Driving Licence Fees, by Country
Australia's A$295 (across its mandatory three-stage licensing system) is the most expensive route to a full driving licence in this table; the final licence card itself is free in the UK and France. Figures are each country's own currency, at face value, not converted to a common currency.
Last updated 2 November 2026.
A driving licence fee sounds like a single number, but almost every country splits it differently: some charge once for the physical card, some bundle the exam into the same charge, and a couple charge nothing for the card at all once you've already paid to sit the test. This table prices the government fee to be issued the licence itself — not driving lessons, and not a separate theory or practical test fee paid to a third-party testing centre, except in the two countries (Spain, New Zealand) where the government charges one fee that genuinely covers both and can't be split apart.
Figures are each country's own currency, at face value, not converted to a common currency — see the methodology section for why a face-value ranking isn't a precise cost ranking once exchange rates are applied.
| Source | ||
|---|---|---|
🇦🇺 AustraliaNew South Wales: sum of the mandatory three-stage ladder to an unrestricted licence — A$32 (Learner) + A$74 (P1 provisional) + A$115 (P2 provisional) + A$74 (Unrestricted, 1-year option). Unlike every other country here, this isn't a single event: the stages span a minimum holding period of roughly 3 years. See FAQ. | A$295 | [5] |
🇨🇿 Czech RepublicStandard 20-day processing; 700 Kč for 5-working-day expedited service. 20% cheaper (160 Kč / 560 Kč) if applied for online via the Portál dopravy government portal. | 200 Kč | [11] |
🇵🇱 PolandEstimateSet nationally by Ministry of Infrastructure regulation; a small local 0.50 zł record-keeping fee usually applies on top. A further increase was reportedly drafted for 2026 but couldn't be confirmed as formally adopted. The regulation's own PDF text couldn't be extracted directly; figure corroborated by multiple independent Polish sources and a government audit document. | 100 zł | [8] |
🇳🇿 New ZealandEstimateNot a pure issuance fee: NZ's full (class 1) licence application fee bundles the licence with the first two practical test attempts — each further retest from the third attempt costs an extra NZ$71.90. NZTA's own fee page is JavaScript-rendered and couldn't be fetched directly; figure corroborated via a national news outlet citing NZTA directly, not read directly from the primary source. | NZ$98.90 | [13] |
🇪🇸 SpainEstimateNot a pure issuance fee: Spain's "tasa 2.1" is one combined administrative charge covering both exam rights (two attempts) and the resulting licence issuance — there's no separate "card only" figure. DGT's own fee pages blocked direct access; figure corroborated via RACE, Spain's national motoring association, explicitly dated "Precio 2026," not read directly from the primary source. | €94.05 | [9] |
🇨🇦 CanadaOntario, original driver's licence (G1/G2/G). Road tests are booked and charged separately through DriveTest, not ServiceOntario, and aren't included in this figure. | CA$90 | [4] |
🇮🇪 IrelandEstimateFirst full driving licence (10-year, category B), effective 1 January 2025 (up from €55). Free for applicants aged 70 and over. The earlier learner permit costs €45. RSA/NDLS's own pages blocked direct access; figure corroborated by three independent sources, including the regulator's own press release, not read directly. | €65 | [7] |
🇸🇬 SingaporeQualified Driving Licence application, after passing the Basic Theory and practical tests. Both tests are paid separately to private testing centres (BBDC, CDC or SSDC), not the government. | S$50 | [6] |
🇺🇸 United StatesCalifornia DMV, original Class C licence. Includes the state's own written and behind-the-wheel test administration — no separate state test fee. Driving-school costs are separate and not included. | $46 | [3] |
🇩🇪 GermanyBerlin: first issuance (Ersterteilung), all classes including B. Set within a federal fee range (GebOSt); individual German cities and states set the exact amount, so this varies by location. Theory and practical test fees are paid separately to a private examining organisation (TÜV/DEKRA), not the government. | €45.90 | [1] |
🇸🇰 SlovakiaStandard processing, within 30 days. Up to 4× (€40) for expedited 2-working-day issuance at the applicant's request. | €10 | [12] |
🇫🇷 FranceNo government fee was found for the first licence card itself. The one tax that could apply (a regional licence tax) is explicitly waived by law for a first application — confirmed directly against the tax authority's own guidance. The theory test, privatised in 2016, now costs roughly €30 paid to a private operator, not the government. | Free | [10] |
🇬🇧 United KingdomThe full licence itself is free to be issued by post after passing the test (£17 if you want to use a different photo). The earlier provisional licence, needed before you can legally learn to drive, costs £34 online — the real up-front cost most learners actually pay, even though the final card is free. | Free | [2] |
What's included: the government fee to be issued a first-time category-B/standard car driving licence, via the normal domestic route. Where a country charges one combined fee that genuinely covers both the exam and the card (Spain, New Zealand), that combined figure is used since there's no official "card only" figure to extract.
What's excluded: driving lessons (always a market-priced private service), and a separate theory or practical test fee paid to a third-party or private testing body (Germany's TÜV/DEKRA, Singapore's BBDC/CDC/SSDC, Canada's DriveTest) rather than to the government directly.
Sub-national jurisdictions. Germany, the US, Canada and Australia set driving licence fees at the municipal, state or provincial level, not nationally. This table uses Berlin (Germany), California (US), Ontario (Canada) and New South Wales (Australia) — the same convention this site uses elsewhere for sub-national fees. A different city, state or province will charge a different fee.
Why Australia is a total, not a single fee. New South Wales runs a mandatory three-stage ladder — Learner, then two provisional stages (P1, P2) — before an unrestricted licence is issued, spanning a minimum holding period of roughly three years. Every stage charges its own government fee, so the figure shown is the sum of all four, at the cheapest (1-year) unrestricted-licence option. No other country in this table requires a multi-year sequence of separately licensed stages to reach a full licence.
Why the UK and France show €0/£0. In both cases this is the fee for the final licence card specifically, confirmed directly against each government's own page or guidance — not a sign that getting licensed is entirely free. The UK's earlier provisional licence costs £34; France's privatised theory test costs roughly €30, paid to a private operator rather than the state.
Limits of this comparison. Figures are each country's own currency, face value, with no FX conversion — treat a 'cheapest/most expensive' ranking as directional, not exact, once exchange rates are applied.
Why does Australia show A$295 when other countries show one number?
Because New South Wales doesn't issue a full licence in one step. Learners must hold a Learner licence (A$32), then two provisional stages, P1 (A$74) and P2 (A$115), each for a set minimum period, before an unrestricted licence (from A$74) is issued — a process that takes roughly three years minimum. A$295 is the sum of all four government fees along that path, not one single charge.
Is it really free to get a driving licence in the UK and France?
The final physical licence card is free in both — confirmed directly against each government's own page. But it isn't the whole cost: the UK's earlier provisional licence (needed before you can legally learn to drive) costs £34, and France's theory test, run by a private operator since 2016, costs roughly €30. Both countries just don't charge anything for issuing the card itself once you've already qualified.
Does this include the driving test fee?
Only where a country bundles it into one unavoidable government charge with no separate "card only" fee — true in Spain and New Zealand, both flagged in their row notes. Everywhere else, the test fee is paid separately (often to a private testing body, not the government) and isn't included here, the same way this table excludes driving lessons.
Why isn't the United Arab Emirates in this table?
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority, the relevant licensing body, didn't return usable fee content on its own service pages across repeated attempts, and the available secondary estimates disagree with each other on what's actually included in the figure — excluded rather than published as an unverified guess, the same bar used elsewhere on this site.
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- 1Fahrerlaubnis, Ersterteilung
Service Berlin / Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO)
First issuance of a driving licence, all classes including B: €45.90 (€45.10 for classes AM/L only). Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 2Driving licence fees
GOV.UK (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)
First full licence after passing the test: free by post (£17 for a different photo). First provisional licence: £34 online. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 3Licensing Fees
California Department of Motor Vehicles
Original Class C driver licence application: $46. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 4Driver and vehicle fees
Government of Ontario (ontario.ca)
Original driver's licence (G1, G2, G): $90. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 5Driver and rider licence fees
Transport for NSW / Service NSW
Effective 1 July 2026: Learner $32, P1 $74, P2 $115, Unrestricted (1-year) $74. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 6Application, Replacement and Renewal of Singapore Driving Licence
Traffic Police, Singapore Police Force
Qualified Driving Licence application (citizens/PRs, via e-Services): S$50. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 7First driving licence fees
Road Safety Authority (RSA) / National Driver Licence Service (NDLS)
First full 10-year category B licence: €65, effective 1 January 2025 (up from €55). rsa.ie and ndls.ie blocked direct access (HTTP 403) across repeated attempts; figure corroborated by three independent sources including the RSA's own press release announcing the increase, not read directly. Checked 2 November 2026.
- 8Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on driving licence fees (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 953)
Kancelaria Sejmu (Sejm legislative database)
Issuance of a driving licence: 100 PLN. The regulation's own PDF text couldn't be extracted directly after repeated attempts; figure corroborated by multiple independent Polish consumer/legal sources and a regional government audit document. Checked 2 November 2026.
- 9Tasas de tráfico — Obtención del permiso de conducción (tasa 2.1)
Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Ministerio del Interior; corroborated via RACE (Real Automóvil Club de España)
Combined exam-rights and issuance fee: €94.05 (2026 rate). DGT's own fee pages blocked direct access or returned no fee content across repeated attempts; figure corroborated via RACE, Spain's national motoring association, explicitly dated "Precio 2026," not read directly from the primary source. Checked 2 November 2026.
- 10Taxe sur les certificats d'immatriculation — exonération pour les permis de conduire
Bulletin officiel des finances publiques (BOFiP), Direction générale des Finances publiques
"Elle n'est pas due lors de la première demande d'établissement d'un permis de conduire" (the regional licence tax is not due on a first application). Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 11Vydání řidičského průkazu
Government of the Czech Republic (portal.gov.cz)
Standard 20-day issuance: 200 CZK. 5-working-day expedited: 700 CZK. 20% cheaper if applied for online. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 12Správne poplatky pri vodičských preukazoch
Central Public Administration Portal of the Slovak Republic (slovensko.sk)
Issuance within 30 days: €10. Expedited (2 working days, applicant's request): up to €40. Fetched and read directly 2 November 2026.
- 13Licence fees
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency; corroborated via 1News
Full (class 1) car licence application, including the first 2 practical test attempts: NZ$98.90; each further retest from the 3rd attempt: NZ$71.90. NZTA's own page is JavaScript-rendered and returned no usable content across repeated attempts; figure corroborated via 1News, a national news outlet citing NZTA directly, not read directly from the primary source. Checked 2 November 2026.