How to Get a Category A2 Driving Licence in Germany?

A Category A2 driving license (in German, Führerschein Klasse A2) is Germany’s mid-power motorcycle license, the middle rung of the Stufenführerschein system, sitting between the entry-level A1 and the fully unrestricted Class A. It lets you ride motorcycles up to 35 kW (48 PS) with a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.2 kW/kg. This guide goes deep into what Class A2 actually covers in Germany, the real breakdown of training hours, the compulsory Sonderfahrten (special drives), the exact fee ranges, and the fast, cheap A2-to-A upgrade path.

In Germany, training and testing run through a licensed Fahrschule, and the license is issued by the local Führerscheinstelle. Our driving license in Germany and license eligibility pages are good starting points.

What is a Class A2 license in Germany?

Class A2 authorizes you to ride motorcycles with a motor output of up to 35 kW and a power-to-weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW per kilogram of unladen weight, the harmonized EU definition. There is no cc limit built into the definition; power output and power-to-weight ratio are what matter legally.

Where A2 sits in Germany’s Stufenführerschein

Germany’s motorcycle categories follow the standard EU baseline age structure, introduced EU-wide in 2013:

• A1: motorcycles up to 125 cc, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg, from age 16.
• A2: motorcycles up to 35 kW and 0.2 kW/kg, from age 18.
• A: motorcycles with no power restriction, from age 24 by direct entry, or 20 if you have held A2 for at least two years.

Class A automatically includes the entitlement to ride A1- and A2-category vehicles, so the latter is cumulative, but A2 is a genuine, standalone category for many German riders.

What can you actually ride with an A2 license?

With Class A2, you can ride any motorcycle, naked, sport, adventure, or cruiser, provided it meets the 35 kW / 0.2 kW/kg limits, on all German roads, including the Autobahn. If a motorcycle’s standard factory output exceeds 35 kW, it can be supplied power-restricted (“gedrosselt”), but only if the machine’s original, unrestricted output does not exceed 70 kW.

Two routes to A2: direct entry and staged access

There are two ways to reach Class A2 in Germany:

• Direct entry: if you don’t already hold Class A1, you complete the full theory and practical training and sit both exams from age 18.
• Staged access (Stufenführerschein): if you have already held Class A1 for at least two years, you can upgrade to A2 with a shorter, time-reduced practical exam only (typically around 40 minutes); no new theory course or theory exam is required.

Direct entry: the real training-hour breakdown

For direct entry without a prior license, German driving schools structure the theory course as 16 double lessons (Doppelstunden) of 90 minutes each: 12 covering general road-rules content (Grundstoff) shared across categories, and 4 covering motorcycle-specific content. If you already hold a Class B (car) license, the general content is waived, and you only need around 6 additional double lessons of class-specific theory. On the practical side, every first-time A1/A2/A applicant must complete 12 compulsory Sonderfahrten (special drives): typically broken down as city, rural (Überland), and motorway (Autobahn) drives, on top of however many ordinary practice lessons you personally need before you’re ready to test.

Staged access from A1: what actually changes

If you already hold A1 and it’s been at least two years, moving to A2 does not require the theory course or theory exam to be repeated at all. You typically do some preparatory riding time with your Fahrschule to get comfortable on a higher-powered machine, then sit only the practical exam, which runs for around 40 minutes. There’s no legally mandated minimum number of pre-test practice hours for this staged route. However, schools generally recommend a handful of lessons to iron out any rough edges before the test itself.

Costs: direct entry versus staged access

This is where the staged route pays off dramatically. Direct entry to A2 with no prior license typically costs somewhere between €1,600 and €3,200 in total, depending on region, school, and how many practice lessons you personally need. If you already hold a Class B (car license), the theory portion shrinks, and total costs commonly fall to around €2,000–3,000. But if you've already held Class A1 for two years, moving to A2 costs around €500 in most cases, since you’re only paying for the shorter practical exam preparation and the shorter test itself, with no theory course to fund.

The theory exam

For direct-entry candidates, the theory exam consists of 30 multiple-choice questions and allows a maximum of 10 error points, with no more than two “important” errors (each worth 5 points) permitted. It’s shared across A1, A2, and A. Once you pass it in any motorcycle category, you don’t need to repeat it when you move up.

Medical requirements

Applicants need to provide an eyesight test result, and the certificate must not be older than two years at the time of application for A2.

Automatic transmission restriction

Worth knowing: if you take the practical exam on a motorcycle with an automatic transmission, your license will be restricted to automatic machines only.

Does A2 include A1?

Yes. Because Class A2 covers a strictly wider power range than A1, holding A2 also entitles you to ride A1-category vehicles. You don’t need to hold A1 separately once you have A2.

Upgrading from A2 to full Class A later

If you’ve held Class A2 for at least two years, you can move up to the fully unrestricted Class A from age 20 rather than waiting until 24 for direct entry. As with the A1-to-A2 step, this staged upgrade only needs a reduced-length practical exam, at a typical cost of around €500, with no theory course or exam repeated. If you want to skip the two-year wait, you can opt for reduced-hour direct entry to Class A instead, though this still requires both theory and practical training and exams, and, by law,, the training and test must be conducted on a motorcyclewithf at least 44 kW.

The B196 alternative: not the same as A1 or A2

Since late 2019, German car (Class B) license holders have had a simpler option for riding 125cc-class machines: key number 196 (Schlüsselzahl 196), a short add-on course added directly to the existing B license rather than a separate motorcycle category. It only permits bikes up to 11 kW / 0.1 kW/kg (the A1 spec), is valid only within Germany, does not carry over abroad, and does not count toward A2 staged access the way a genuine A1 license does. If you want the real A2 entitlement, including recognition in other EU countries, you need the actual A1 or A2 category, not the B196 key number.

Validity

German driving licenses, including Class A2, have the standard EU photocard administrative validity period before renewal.

How is your license actually issued?

Your Fahrschule handles registration for your theory and practical exams and liaises with the Führerscheinstelle on your behalf. Once you have provided your medical documents and they are up to date, the licensing authority issues your card showing the A2 entitlement.

Tips for getting your Class A2 license in Germany

• If you already hold A1 for two years, use staged access; it typically costs around €500, compared with €1,600–3,200 for direct entry.
• If you already hold a car (B) license, mention it to your Fahrschule; the general theory content is waived, cutting your theory hours roughly in half.
• Don’t confuse the B196 key number with a genuine A1 license. B196 is Germany-only and doesn’t count toward A2 staged access.
• Take the practical exam on a manual bike unless you only want to ride automatics.
• Budget for all 12 compulsory Sonderfahrten (city, rural, and motorway drives) on top of your regular practice lessons for direct entry.

Reach the middle of the motorcycle ladder.

A Class A2 license opens up a genuinely capable range of mid-size motorcycles in Germany, and the staged-access route from A1 makes it one of the most cost-effective upgrades in the whole EU licensing system. As you progress through the licensing system and, in time, toward professional car, truck, or bus categories, you can register in the driver section, explore vacancies, and see what employers are hiring for on FastDriver.eu, along with our guides on the jobs pages.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. License categories, vehicle definitions, ages, medical standards, training requirements, and fees can change and may vary by case, by federal state, and by authority in Germany. Always confirm the current rules with the official German government sources before making decisions. The authoritative information is on the government’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt pages, and the EU framework is in the EUR-Lex text of Directive (EU) 2025/2205. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for actions taken based on this information.