How to Get a Category D Driving Licence in Albania?

Albania sets a hard upper limit of 65 for driving buses, trucks, road trains, and articulated vehicles used in passenger transport, a firm ceiling worth planning your career around if you’re pursuing Category D professionally. This piece covers what Category D authorizes, the exact documentation, and the current DPSHTRR requirements.

What does Category D cover

Category D authorizes large buses for passenger transport and is required for anyone working as a bus driver in public, private, or international transport.

Minimum age

You need to be at least 24 to hold a Category D license.

The maximum age is 65

This is genuinely important to plan around. Albanian law sets a maximum age of 65 for driving buses, trucks, road trains, semi-trailers, and articulated vehicles designated for passenger transport, which is 5 years stricter than the 70-year limit applied to goods-vehicle transport.

You need Category B or C first

Category D requires you to hold Category B or Category C already.

Documents you’ll need

• A copy of your valid identity document (for foreign nationals: a notarised translated passport plus valid residence permit)
• A medical certificate for drivers, issued no more than six months before your application.
• A certified copy of your existing license, stamped by your driving school
• Payment of the 2,800 lek service fee

The “LEJE” authorization and exam process

Once your documentation is submitted, DRSHTRR issues a “LEJE” authorization, valid for six months, during which you can attempt the theory exam up to five times, with a minimum of ten calendar days between attempts. If you don’t pass within that window or after five attempts, you’ll need to re-register at your driving school from scratch.

Passing both theory and practical exams

Your Category D license is issued after passing both the theoretical knowledge check and a practical assessment of your driving skills and behavior, as monitored by the relevant competent authorities.

What is Category D genuinely used for

Most Category D holders go on to work in public transport, tourist coach operations, or international passenger services roles that require the license as a legal prerequisite.

Where applications are processed

Applications for Category D, like other categories, are processed through DRSHTRR (Drejtoria Rajonale e Shërbimeve Të Transportit Rrugor), the regional directorate covering your registered residence.

Automatic transmission

Testing in an automatic-transmission vehicle here comes with a genuine trade-off: your license covers automatic machines exclusively.

DE: adding a heavier trailer

DE covers a Category D bus combined with a trailer exceeding 750 kg and requires already holding Category D as a prerequisite.

Cross-category equivalence

Albania’s licensing framework maps out which categories entitle you to others; for example, DE holders are automatically entitled to D1E and BE, provided you also hold D.

D1, for comparison

D1 authorizes smaller minibusses with up to 16 passengers and a length of up to 8 meters, with a lower minimum age of 21, making it more accessible if you don’t need Category D’s unlimited capacity.

Albania’s full license category list

Albania issues licenses for AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, and DE, with Category D sitting above D1 and covering the full range of bus sizes.

Tips that actually help

• Factor the hard 65-year cutoff into your long-term career planning if you’re pursuing Category D professionally.
• Keep your medical certificate current within the six-month window required for your application.
• Track your “LEJE” authorization’s six-month window and the ten-day gap required between exam attempts.
• Confirm your Category B or C license is valid before applying.

A genuinely major past price reform still shapes current costs.

This is worth understanding clearly, as it explains why current Category D pricing may differ from older published figures. In a formal agreement between the Association of Albanian Driving Schools, the General Directorate of Taxes, and the Road Transport Directorate, new, considerably higher prices were set across all license categories, a genuine 2- to 3-fold increase depending on the category. Under this agreement, Category D specifically rose to 125,000 lekë, with the stated rationale being better-prepared new drivers through increased theory and practice hours, formalization of a market that had previously seen considerable price undercutting and shortcuts, and a shift to bank-based rather than cash payments.

How does this compare to other categories under the same reform

To put Category D’s 125,000 lekë price in context, the same reform set Category C (trucks, 8+1 capacity) at 95,000 lekë, and the standard Category B (car) license at 85,000 lekë, up from around 45,000 lekë previously. Recovering lost points on an existing license was set at 32,000 lekë under the same agreement.

Why the reform happened, according to driving schools themselves

Driving school operators quoted in Albanian media at the time explained the increase as necessary, given rising fuel costs affecting the delivery of practical lessons, alongside a real need to formalize a market in which many driving schools had been offering minimal or no genuine practical training despite accepting lower payments. According to industry representatives, license category fees had remained unchanged for a long time beforehand, making a substantial correction overdue by the time this agreement was reached.

How Albania’s pricing compares internationally

Even after this increase, Albania’s driving license costs remain considerably lower than in several Western European countries. Category B alone in Italy, France, or Germany, for example, can range from roughly €1,400 to €3,000 once course fees, documentation, and testing are included, a meaningfully higher figure than Albania’s equivalent post-reform pricing.

What a Category D course genuinely includes at the driving school level

Beyond the state-negotiated pricing framework, individual driving schools structure their own course packages, typically covering theoretical lessons using textbooks, slides, video content and app-based practice testing, alongside practical driving sessions. Many schools offer flexible scheduling, including morning and afternoon session blocks, and some provide online theory instruction as well, which can be genuinely useful if attending in-person classes at fixed times doesn’t suit your schedule.

Payment flexibility is worth using

Given the substantial cost increase under this reform, many Albanian driving schools offer installment payment plans, allowing you to spread your Category D course fee over the duration of your training rather than paying the full 125,000 lekë upfront. It’s genuinely worth asking your chosen school about specific installment terms before enrolling.

Ongoing monitoring of Albania’s driving school market

The Association of Albanian Driving Schools has stated that this rapidly growing market remains under continuous monitoring to ensure fair competition and quality service for candidates. This oversight reflects real concern within the industry about maintaining consistent standards as demand for driving licenses, including Category D, continues to rise across the country.

Real challenges driving schools themselves report

Beyond pricing, driving school operators have also highlighted genuine operational challenges affecting the sector: high tax burdens and lengthy administrative procedures that candidates must complete before they can even begin their course. If you’re planning to enroll, it’s worth allowing extra time for the administrative side of the process, rather than assuming you can begin practical training immediately after deciding to pursue Category D.

Why comparing driving schools in Tirana genuinely pays off.

In Tirana specifically, driving schools have reported that growing competition has genuinely helped keep course prices more reasonable than they otherwise would be, given the significant baseline increase already accounted for. If you’re based in or near the capital, comparing multiple schools’ full package offerings, not just their headline price but what’s genuinely included in terms of lessons, materials, and exam preparation, remains a worthwhile step before committing.

What isn’t included in the base course price

Worth budgeting for separately: the base Category D course price typically doesn’t include Red Cross first-aid certification costs or preliminary medical analysis fees, both of which are necessary parts of the overall application process. Factor these into your total budget rather than assuming the headline driving school price covers everything you’ll need.

Where does this fit going forward?

Category D in Albania offers a genuine, structured route into professional bus driving, with a defined age ceiling worth understanding early. 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 Albania and license eligibility pages provide the broader picture.

Why understanding this past reform matters for your budget

If you come across older articles or forum posts citing much lower Category D prices, it’s genuinely important to recognize that these figures are now outdated. Planning your budget around the current post-reform pricing structure and confirming exact current costs directly with driving schools will give you a far more accurate picture than relying on pre-reform figures still circulating online.

A closing note on comparing Tirana and regional pricing

Given that driving school pricing can differ between Tirana and smaller regional cities, checking quotes from providers outside the capital can sometimes reveal a genuinely better-value option.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Fees, training requirements, and administrative rules can change and may vary by region in Albania. Always confirm current requirements with official Albanian sources, such as the DPSHTRR, before making decisions. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for decisions made based on this information.