Musings from Deustchland -4

Driving License

I happen to possess a driving license (Fuererschein) of Deustchland. As to how I acquired it is a long story. Driving in German roads, esp. autobahns is a sheer plreasure which few people want to forego. Therefore I also decided to exchange my Indian license for a German one. A German driving license is a lifelong possession because once obtained, you need not renew it, however getting it is difficult. An Indian driving license holder can drive for 6 months in Germany on his international drivers permit after landing in Germany, after which he will have to take a German driving license in order to drive on roads. There are some countries with which Germany has automatic driving license exchange arrangements, inluding some states of US. For others like India, people need to undergo a written exam and a practical test. Some important information pertaining to the same is provided here -http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/driving.html

The exchange needs to happen within 3 years of landing. After you have spent three years you need to apply for a fresh driving license and an exchange is no longer possible. The difference between applying for a new driving license, and exchanging an old one lies in mandatory theoritical lessons required by fresh applicant and more no. of practical hours mandated by law, which obviously jacks up the cost.

The first procedure to exchange is to approach the ADAC office to get your driving license translated in German. This costs 40 euro and about a week. Now you need to get yourself a first aid training certificate. Attend a first aid training course, simply by registering on spot and get the certificate (one day affair). I had gone to Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof to attend the training. You should have a working knowledge of German to respond to your instructor's questions. You will get to know several techniques like how to do artifical resuscitation and how to treat an accident victim, how to call via Notruf or emergency telephone in autobahn etc. Next get your eye test done and get a certificate. Now identify a fahrschule or a training school, without a fahrschule registration you cannot get a driving license. I selected Bauer and Walcher in Stuttgart, website being http://www.fahrschule-bauer-walcher.de/ as most of my colleagues went through the same and Mr. Bauer understood english. Pay registration fee to fahrschule. This is around 100 Euro and a one time non refundable fee.

With the translation, original driving license, passport with residence permit, copy of the registration in fahrschule, photos, local registration copy, walk to the nearest Fuererscheinstelle along with 35 Euro. You will then be given necessary documents to proceed with your lessons in about 4-6 weeks time, and you will be intimated by fahrschule. Utilize this time for the theory exam. Theory exam was a relatively easy task. I bought english training materials worth 40 euro and also downloaded a lot of german contents and tests from http://www.fuehrerschein-lernsystem.de/ after registration. Over 900 questions and answers are available in this site and roads signs and rules are available in various other internet sources. Theoretical tests can be given in english and passing is inevitable, unless you have not prepared. There are total 30 marks and probably you need to get 50% to pass. I got 28 (as per my instructor) out of 30 and passed out within a month of my enrollment. The theoretical test costs around 55 euro. But the real thing lies in practical lesson. Unless the instructor is confident with your driving skills you are not eligible to take practical test. Also each practical test costs as high as 350-400 Euro, so a failure means a big monitary setback. I had to approach step by step. I have no qualms in admitting that I didnt know driving at all before being trained by Mr. Bauer. The only car that I had driven was some 8-10 years back, the battered Premier of my father, which had a handgear and in India you need only to learn clutch and accelerator control to get a driving license.

So first few lessons (4-6 per month) were spent on instilling necessary confidence in driving a car, then getting me aquainted with german roads and traffic, then the rules of driving, then parking. And this was a tough one, esp. the reverse parallel parking and this proved to be my bane. I did a lot of theoretical study on reverse paraller parking including 45 deg movement, but could never master the art (even now I shudder). Also at that time I was not very adept in bay parking and had to learn it in the hard way. Then in late October I was introduced to autobahn driving and it was the most thrilling part, esp changing lanes at high speed of 100-120 kmph. Wolfgang Bauer, my instructor, was extremely patient with me, even though I often flunked to follow his instructions, owing to my nervousness and inability to understand everything in German.

Then came the hardest part, I was relocated to Munich and had to come once a week in Stuttgart to continue with lessons. Under the stress, I flunked my first test because reverse parallel parking was all wrong (as I had feared). But all miseries end, and ultimately I also got my pass certificate from examiner and then the German fuererschein from fuererscheinstelle, thanks to relentless efforts of Bauer. The entire process was really challenging and even though it cost me a lot of money, I was very satisfied.