Prague driving-test shortage leaves learners waiting months for licenses

Aspiring drivers in Prague are facing months-long waits to complete their driving tests, as a shortage of examiners leaves driving schools struggling to secure examination dates. Some students have been waiting nearly half a year despite rules requiring exams to be held within 15 days.

According to Czech Radio, Prague City Hall currently has six vacancies among its 21 driving-test examiner positions. The shortage is creating difficulties for students who have already completed their required driving lessons but cannot obtain a final practical examination date.

One 19-year-old student, Valentýna, finished her compulsory driving lessons in June but was still waiting for her practical test in October.

She told Czech Radio that she had forgotten much of what she learned during the intervening months and expected to pay for additional refresher lessons before taking the exam.

The problem is also affecting driving schools, which must manage growing numbers of students waiting to finish their training.

Pavel Greiner, owner of Prague-based driving school King, said he was considering accepting fewer students next year because of the delays.

He explained that students lose confidence and practical skills when too much time passes between their lessons and final examination. To help them secure appointments, he regularly contacts other driving schools to check whether they have spare examination slots.

Dagmar Nosková, deputy director of driving school Nobe, said attracting new examiners is difficult because of the profession's training requirements, periodic assessments and relatively low pay.

Examiners must undergo additional training every two years and have their qualifications reassessed every five years.

While the capital faces particularly lengthy delays, driving schools elsewhere in Czechia are also experiencing difficulties.

Nosková told Czech Radio that waiting times in other parts of the country can range from three to five weeks, although Prague's delays are unusually long.

Prague's examiners assess up to 14,000 driving-license applicants annually. Their responsibilities also include inspecting driver-training centers and examining prospective driving instructors.

City Hall spokesperson Vít Hofman confirmed the six vacancies but said staffing was not the only factor contributing to the backlog. He also pointed to students arriving insufficiently prepared for examinations, occupying appointments that could otherwise go to candidates ready to pass.

The Transport Ministry, meanwhile, maintains that Czechia has enough examiners nationally.

Ministry spokesperson František Jemelka said there are more than 500 across the country, suggesting the problem lies partly in how they are distributed and the responsibilities assigned to them.

The Transport Ministry is preparing changes intended to simplify the administration of practical driving tests.

Under the planned system, examiners would use tablets to record driving-test routes, results and other details electronically.

According to the ministry, the technology should improve transparency while reducing administrative work.

However, no implementation date or immediate solution to Prague's examiner shortage was specified in the report.

For prospective drivers in Prague, the delays mean that completing driving-school lessons may not translate into receiving a license anytime soon. Applicants should check expected examination waiting times with their driving school and consider whether additional practice sessions may be necessary before their final test.