Venues6 addressesZurich ×2, Zug, Lucerne, Wohlen, Romanshorn
First aid course · officially called Nothelferkurs
First Aid Course (Nothelferkurs) in Switzerland: Locations, Dates & Costs
The first aid course (Nothelferkurs) is mandatory for your learner licence application – for car and motorcycle alike. Choose your venue below and book directly online: 10 hours over two days, CHF 128 flat rate, certificate valid 6 years.
- 10 hoursover at least 2 days
- CHF 128flat rate
- Valid 6 yearsrecognised throughout Switzerland
- CHF 50 cashbackon your driving lessons
Duration10 hoursspread over at least 2 days
PriceCHF 128flat rate, no exam fee
CertificateValid 6 yearsrecognised by every road traffic office
Choose your venue for the first aid course
Six venues between Romanshorn and Lucerne – all bookable online, all with a certificate from an ASTRA-recognised body. We run the courses in Zurich (Lagerstrasse) and Zug ourselves; Zurich-Albulastrasse, Wohlen and Romanshorn run via our partner Dragon Drive, Lucerne via the Samariterverein Luzern Pilatus. Courses in Zug are held in English; Zurich offers both languages.
Zurich · Lagerstrasse
Lagerstrasse 2, 8004 Zurich
Own DriveLab venue · German · English
CHF 128
Details & dates
Zurich · Albulastrasse
Albulastrasse 57, 8048 Zurich
Partner: Dragon Drive · Course language German
CHF 128
Details & dates
Zug
Industriestrasse 50, 6300 Zug
Own DriveLab venue · Course language English
CHF 128
Details & dates
Lucerne
Maihofstrasse 95c, 6005 Lucerne
Partner: Samariterverein Luzern Pilatus · Course language German
see course page
Details & dates
Wohlen AG
Gewerbering 25, 5610 Wohlen
Partner: Dragon Drive · Course language German
CHF 128
Details & dates
Romanshorn
Alleestrasse 24, 8590 Romanshorn
Partner: Dragon Drive · Course language German
CHF 128
Details & dates
Booking and payment are fully online – your place is firmly reserved once payment is made. You will find dates and booking on the page of your venue.
What the first aid course is – and why you need it
The Nothelferkurs is a course in life-saving emergency measures and a legal admission requirement (Art. 10 VZV): without this proof you can neither register for the basic theory test nor submit the learner licence application.
Mandatory for car & motorcycle
The certificate is required for categories A and B as well as A1 and B1 – that means car, motorcycle, moped and light motor vehicles. Many attend the course before their 18th birthday, alongside preparing for the theory test.
10 hours over at least 2 days
At least three teaching units of two to four hours, around 70 % practical exercises, no more than 12 people per instructor (ASTRA directives). A legally compliant course in a single day does not exist – and there is no purely online course.
Certificate valid for 6 years
Only an ASTRA-recognised body may issue it – with the prescribed note «gültig bis am TT.MM.JJJJ» (valid until DD.MM.YYYY). There is no exam: what matters is full attendance on both days.
Who is exempt?
Only those on the exhaustive list in Art. 10 para. 5 VZV: holders of a driving licence in the categories mentioned, doctors (including dentists and vets), qualified nursing staff, first aid course instructors, or people with an ASTRA-recognised training certificate. A BLS or Samaritan course does not exempt you automatically.
What you learn in the first aid course
The course is deliberately geared towards road accidents. The content is prescribed by Art. 10 para. 3 VZV – it is identical with every recognised provider.
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01
Securing the accident scene
Hazard lights, high-visibility vest, warning triangle – and always your own protection first.
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02
Raising the alarm
The right emergency number, the right information, in the right order.
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03
Life-saving measures
Positioning the injured person, resuscitation in case of respiratory arrest, dealing with severe bleeding and the basics of chest compressions – until medical help arrives.
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04
Getting to know the defibrillator
The use of an AED is demonstrated for around ten minutes – shown, not practised. If you really want to train with an AED, or need to for work, you need the BLS-AED-SRC course (see the comparison).
How much the first aid course costs
Flat-rate prices with no exam fee – the first aid course has no exam; what matters is full attendance. The price includes both course days and the certificate for the basic theory test and the licence application.
Zurich · Lagerstrasse
CHF 128
German and English, both days included
Dates ZurichZug
CHF 128
Course language English, both days included
Dates ZugAlbulastrasse, Wohlen, Romanshorn
CHF 128
Price and address are shown with every date
Choose your venueLucerne
Price on the course page
Run by the Samariterverein Luzern Pilatus
Lucerne course pageThe first aid course is the first mandatory step
The usual order for category B. You can complete steps 1 and 2 in parallel – both before your 18th birthday.
First aid course
Ten hours over at least two days. The certificate is valid for six years.
Eye test
Part of the documents for the licence application – at an optician or a doctor.
Apply for the learner licence
Application to the road traffic office of your canton – with the first aid certificate enclosed (Art. 11 para. 1 let. b VZV).
Basic theory test
Registration is only possible with a valid first aid certificate. Prepare with our theory section and the car theory test overview.
Driving lessons & VKU
The traffic theory course (VKU) is mandatory for new drivers – 8 lessons, recognised throughout Switzerland.
Practical driving test
The final hurdle. First aid course places book out quickly, especially in spring and summer – if you get it done early, you will not lose weeks later on.
A deeper look at the law: what the Road Traffic Licensing Ordinance says
All legal information on this page has been checked against the primary source: Road Traffic Licensing Ordinance (VZV, SR 741.51, as of 1 January 2026) and the ASTRA directives on courses in life-saving emergency measures.
How to recognise an approved provider
Only an ASTRA-recognised body may issue the certificate (Art. 10 para. 2 VZV). The certification body SGS audits the provider and issues the course certificate; instructors need a competence certificate. Four checkpoints before you book:
- Spread over at least two days – a one-day offer cannot comply with the directives.
- At least ten hours including breaks, in at least three units of two to four hours.
- Group size: no more than 12 people per instructor, 16 only with an assistant.
- The note «gültig bis am TT.MM.JJJJ» (valid until DD.MM.YYYY) on the certificate – it is mandatory.
A provider that openly states all four points usually has nothing to hide. With us, the duration, dates, venue and the provider running the course are shown directly with every course.
Validity, expiry and loss of the certificate
What matters is the date you register for the basic theory test: at that point the course must date back no more than six years (Art. 10 para. 1 VZV). If you take the course at 17 and the theory test at 21, you are comfortably within the deadline.
Expired? There is no extension, no refresher and no shortened repeat – you attend the full course again. Which makes sense: after six years without practice, nobody reliably remembers chest compressions.
Lost it? There is no central register. Contact the body that ran the course – courses booked via drivelab.ch are stored in your customer account. If the proof can no longer be obtained, attending the course again is the only option.
Nothelferkurs, BLS-AED-SRC or first aid course – the difference
The Nothelferkurs is federal law and serves the driving licence; BLS-AED-SRC is a private standard of the Swiss Resuscitation Council for resuscitation. The clearest difference is the AED: in the Nothelferkurs the defibrillator is demonstrated for around ten minutes; in the BLS course you practise it with a training device.
One does not replace the other: a BLS course only exempts you from the Nothelferkurs with an ASTRA-recognised training certificate, and the Nothelferkurs does not meet any BLS requirement of an employer. «Erste-Hilfe-Kurs» (first aid course) is not a protected standard either – duration, content and proof are set by the individual provider.
Details can be found in the full Nothelferkurs or BLS comparison and on the BLS-AED-SRC course page.
FAQ about the first aid course (Nothelferkurs)
How long is the first aid course (Nothelferkurs) valid?
Six years. More precisely: when you register for the basic theory test, the course must date back no more than six years (Art. 10 para. 1 VZV). That is why the certificate must carry the note "gültig bis am TT.MM.JJJJ" (valid until DD.MM.YYYY).
My first aid certificate has expired — can I refresh it?
No. There is no extension or shortened refresher course for the first aid requirement. You attend the full course again, meaning at least ten hours over at least two days.
Is the first aid course available in a single day?
No. Section 2.3.2 of the ASTRA directives explicitly requires the course to be spread over at least two days, in at least three teaching units of two to four hours. A one-day course does not meet these requirements.
How long does the first aid course take in total?
At least ten hours including breaks. Around 70 per cent of that is practical exercises.
How much does the first aid course cost?
At DriveLab, CHF 128 flat rate – the same for German- and English-language courses. For your first paid first-aid booking you receive a one-off CHF 50 welcome bonus in your DriveLab wallet, redeemable against driving lessons.
Where can I find a first aid course near me?
DriveLab runs courses in Zurich (two addresses), Zug, Lucerne, Wohlen AG and Romanshorn. Dates and booking are on the page of your venue, and there is an overview of all offers at drivelab.ch/en/locations/.
Do I need the first aid course for a scooter or motorcycle as well?
Yes. Art. 10 para. 1 VZV lists categories A and B as well as the subcategories A1 and B1. Car, motorcycle and moped are treated the same.
Who is exempt from the first aid course?
According to Art. 10 para. 5 VZV: holders of a driving licence in the categories mentioned; doctors, dentists and vets; nursing staff with a diploma or federal certificate; first aid course instructors; and people with a training certificate from an ASTRA-recognised body. The list is exhaustive.
Is the first aid course available in English?
The course language is stated with every course listing — check it before booking and ask if in doubt. Legally, recognition of the certificate depends on the ASTRA recognition of the body running the course and on attending the whole course, not on a particular language.
Do I have to take the first aid course before the learner licence?
Yes. The certificate must be enclosed with the application for the learner or driving licence (Art. 11 para. 1 let. b VZV), and without this proof you cannot register for the basic theory test either.
What happens if I miss half a course day?
Then you will not receive a certificate. Art. 10 para. 2 VZV requires attendance of the whole course. If you are unable to attend, let us know early so that you can switch to another date.
Does a BLS-AED-SRC course replace the first aid course?
No, not automatically. A BLS course only exempts you if it counts as a training certificate from an ASTRA-recognised body (Art. 10 para. 5 VZV). Clarify this in advance with the road traffic office of your canton of residence.
Will I learn to use a defibrillator in the first aid course?
You will see it. According to Annex 2 of the ASTRA directives, the use of an AED is demonstrated for around ten minutes. It is not practised. If you want or need to train with an AED, you need a BLS-AED-SRC course.
How many people are in a first aid course?
No more than twelve per instructor, and no more than sixteen with an assistant (section 2.1.2 of the ASTRA directives).
I have lost my certificate. What now?
Contact the body that ran the course — your attendance is documented there. Courses booked via drivelab.ch are stored in your customer account. If the proof can no longer be obtained, attending the course again is the only option.
Can I take the first aid course online?
No. Around 70 per cent of the course time consists of practical exercises — chest compressions, positioning, stopping bleeding. That cannot be replicated in a purely online course.
Ready for your first aid course?
Find your venue and date now
Dates in Zurich, Zug, Lucerne, Wohlen AG and Romanshorn – CHF 128 flat rate, including CHF 50 cashback on your driving lessons.
