Getting an Italian Driving Licence

Information on driving permits in Italy: who can drive on a foreign driver's licence, and for how long. Information on when and how to exchange a license, and details on applying for a learner's licence and registering for an Italian driving test.

Anyone found driving without a valid driving licence may be subject to a fine. Drivers in Italy must be at least 18 years of age.

Getting an Italian Driving Licence

There are various types of driving licence in Italy: A, A1, B, C, D and E. The driving licence that allows a car to be driven is licence B (Patente B).

Car licence

In order to obtain the Patente B a person must be at least 18 years old and be in a suitable physical condition (a medical certificate is required for eyesight, mental and physical condition).

Registration as a learner can only be made through a licenced driving school.

Documents required are:

Tax code (Codice Fiscale)
ID or stay permit
Two passport photographs

The driving school will issue a learner's license (foglio rosa) which is valid for a period of six months.

Two types of examinations must be taken in order to obtain the driver's licence:

Theory test (multiple choice, in Italian)
Practical driving test (road test with instructor and examiner)

The theory exam can only be taken a month after the issue of the foglio rosa. It consists of checking knowledge of the Highway Code (Codice della Strada) through a test containing multiple-choice questions. The test may be taken by oral examination for those who have not mastered the Italian language. Learner's books with test questions are available at bookshops.

The foglio rosa gives the learner three chances to take a driving test; if they fail the theoretical test twice, the foglio rosa is no longer valid. If they pass, they may proceed to the practical stage.

The practical driving test is usually taken after a period of practice although this is not obligatory for drivers carrying a foreign licence.

Learner drivers may not drive on the Autostrada.

Moped licence

Drivers of a moped or motorcycle of 50cc must be at least 14 years old and must pass an exam (Il Patentino) and carry with them the Certificate of Aptitude (Certificato di Idoneità). After a few hours tuition, they must answer a 30-minute test, with a maximum of 4 mistakes.

Note: only Italian residents are entitled to take this test.

The Italian Driving Licence

The Italian licence is a credit-card sized plastic card.

It has limited validity periods:

Ten years for people under the age of 50
Five years for those between 50 and 70 years of age
Three years thereafter

At each renewal, a doctors' certificate is required as proof that the driver is fit. A family doctor can issue the certificate, otherwise if done through an agency (Pratiche Automobilistiche) they will arrange the doctor's appointment.