The road to your full driving licence
Driver training for a full driving licence can begin at the age of 16. The training consists of 25 hours of theoretical instruction in total (Driving School 1, 2 and 3). A driving licence can be issued no earlier than on the applicant’s 17th birthday.
The first step is for the student – or their parents/guardians if the student is under the age of majority – to choose a driving instructor and get in touch with him. To begin driver training, the student must apply for a learner’s driving permit (námsheimild) from the District Commissioner by completing an online application on the website island.is
Once the learner’s permit has been issued, the student begins practical driver training with his driving instructor. At the same time, the student enrols in the online theoretical course Driving School 1 (Ö1), which consists of 12 hours of instruction alongside the practical lessons. The student is free to choose which driving school to attend and is responsible for registering himself. In Driving School 1, the focus is on the fundamentals of traffic understanding, the main traffic rules, road signs, traffic psychology, and practical assignments.
A minimum of 10 driving lessons is required before a learner driver can begin practice driving with a supervisor. The driving instructor assesses when the student is ready and confirms this in the student’s electronic training log. To be allowed to drive with anyone other than the instructor, the student’s supervisor must apply online for authorisation to act as a practice driving supervisor. The supervisor must be at least 24 years old, have held a valid driving licence for at least 5 years, and must not have had their driving licence revoked in the past 12 months. It is important to note that practice driving is not mandatory – the driver training can be completed without it.
Alongside the practice driving period, the student attends the online theoretical course Driving School 2 (Ö2), which consists of 10 hours of instruction. The student is free to choose which driving school to attend and is responsible for registering himself. If the student decides not to participate in practice driving, Driving School 2 is taken alongside continued practical training with the driving instructor.
The student attends a combined practical and theoretical course in Driving School 3 (Ö3). To participate, the student must have completed Driving School 1 and Driving School 2 as well as at least 10 practical driving lessons with the instructor. The student is responsible for registering himself for the course. The aim of Driving School 3 is to help the student understand how easily and unexpectedly control of a vehicle can be lost, for example on slippery roads or loose gravel. The course also covers vehicle safety and protective equipment, the effects of alcohol and other intoxicants on driving ability, and the impact of fatigue on driving performance. There is no final exam for this course, but active participation is required. Driving School 3 is held at Álfhella 3 in Hafnarfjörður.
The student then takes the written theory test with Frumherji, the company responsible for conducting driving tests under an agreement with the Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa). The theory test may be taken up to two months before the student’s 17th birthday. The test is taken on a tablet and consists of 50 statements that must be answered True or False. The questions are based on the material the student has learned in the driving schools and from the driving instructor. The results are provided immediately after the test, and the student must answer at least 45 statements correctly in order to pass. The duration of the theory test is 45 minutes. In addition to Icelandic, the theory test is also available in English, Spanish, and Polish, among other languages.
Once the student has passed the theory test, he completes the remaining practical driving lessons, during which he is prepared for the practical driving test. The driving instructor is responsible for booking the test. A minimum of 15 practical driving lessons must be completed before taking the practical test. The average number of practical lessons is usually between 17 and 25. The practical driving test may be taken up to two weeks before the student’s 17th birthday.
The practical driving test begins with a short oral examination consisting of five questions. These questions cover various aspects of the vehicle itself, such as dashboard warning lights, control and safety equipment, and basic maintenance topics. It is essential to achieve at least 60% in the oral part in order to proceed to the driving test. The driving part of the test takes place on designated test routes, during which the examiner records both positive and negative points and calculates the student’s final score at the end. To pass the test, the student must achieve a minimum score of 80 points. ⚠️ Note: No more than six months may pass between the theory test and the practical driving test.
The student is issued with a provisional driving licence once he has passed the practical driving test. This licence is valid for three years, after which it is possible to apply for a full driving licence.
To obtain a full driving licence after three years, the driver must undergo a driving assessment with a certified driving instructor. It is possible to take this assessment after only 12 months if no penalty points have been recorded on the driver’s record during that period, allowing the driver to obtain the full licence two years earlier than would otherwise be possible.