This is what getting your driver’s license will cost in 2026 (it’s more expensive yet again)

October 21, 2025

What does a driver’s license cost?

Getting a driver’s license has never been a bargain, as anyone who has ever sat in a lesson car knows. But fair is fair: these days it does run into a lot of paperwork. And in 2026 it will be even more expensive. The CBR is raising its fees again, and that has everything to do with – yes – inflation. Everything is getting more expensive, including the right to drive. The increase is 3.6 percent, exactly equal to inflation according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Theory exam: here too the counter rises

Those who want to pass their theory will pay 50.50 euros next year instead of 48.75 euros. That’s not a world of difference, but still a few extra euros for the same exam. If you need extra guidance or an interpreter, the amount quickly rises. For an individual guided theory exam you pay 118.50 euros – not including the cost of the interpreter. And those who prefer to take the exam in the evening or at the weekend will be charged an additional 6.25 euros.

Practical exam: toward 150 euros

The real hit is in the practical exam. For the car (category B) the fee rises from 138.50 euros to 143.50 euros. And those who suffer from fear of failure will pay considerably more: 202 euros for the special fear of failure exam.

Other categories are also happily participating in the increase. For the moped exam (AM2) you pay 149 euros, for the motorcycle 147 euros, and for a car with trailer (BE) also 143.50 euros. Those driving large equipment have to dig even deeper: the truck or bus exam rises to 275 euros.

New supplement: ‘service of decisions’

There’s another extra in the fee hike: a 0.3 percentage point surcharge. That is used to allow drivers to be personally notified when their driver’s license is suspended or invalidated – the so-called in-person service of decisions.

A trial ran since 2022 to see if this was more effective. And it turned out to be: according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, more drivers without a valid driver’s license are prosecuted as a result. The trial is therefore being introduced structurally, and the costs are incorporated into the fees from 2026.

CBR: “We don’t make a profit”

CBR emphasizes that the fees are cost-covering and not intended to make a profit. Without the new surcharge, the increase would have come out at 3.3 percent – slightly less than inflation.
A few products differ slightly: the exams for cab and tractor drivers are increasing slightly more than average, while the fees for Marifonie – an exam for maritime communication – and the entrepreneurial exam remain the same as 2025.

Health certificate also more expensive

And then there is the health certificate, which everyone must submit to get or renew their driver’s license. That rises from 45.25 to 46.90 euros. A modest increase, but it all adds up. CBR’s new fees are, of course, only part of the story. On top of that come the costs of the driving school, lesson materials, practical lessons and any medical examinations. All together, a driving license in 2026 will soon cost at least 2,500 euros. On average, you will spend about 3,000 euros for the pink pass.