Driving licence

The driving license is the document that authorizes you to drive a car, a moped or a truck. If you are a regularly residing newcomer, you can take two exams and obtain a driving licence. We've gathered information on how to enrol and how much it costs to get it, so we can help you figure out which solution is best for you.

To drive a car, a motorbike or a moped in Italy is necessary to know well the rules of the road and to have an appropriate driving licence. In Italy the driving licence is called patente di guida. Driving without a licence is illegal. 

Here are some useful information on the types of licence and how to obtain them.  

IMPORTANT: to be able to get the licence it’s necessary to reside legally in Italy and have the residence.

How to get a driving licence

To obtain the more common types of licences, there are four steps, you should follow this steps: application, written test, driving lessons, driving test.

The first thing to know is that there are two options for the application:

1) You may register in a driving school, called scuola guida, and they will orient you through the diverse steps to get the licence. Specifically, they will inform you about the necessary documents to register for the tests, you may follow a preparation course for the written test and driving lessons for the practical test.

Or

2) You may register at the motorizzazione, the office in charge of the tests and the delivery of the licence. Many people choose this option because it’s more convenient than the driving school. If you choose to register at the motorizzazione, you will be responsible for the preparation of the documents and the tests. But remember that for the driving test you must do at least 6 hours of driving lessons with an instructor of a scuola guida.

This are the documents you need for the registration to the motorizzazione:

  • Modello TT2112 compiled 
  • Proof of payment of € 26,40 on current account c/c 9001 (to be paid with a bollettino at the post office
  • Proof of payment of € 16,00 on current account c/c 4028 (to be paid with a bollettino at the post office
  • A valid identity document and a photocopy
  • Codice fiscale or tessera sanitaria and a photocopy
  • Permesso di soggiorno or the receipt of request of the first issue or renewal and a photocopy
    ATTENTION: the Ministry of Transport have decided that with the receipt of the application for the extension or the first issue of the resident permit is possible to register for the written test, but is not possible to take the driving test and get the driving licence. For this last steps is mandatory to have a resident permit.
  • The residence card and a photocopy
  • 2 identical passport photos
  • Medical documents:
    • A medical certificate issued by your family doctor that refers your general health status. This will be of use for the official check with the authorised doctor (no later than 3 months from the date of the issue of the certificate of your treating doctor)
    • 2 copies of the medical certificate issued by an authorised doctor. Find the authorised doctors in your city.
    • A passport type photo
    • Receipt for payment of €16,00 to bank account 4028 (to be paid with a bollettino at the post office)

With the patente B is possible to drive the most common types of cars. The minimum age to get this type of licence is 18 years.
After de registration, described above, you have to take the written test, the driving lessons and the driving test.

Written test

After the registration, you will have to pass the written test. During this test, will be assessed your knowledge of the rules of the road, of the functioning of the machine and of the traffic signs. This test consists of 40 questions, at which you have to answer “true” or “false” in 30 minutes, if you make more than 4 mistakes, you will not pass the test. It is possible to do the test again only one more time within six months from the date of the registration.

If you are registered in a scuola guida, they will organise the lessons and indicate the handbook that you have to study.

Instead, if you are registered at the motorizzazione and you have to prepare the test on your own, you can study any handbook updated. In the section on the handbooks, you will find some examples.
To consult an example of the test, open this page and click the button “Simulazione di Esame”.

Driving lessons

When you pass the written test, you will receive the “foglio rosa” (learner’s permit). This document allows you to practice driving for the driving test, and is valid for 6 months. Is mandatory that you take at least 6 hours of driving lessons with an instructor of the driving school to be able to give the driving test. Besides, you can practice with your own car, the car of a member of your family or of a friend, but only if with you in the car there is a person who is under 65 years old and has the licence B for at least 10 years, so you cannot drive alone.

Driving test

When you feel ready and secure to drive, you may book the driving test through the scuola guida (if you are register in one) and will be the school that will follow you in the process, otherwise you will have to book the test at the motorizzazione (if you are doing the licence on your own).
If you book the test at the motorizzazione, you will have to bring also this documents:

  • proof of payment of another payment of € 16,00 to bank account 4028 (to be paid with bollettino at the post office
  • a certificate attesting that you have taken at least 6 hours of driving lessons with a driving school. 

This test lasts 15 minutes approximately, during which you will drive a car and you will have to demonstrate your ability to drive. With you in the car there will be two persons: one person of the driving school or of the motorizzazione, and the examiner, the person who will decide if you will get the licence or not. If you don’t pass the test, you may do it again not later than 5 months from your written test.

Cost: If you register in the motorizzazione, the total cost is of about € 400, while with the driving school the total cost is € 750 and € 900.

To drive a scooter 50cc, it is necessary to have the patente AM. The minimum age to get this type of patente  is 14 years.
After the registration, you can read about this above, you will have to do the written test, practice driving and do the driving test.

Written test

The written test lasts 30 minutes approximately, during this time you will have to answer 30 questions, “true” or “false”. If you make more than 3 mistakes, you will have to repeat the test. You can repeat the test one more time, but you will have to wait at least one month from the first try. If instead you make less than 3 mistakes, you pass the test and receive the “foglio rosa”. This document, valid 6 months, allows you to practice driving the moped. 

If you are registered in a scuola guida, they will organise the lessons and indicate the handbook that you have to study.

Instead, if you are registered at the motorizzazione and you have to prepare the test on your own, you can study any handbook updated. In the section on the handbooks, you will find some examples.

In this page you can do a simulation of the test, click the button “Simulazione di Esame”.

Practice driving

It is not necessary to practice with an instructor. You can practice driving by yourself in places where there are not many persons or cars, and being very vigilant.

Driving test

Once you feel safe driving the scooter, it is possible to do the driving test after the registration in the motorizzazione or communicating it to the driving school. During the test, you will drive the motorino, followed by a car with an examiner, and you will have to demonstrate that you know the rules of the road and drive in the traffic. At the end of the test, the examiner will tell you if you pass the test or not. If you don’t get the licence, you may take the test again within 5 months of the date of your written test.

Cost: The cost of obtaining a patente AM is of about €80 if you register in the motorizzazione while with the driving school the cost is between €200 e €250.

To drive a motorcycle 125cc you will need a patente A1. The minimum age is 16 years old.
After the registration, you can read about this above, you will have to do the written test, practice driving and do the driving test.

Written test

The written test lasts 30 minutes, during this time you will have to answer 40 questions “true” o “false”. If you make more than 4 mistakes, you will have to repeat the test. You can repeat the test one more time, but you have to wait at least one month from the first try. If instead you make less than 4 mistakes, you pass the test and receive the “foglio rosa”. This document, valid 6 months, allows you to practice driving the motorcycle. 

If you are registered in a driving school, they will organise the lessons and indicate the handbook that you have to study.

Instead, if you are registered at the motorizzazione and you have to prepare the test on your own, you can study any handbook updated. In the section on the handbooks, you will find some examples of handbooks.

In this page you can do a simulation of the test, click the button “Quiz di simulazione di Esame”.

Practice driving

It is not necessary to practice with an instructor. You can practice driving by yourself in places where there are not many persons or cars, and being very vigilant.

Driving test

Once you feel safe driving the motorcycle, it is possible to do the driving test after the registration in the motorizzazione or communicating it to the driving school. During the test, you will drive the motorcycle, followed by a car with an examiner, and you will have to demonstrate that you know the rules of the road and drive in the traffic. At the end of the test, the examiner will tell you if you pass the test or not. If you don’t get the licence, you may take the test again within 5 months of the date of your written test.

Cost: The cost of obtaining a patente A1 is about €150 if you register in the motorizzazione while with the scuola guida the cost is about €1000.

Patente A1 and B

If you don’t speak well Italian, it could be useful to study bilingual handbooks. The bilingual handbooks are available in: Italian-Albanian, Italian-Arab, Italian-Chinese, Italian-French, Italian-English, Italian-Rumanian, Italian-Russian, and Italian-Spanish. Here two options:
1- Bilingual handbook licence A and B
2- Bilingual handbook licence A and B

Otherwise, here some handbooks in Italian:

Italian handbook
Italian handbook

Patente AM

Unfortunately, there are not bilingual handbooks for this type of licence. You may study in Italian. Here two handbooks:
Italian handbook
Italian handbook

There are two procedures that concern licences issued by other countries.

Recognition of your patente: with this procedure you obtain a sticker to be applied in your patente, this indicates that your licence is recognised by the Italian state. It is possible to apply for recognition to the motorizzazione.

Conversion of your patente: through this procedure, the foreign patente will be replaced by an Italian one. For this procedure, it is also necessary to refer to the motorizzazione.

Here who has to follow the procedure:

EU Countries

Persons who have patente issued by EU countries may drive with their licence without exchanging in the Italian patente. Nevertheless, it is useful to apply for either the conversion or recognition to facilitate the renewal procedures or to denounce any loss or theft.

Non-EU Countries

Persons holding a non-EU patente can drive in Italy for a maximum of one year, but only with an official translation of the patente.

The translation has to be done by a professional translator and certified by a notary or a registrar, otherwise can be requested to the consulate of your country and validated in the Prefettura.

After a year that you are using the translated patente, this has to be converted into an Italian patente. Only the patente issued by the countries in this list can be converted. The patente not issued by a country in this list cannot be converted. In this case, the person has to do both tests in order to get the Italian patente.

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