European driving license from Italy

If you possess driving license from a country which is recognized by the European Union, you can start driving from the first day that you arrive in Italy. If not, it is possible to apply for an international license which would be valid for a year from the date of your arrival. After the first year it is mandatory to have a European Union driving license to drive in Italy. Please continue reading if you are interested in getting an Italian driving license.

Although it is possible to do all the process starting from booking a theory exam date by yourself, it is recommended to approach a driving school. Although this would mean you have to pay for their services, at the end of the day it saves you a lot of effort and top of that lot of time without wasting time trying to figure out the changes in procedure. The process is the same as in any other country, first a theory exam should be cleared and then the driving test. We will through each of them in detail. The details mentioned below is for the most common license for personal use which is B. This is the license that allows you to drive normal cars and small scooters. Before proceeding, make sure that you have the following documents to apply for the license:

• Identity card
• Resident permit in validity
• Medical certificate from doctor

Theory exam

The theory exam in Italy is offered only in the native language Italian. There are exceptions in certain regions where the exams could be taken in German, Spanish or French. These are subject to change so not mentioning the regions and languages specifically. When you are serious about the exams, you can enquire these details in the nearest driving school. They have the latest and the most accurate details. It is unfortunate that the exam is not offered in English due to which foreigners who do not speak one of these above-mentioned European languages find it difficult to clear the theoretical exams. The exam consists of 40 questions for which you must answer true/false, out of which at least 36 should be correct to pass the exam. It sounds simple, but it is not so easy as it seems. The questions are tricky which might make you think in a totally different way and persuade you to mark wrong answers. The questions are not straight forward even for native Italian speakers. Hence, it is very important to practice and do mock tests. The ideal approach would be to go through the theory for each chapter, do mock tests for the chapter. It is better to understand each question and prepare for the test slowly rather than rushing through the tests, in this case the time spent on it is useless. If you go to enroll in a driving school, they will share “Guida e Vai” tag book which will help in going through the theory. Each chapter has a QR code which would open tests for the chapter using the app “Quiz Patente Official 2022”. If you are fine spending long hours in front of a phone screen, the app also has the theory for each chapter. The app is useful as it not only has content for the mock tests, but also helps in tracking your progress. It would help in self-evaluation of yourself, if you are ready for the actual test. If you are enrolled in a driving school, they will also be able to track your progress and share feedback on the aspects that needs improvement. Driving schools will have already booked some dates for their students. So, it would be possible to get a date for the theory exam earlier than the date if you try to book a date by yourself. This observation is from personal experience. One of my roommates booked a date by himself, and the first date available was in 4 months while through a driving school it was possible to book an exam in the next month. The time period mentioned here was in the year 2021, when there was still some covid restrictions in place. Once you have cleared the theory test, you will be given learners license, the so called “Foglia rosa”.

Driving test

The most difficult part is clearing the theory exam. That you are here now, congrats for clearing the exam. It is not an easy exam. The learner’s license is valid for 6 months and during this time frame it is possible to attempt for the driving test twice. If you fail to clear the test in 2 attempts, another foglia rosa has to be obtained and the process has to restarted from the beginning. So, make sure that you are well prepared for the driving test. It is allowed to do driving practices in not so crowded area with P marked on the vehicle, and someone next to you who has the license for more than 10 years. It is not valid outside Italy. If these regulations are not respected, it can incur a fine up to 335 euros. The driving test starts with some general questions about the car which includes how to change the oil level, where to fill the coolant and so on. These questions should be answered opening the bonnet of the car. So, check all these things of the car that you are taking for the driving test. If you are taken by a driving school for the test, they would explain all these in detail before going for the test. If not, it is better to go a driving school only to get some help for this step. They will surely have the latest updates and how the local motor vehicle examiner would be asking the questions. Once the examiner is satisfied with the answers, you would be taken for a test drive where mainly your driving ability, and whether you adhere to the rules like giving precedence to other vehicles would be checked. After successful completion of the test, you will be given the license on the spot without any waiting.

During the first year, it is possible to drive only cars below 55KW with License B. So, always check the details of the car before driving so that you do not end up in trouble.

Driving in Italy

During the preparation for the theory exam, you will come across all the rules that have to be obeyed on European roads. In Italy, they are strict about speed limit. It is not uncommon to the sign “Controllo velocità elettronica” on the sides. This means that there are speed checkers and defaults would be fined based on the speed above the limit. You might even lose points if it exceeds a certain limit. It is possible to be fined multiple times on the same street if you have been captured by different speed checkers. Another sign to look out for is “ZTL – Zona Traffico Limitato” which means that it is a traffic limited zone, and you can enter only if you have a valid pass to enter the area. So, if you do not already posses one and if you enter the area, you might be fined around 72 euros. The fine in either case, would be sent from the municipal office to the registered address of the owner of the car. The period of arrival varies with municipality; hence you might not be even aware that a ticket has been issued in your name until you receive it.

These are the main things to be taken care when you drive in Italian roads. If you adhere to the rules, you can enjoy your stay and have lovely trips in the area.

Happy driving!