identity card or passport
  • German EU driving license
  • certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority
  • Medical certificate of physical and mental fitness (not older than 1 year) (see § 11 Paragraph 9 in conjunction with Appendix 5 No. 1 FeV)
  • Expert opinion on the ability to cope with stress, orientation, concentration, attention and reaction by an occupational physician or an officially recognized assessment center for driving aptitude (not older than 1 year) (see § 11 paragraph 9 in conjunction with Appendix 5 No. 2 FeV)
  • Proof of eyesight by means of a certificate of medical examination (by an ophthalmologist, doctor with the regional title of "occupational medicine", doctor with the additional title of "occupational medicine", doctor at an officially recognized assessment center for fitness to drive, doctor at the public health department or other doctor in the public administration) or certificate of ophthalmological examination (not older than 2 years) (see § 12 Paragraph 6 in conjunction with Appendix 6 No. 2 FeV)
  • in the case of a driver's license for ambulances: proof of participation in a training course in first aid
  • if the driver's license for passenger transport is to be valid for cabs, rental cars or bundled on-demand transport: Proof of specialist knowledge - until further notice not to be submitted for application (see note under requirements).

• Possession of the (German) EU card driver's license
  (If you are still in possession of an old paper driver's license or a foreign EU/EEA card driver's license, you may have to exchange it at the same time).
• Possession of an EU/EEA category B driving license or a corresponding driving license from a country listed in Annex 11 for at least two years (or at least one year if passenger transport is restricted to ambulances) or corresponding possession of such a driving license within the last five years
• Minimum age: 21 years; in the case of restriction to ambulances: 19 years
• Personal reliability
• Proof of mental and physical fitness
• Sufficient eyesight
• if the driver's license for passenger transport is to be valid for ambulances: Participation in first aid training
• if the driver's license for passenger transport is to be valid for cabs, rental cars or bundled on-demand transport: Proof of specialist knowledge
  (Note: As the content requirements for proof of specialist knowledge and the responsible bodies have not yet been determined, it is not yet possible to provide proof of specialist knowledge (nationwide). Transitional arrangements have therefore been made for Bavaria. Further information can be obtained from the responsible driving license authority).

The fee is based on the scale of fees for road traffic measures (GebOSt), usually EUR 43.90 for the first issue.