How to Get a Category A1 Driving Licence in Bulgaria?

Bulgaria lets you start A1 training earlier than most people expect, at 15 years and 9 months, and issues the license the moment you turn 16. Category A1 (категория А1) is the entry point into Bulgaria’s three-tier motorcycle system, and the actual training hours required depend heavily on whether you already hold a car license. This piece covers exactly what’s required, what it costs, and how the process runs through Bulgaria’s Automobile Administration.

What Category A1 authorizes

A1 covers motorcycles with an engine displacement up to 125cc, maximum power of 11 kW, and a power-to-weight ratio that doesn’t exceed 0.1 kW per kilogram. It also covers three-wheeled vehicles with power up to 15 kW. Holding an A1 automatically gives you AM-category rights too, so mopeds and light quadricycles are covered without a separate application.

Minimum age and starting training early

You need to be 16 to hold the license, but Bulgarian driving schools let you enroll and begin training from 15 years and 9 months, a genuinely useful head start if your birthday falls awkwardly relative to a course schedule. You’ll also need to have completed at least 10th grade to enroll, which is a documentation requirement most driving schools ask for at registration.

Where A1 sits in Bulgaria’s motorcycle system

Bulgaria runs three motorcycle categories. A1 (16, up to 125cc/11kW) is the entry tier. A2 (18, up to 35kW/0.2kW-kg) is the middle step. Full Category A, unrestricted, requires 24 years of age for direct entry, or 20 if you’ve already held A2 for at least two years.

Training hours: it depends heavily on what you already hold

This is where Bulgaria’s system differs meaningfully from a lot of its EU neighbors: the required hours scale down sharply if you already have another license category:

• No existing license, or only AM: 38–40 hours of theory (36 hours covering road safety, 4 hours on general motorcycle mechanics and structure) plus 20 hours of practical riding, split between a closed training area (polygon) and urban conditions.
• Already hold Category B (car license): theory drops to just 4 hours, covering the motorcycle-specific “general structure of the motorcycle” module, while the 20 practical hours stay the same.

Either way, practical training typically takes place on a small-displacement training bike; a 125cc machine is standard for A1 instruction, covering both closed-course maneuvers and real-world urban riding conditions.

The theory exam

The theory exam is written, not computer-based, and consists of test papers, each with 45 questions. If you already hold a car (B), truck (C, CE), or bus (D) license, you’re exempt from sitting the theory exam a second time; only the reduced practical training and exam apply to you.

The practical exam

The practical test is administered by the Regional Directorate of the Automobile Administration (RD “AA”, sometimes still referred to by its older abbreviation, ДАИ) and takes place on the training bike, covering both polygon maneuvers and riding in genuine urban traffic.

Documents you’ll need

• ID card (лична карта)
• Existing driving license, if you already hold one (needed to claim reduced training hours)
• Medical certificate confirming physical fitness to drive, issued by a GP (личен лекар) or general practitioner specifically for the purpose
• Proof of completed 10th-grade education

What it costs

Driving school packages for A1, especially the reduced course for existing B-license holders, commonly run around €700 at Sofia-based schools, though this figure typically covers only the school’s own training and internal exam preparation. The official external theory and practical exam fees charged directly by the Automobile Administration sit on top. They aren’t included in most advertised package prices, so budget an additional amount for those separately when comparing schools. Full-course pricing (no existing license, the full 38–40 theory hours) generally costs more than the reduced B-license-holder route, given the extra classroom time involved.

Medical requirements

A medical certificate assessing physical fitness to drive is required from a general practitioner before you can register for the course, separate from any documentation your driving school itself requires.

Automatic transmission

As with other EU-aligned systems, testing on an automatic-transmission motorcycle restricts the resulting license to automatic machines only, under the standard EU code 78.

Upgrading from A1 to A2, and onward to full Category A

Moving from A1 to A2 follows the same reduced-hours logic as initial training: your existing A1 theory generally carries over, and additional practical hours plus the A2 practical test complete the upgrade. Moving further to full unrestricted Category A, the required practical hours depend on your history: if you’ve held A1 for two or more years, only 7 reduced hours of additional training are required before sitting the practical exam; if you’ve held A1 for less than two years, or A2 for less than two years, 14 hours of additional training apply instead. In every upgrade case, only the practical exam is required; the theory exam isn’t repeated once you’ve passed it for any motorcycle category.

Validity

Bulgarian driving licenses, including Category A1, follow the standard EU photocard administrative validity period before routine renewal is required.

How the license is issued

Your driving school (автошкола) manages registration for both your theory and practical exams with the Regional Directorate of the Automobile Administration. Once you pass, your card license is produced showing the A1 category, along with the automatically included AM entitlement.

Foreign residents and license exchange

EU and EEA motorcycle licenses remain valid in Bulgaria without conversion. If you’re relocating from outside the EU/EEA, whether you can exchange your existing license for a Bulgarian one depends on whether a reciprocal recognition agreement exists between Bulgaria and your country of issue; where none exists, you’ll need to complete the full Bulgarian theory and practical process. One detail worth knowing if you’re a Bulgarian citizen who’s lived abroad: licenses issued in Bulgaria before you moved and later exchanged for a foreign one can generally still be used as the basis for further Bulgarian categories once you’re back and hold a valid underlying license. Check with a local driving school about your specific situation, since documentation requirements vary.

Tips that actually help

• If you already hold a car license, ask about the reduced 4-hour theory course before enrolling in the full package; it’s a meaningfully shorter and usually cheaper route.
• Enroll at 15 years and 9 months, if your birthday allows it, so you’re ready to test the moment you turn 16.
• Budget separately for the external Automobile Administration exam fees, since most advertised driving-school prices only cover the school’s own training.
• Keep your medical certificate and 10th-grade documentation ready; enrolment schools generally won’t register you without them.

Where this fits going forward

A1 is a genuinely fast entry point in Bulgaria, especially for anyone who already holds a car license and only needs to complete the reduced training course. If your plans extend toward professional driving down the line, take a look at the driver section, browse current vacancies, or see who’s hiring among employers on FastDriver.eu, alongside our broader job guides. Our driving license in Bulgaria and license eligibility pages provide a broader picture.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Fees, training hours, and administrative rules can change and may vary between driving schools and regions. Always confirm current requirements with the official Bulgarian sources, such as the Ministry of Interior, before making decisions. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for decisions made based on this information.