Becoming a Driving Instructor in Switzerland: Requirements, Training and Costs
The path to a driving instructor licence is set out in the Fahrlehrerverordnung — and it runs differently from how most guides describe it. This page gives you the four requirements in the wording of the ordinance, the three licence categories and the cost blocks you should plan for.
In short
To work as a driving instructor in Switzerland you need the federal diploma «Fahrlehrer/Fahrlehrerin», an unlimited category B driving licence, two preceding years without any traffic-endangering offence, and the permit for professional passenger transport. These four points are set out in Article 5 of the Fahrlehrerverordnung.
Explained in the video
The four requirements under Art. 5 FV
The Fahrlehrerverordnung (driving instructor ordinance, SR 741.522) sets out exactly four conditions for the category B instructor licence — that is, cars. All four must be met:
- The federal diploma «Fahrlehrer/Fahrlehrerin» with module qualification B.
- An unlimited category B driving licence — and you must have driven during the two preceding years without committing a traffic-endangering breach of the rules.
- The permit for professional passenger transport under Article 25 VZV.
- Assurance of proper professional conduct based on your record to date.
Two points are regularly reported wrongly. First, the ordinance requires no three-year holding period for the driving licence — it requires an unlimited licence plus two years without a traffic-endangering offence. Second, the ordinance contains no upper-secondary education requirement; conditions of that kind come from the examination regulations for the federal examination and are set by the industry association, not by the federal government.
The category B driving licence is therefore the foundation of everything. If you are still working towards it, the process is described under the practical driving test.
The three licence categories
Article 4 FV divides the instructor licence into three categories. Categories A and C both require category B first — cars come before everything else.
| Licence | What you may teach | Additionally required |
|---|---|---|
| Category B | Cars and trailer combinations (B, BE, B1) plus special category F; also training for professional passenger transport | Federal diploma «Fahrlehrer/Fahrlehrerin» (module B) |
| Category A | Motorcycles of category A and subcategory A1 | Category B licence plus the diploma «Motorradfahrlehrer/-in» (module A) |
| Category C | Lorries and coaches: C, D, CE, DE as well as C1, D1, C1E, D1E | Category B licence plus the diploma «Lastwagenfahrlehrer/-in» (module C) |
To teach with trailer combinations you additionally need the corresponding driving licence (Art. 5 para. 4 FV).
How the training is structured
You do not obtain the diploma from the road traffic office but from a private driving instructor school. The training is modular: you attend individual modules, complete them, and register for the federal examination at the end. Depending on the school and whether you study alongside a job or full time, the whole path takes roughly one to two years.
The content goes well beyond driving: traffic pedagogy, learning psychology, hazard theory, vehicle technology, law and practical teaching method. Annex 1 FV defines which competencies a module qualification must cover; how that is delivered is up to the schools.
The permit for professional passenger transport (point 3 of the requirements) runs in parallel and is handled by the road traffic office of your canton of residence. You can find the office responsible for you in our overview of cantonal road traffic offices.
These cost blocks arise
- Module fees charged by the instructor school — the largest item, usually billed per module
- Teaching materials and examination preparation
- Fees for the federal examination
- Permit for professional passenger transport (medical certificate, official fee)
- Cantonal fee for the instructor licence itself
- Loss of earnings if you do not train entirely alongside a job
- Later in the job: a vehicle with dual controls, insurance, mandatory continuing education
Licence in hand — what then?
With the licence comes the question the training barely covers: where do the students come from? There are two classic routes. Either you join an existing driving school and take on its flow of students, or you become self-employed and build the demand yourself — which is the harder part in the first few months.
DriveLab is a marketplace for driving schools: learners search the platform by region, vehicle and language, and enquiries go directly to the affiliated instructors. If you are close to qualifying or already hold the licence, you will find the right entry point under open positions and partner registration. For a sense of how a profile looks, see the location pages.
Frequently asked questions
How long does driving instructor training take?
Roughly one to two years, depending on the school and your workload. The training is modular and can be completed alongside a job. There is no fixed statutory timeframe — the Fahrlehrerverordnung governs the requirements for the licence, not the duration of the training.
Do I need an apprenticeship or Matura to become an instructor?
The Fahrlehrerverordnung requires no particular educational qualification. Admission requirements for the federal examination are set by the industry association in its examination regulations, not by the federal government. Ask the instructor school where you plan to enrol for the specific conditions.
How long must I have held my driving licence?
Article 5 FV requires an unlimited category B driving licence. In addition, you must have driven motor vehicles during the two preceding years without committing a traffic-endangering breach of the traffic rules. The blanket three-year period often quoted does not appear in the ordinance.
Can I train directly as a motorcycle instructor?
No. Under Art. 5 para. 2 FV the category A instructor licence requires the category B licence first. The same applies to category C for lorries and coaches. Cars always come first.
What does the training cost?
The instructor schools set and publish their own prices; there is no nationally valid figure. Budget for module fees as the largest item, plus teaching materials, examination fees, the permit for professional passenger transport and the cantonal fee for the instructor licence.
Related guides
Ready for your next driving lesson?
More than 700 locations and driving instructors across German-speaking Switzerland — compare and book directly.
Sources: Fahrlehrerverordnung (FV, SR 741.522), Art. 4 und 5 — Stand 01.04.2023 · Verkehrszulassungsverordnung (VZV, SR 741.51), Art. 25 — Stand 01.01.2026 · Cantonal fees from the cantons' fee ordinances, last checked in July 2026. This page is not legal advice; the applicable ordinance text always prevails.