EU Driving License

The standard driving licence class B is sufficient for driving most vehicle-caravan combinations and motor caravans throughout Europe. Special regulations apply to heavy vehicles.

Motor caravans and caravans stand for individual travel. Like no other way of holiday, caravanning offers maximum flexibility, self-determination and variety. Simply get in and off you go for a weekend trip close by or a summer holiday by the sea. This also means that for traveling with a caravan or motor caravan, the appropriate driver's license has to be available. For most caravan and motor caravan owners this question does not arise.
For example, German driving license holders who acquired their driving license before 1999 are able to drive almost all motor caravans and any combination of vehicle-caravan-combination in the future, because the original status of the old driving license class 3 will be retained. This means that motor vehicles up to 7.5 t and combinations up to 18.75 t can be driven. On the other hand, driving licences acquired since 1 January 1999 are significantly restricted. The standard driving licence class B has a maximum mass limit of 3.5 t for passenger cars, motor caravans and vehicle-caravan-combinations.

 

Driving license reform Read more here about the B driving license reform, which involves extending the driving license to 4.25 t for motorhomes.

EU driving licence

wdt_ID Illustration Information
1 Motorhomes up to a permissible total weight (zGG) of 3,500 kg. Passenger car/caravan combinations up to 3,500 kg zGG.
2 Passenger car/caravan combinations of 4,250 kg zGG.
3 Passenger car/caravan combinations up to 7,000 kg zGG. Towing vehicle and caravan each not heavier than 3,500 kg zGG.
4 Motorhomes with a zGG of more than 3,500 kg and not heavier than 7,500 kg.
5 Class 3 (acquired before 1999). All vehicle categories B, B96, BE and C1 listed above are covered by the old category 3 driving licence.
Information
Numerous changes to the driving licence came into force on 19 January 2013. The reason for this is the implementation of Directive 2006/126/EC, the so-called 3rd EU Driving Licence Directive. The aim of this directive is in particular to put an end to the coexistence of different national regulations and more than 110 different driving licences in Europe. In Germany, for example, all driving licences must comply with the requirements of the 3rd EU Driving Licence Directive by the end of 2032, which means that by then all old driving licences have to be exchanged for the new check card format.

On 19 January 2013, significant changes in driving licence law also came into force for caravan drivers. For example, the driving licence class B currently in force will be changed in two caravan-friendly ways. On the one hand, the trailer regulation for the driving licence class B has been simplified. For example, the normal driving licence class B already entitles the holder to tow trailers, including caravans, with an unlimited total weight if the permissible total mass of the vehicle-caravan-combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

On the other hand, the B96 driving licence comes into force. It can be used to move vehicle-caravan combinations up to a permissible total mass of 4.25 tonnes. For the acquisition of a driving licence class B, it is sufficient for holders to take part in a one-day driving training course; an exam is not necessary.

Further information is available here: http://www.caravaning-info.de/praxistipps/fuehrerschein.html

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