So, you think it's hard to get your driver's license in the U.S.? Yeah, neither do we. The written tests are usually common sense, depending on what state you live in. The American road test for new drivers is typically fairly simple (as long as there's no parallel parking), though it can be unnerving to have some judgmental DMV examiner in the passenger seat. That clipboard they have with them isn't exactly comforting, either. What are they even writing on it? That having been said, most Americans have little trouble getting a driver's license, and frankly, it shows. The quality of driving on U.S. roads tells us that maybe we could be making it a little bit harder to get a license.
Well, some countries do make it harder, and not just a little bit. We're talking about written exams that are so hard that many people have to take them multiple times just to pass. Only 35% of applicants pass Japan's driving test. The pass rate in the UK is only 48%. It's just 39% in South Africa, where you can get points deducted from your score if you fail to check under your car for leaks.
Some countries, like Croatia and Nicaragua, require physical and mental health clearances. And then there are the countries that require extensive practice before getting your license, like France, which won't let a learner get their license until they've logged 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles) of supervised driving. On top of that is the expense. The cost of getting a license in Switzerland can run hundreds of dollars or more.
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We can all probably agree that a basic requirement for getting a driver's license should be the ability to see (at least with the help of glasses or contact lenses). It's bad enough we have to share the road with people who just act like they can't see. But some countries go further than a basic eye exam.
Croatia, for example requires you to pass multiple medical exams before you get your license. They check for things like vision, hearing, Diabetes, Epilepsy, and cardiovascular issues. Having any of these issues doesn't necessarily disqualify someone from getting a license, but there may be restrictions put in place. And don't think you can get your friend's cousin who happens to be a doctor to sign off for you. You'll have to be evaluated by an institution approved by the Croatian Ministry of Health. Also, the government doesn't offer these exams free of charge. It's going to cost you a minimum of €50 (around $58 U.S. dollars) for an exam that you may not pass. The exam is fairly thorough, too. It includes labs done on your blood and urine, an ECG, a motor skills assessment, and an evaluation by an occupational and sports medicine specialist.
Croatia isn't the only country that requires you to get a health clearance before you get your license. There are several that require some kind of exam. That includes Brazil, Hungary, Bahrain, Montenegro, Kuwait, Chile, Belgium, and Israel.
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As if taking physical exams and sharing medical information with the government isn't personal enough, some countries add an extra layer and want to know about your mental health, too. That means potential drivers have to sit through very thorough psychological evaluations before they can get their license. This sometimes involves being examined by a mental health professional.
Once again, Croatia falls into this category. That country requires that potential drivers be examined for neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as various mental health conditions. Montenegro requires that you see a psychologist, often in the same facility where you get your vision cleared by an ophthalmologist. Nicaragua has you fill out an eight-page psychological evaluation – talk about thorough. And you thought having to take that multiple-choice test on the rules of the road at the DMV was a lot of pressure.
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Few people like studying. Even fewer enjoy preparing for exams. But some people really, really hate doing either of those things. If that's you, then you may struggle to get a license in some countries. We're talking about tests that can have hundreds of questions and require a score of upward of 90% to pass.
In Singapore, you have to pass two 50-question written tests, scoring at least 90% on both, before you're even allowed to take driving lessons on the open road. Once you pass, you can get a 6-month Provisional Driving License, which enables you get on-the-road training before you can take the practical test for your actual driver's license.
Japan is another country that makes you take a test before you can get a learner's permit. That test is 50 questions long. The one for your actual license has twice as many questions. The test in China consists of 100 questions pulled from 1,000 possible questions, and you have to score at least 90% to pass. Hungary's test is timed. You only have 60 seconds to answer each of the 75 questions. No pressure, right? These folks shouldn't feel bad, though, since it took Ozzy Osbourne 19 attempts to get his license.
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For some of us, our on-the-road training consisted of being taken out to an empty lot by a parent to learn how to park. That's not the case in some countries. Certain countries require several hours of lessons with a certified trainer. In Japan, the test can be so challenging that some go to driver camps for focused training.
New South Wales, Australia, requires new drivers to record 120 hours of supervised driving in a logbook, including 20 nighttime hours before they can get their driver's license. But you can shorten that time if you take lessons from a licensed instructor. Every hour with a pro equals 3 hours of being yelled at by your parents for driving too fast and not checking your mirrors enough. Only 57% of applicants in New South Wales passed the exam in 2022.
France requires learners to put in 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) of supervised driving within a year or 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) in three months before they can apply for their licenses. So, just drive grandma to the store and her doctor's appointments, right? Well, grandma better have had a clean driving record for the past 5 years and be willing to register as your supervisor. Alternatively, you could pay for 20 hours of instruction at a basic driving school. Or, if you're really impatient and have €2,000 ($2,310) burning a hole in your pocket, you could take an intensive course where you put in 7 hours over 3 days or 3 hours every day for 2 weeks. You'd think these folks were trying to get their Formula 1 license, not a regular one.
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The cost to get a driver's license in some countries may have some of us questioning whether we really need two kidneys, especially considering the going rate of black-market organs nowadays (we don't actually know what the rate is, but we're guessing it's probably enough to pay for a license).
Croats have to pay for medical and psych exams just to get their licenses. They also have to pay for 85 hours of driving lessons. On average, getting your license in Croatia will set you back roughly $1,223. Imagine paying that much and not even passing the first time. We're beginning to wonder if the Croatian government wants anyone to drive.
Switzerland charges between 120 CHF and 140 CHF (roughly $150 to $175) for the driving test alone, depending on the Swiss canton. That's not cheap, but it still might not sound that expensive to you. It can add up, though, if you have to take the test multiple times, which goes for the written exam as well. On top of that, Swiss learners must also pay for an eye test, a first aid course, the theory handbook, their provisional license or learner's permit, the road awareness theory course, and the license itself. All of that together, if you pass the theory and driving tests the first time, runs nearly 600 CHF at the cheapest, or roughly $744.
If we ever find ourselves living in any of these countries, we'd just have to hope that they have good public transit systems. It makes us respect the folks who make it through the hurdles and do get their licenses.
