4 ms·

I've been trying to get my driving licence since last October. Bureaucracy is way beyond nightmare here. In order to get a driving licence you need to pass a th

I've been trying to get my driving licence since last October. Bureaucracy is way beyond nightmare here. In order to get a driving licence you need to pass a theory test which you can only answer incorrectly 3 of 30 questions (which is plagued of tricky questions). But let's say that is ok, are the rules to be "idoneous" at driving. In order to actually sit down for this test (which it only takes 20 minutes in front of the computer) you need to first make an appointment, then go to the motor vehicle department and THEN there make the real appointment for the test. For the first appointment there can be 1 or 2 months wait. To sit down in the computer 2 or 3 months. No one ever will answer the telephone, as a matter of fact all the contacts in the official website are incorrect (the mail address does not exist and the phone number is actually missing a digit). If you show up at the department, no one would actually talk to you if you do not have an appointment, even if the office is empty. If you actually manage to talk to someone they will say that they can't do anything, that everything is with appointment from the website and refuse to help you, they might even treat you rudely as if you were the cause of the problem. To make any appointment, you need to log in in a crappy site and manually click each day in the calendar until you get lucky and find a day that is free for selection. So if from today two months in time there is an empty slot, you need to click 60 times the calendar. If you have read "The Trial" by Kafka, this is 100 times worst. One last thing that goes beyond comprehension. If you come from Argentina (like I do) and you have a valid driver's licence you can get the Italian one by some paperwork only before you get residency but not AFTER. If you want the licence after getting residency, you need to go through this hell.

trilbyglens 4y ago
Wow. I just did my license here in the Czech Republic (after driving semi-illegally for 15 years with no issies lol) and it was dodgey but painless. I paid a dude $500 bucks to drive with me for an hour and rubber stamp my ability, and then for the written test, I had a "translator" provided, despite me speaking Czech. She basically told me all the answers as we went through thr test hah!
- liendolucas 4y ago
  I'm actually considering getting it elsewhere in the EU and end this shitty thing, so if anyone has any suggestions, they are welcome. The funny thing is that I already know how to drive, so my problem is purely theoretical and bureaucratic.
  - throw_pm23 4y ago
    Knowing how to drive is not 100% the same as knowing every little local rule and exception. Believe it or not, it is still practically useful to know who has priority when entering roundabouts and it can differ from country to country.
- inglor_cz 4y ago
  So this is still a thing? The Czech police arrested multiple criminal rings around driving schools that provided those sorts of "services" for foreigners.
- culopatin 4y ago
  Did you have a US license? We’re moving to Czechia this year and I’m trying to figure out what I can do about driving. What made you finally get a license there? Also was thinking of getting a motorcycle license in the US so I can use it there for a while (since the moto license school is $1200usd vs 250 for a class in the us).
paganel 4y ago
The first part, about the questions, partly applies to Romania too, only that in here you need to answer correctly at least 22 out of 26 of those questions. Maybe it helps you, and I don't know if that's the case for Italy, but here in Romania there are a couple of websites to which you can temporarily subscribe ("temporarily" meaning 7 to 10 days, can't remember exactly) and then you can train yourself on those test questions like you're during the exam itself. After 3 or 4 days of going through those tests again and again you're pretty much guaranteed to pass the police test itself, even if you haven't read the actual road legislation. As for the bureaucracy I cannot offer any good advice, but maybe there are also some companies who can help you with that? (after paying them, of course).
- liendolucas 4y ago
  I've already failed one time the test, and not for not studying. Hell I studied a hefty book (don't know how many times I read it cover to cover) and done a ton of quiz questions. Why did I fail? I don't know. But what I can recall from the time I sat down that almost 8 out of 30 persons failed it and I refuse to believe that almost 1/3 (including myself) are stupid persons that don't know basic driving rules. I was warned by some italians themselves that is not easy to pass the theoretical test. So I can only keep reading things over again and keep doing random questions or get it (legally) elsewhere.
  - petree 4y ago
    You're right, it's not believable that only 1/3 don't know the rules, most likely it's 2/3 of people that don't know the rules, given how people drive.
    - liendolucas 4y ago
      You can know all the rules to the letter and ace a driving quiz, and that's a guarantee of basically nothing. That's why I believe studying and sitting down for a driving exam is pointless. It should be as simple as go to for 3 or 4hs rule driving course by the government (or authorized government authority), then sign a document declaring that you have assisted the course and you are aware of driving rules and allow you to do supervised driving before taking the driving exam. Every single time I'm walking on the streets I particularly pay attention to car drivers when going to the supermarket. Do you know what a lot of people are doing? Looking at mobile phone screens. Given the fact that statistically almost everyone has a mobile phone I'm inclined to think that distraction due to mobile screen can be as dangerous (or even more) as being drunk while driving. This is also why I believe that displays in cars should be completely banned and driving instruments should be old school.
_the_inflator 4y ago
That's why I am glad to have EU citizenship. Good luck!
ralgozino 4y ago
> One last thing that goes beyond comprehension. If you come from Argentina (like I do) and you have a valid driver's licence you can get the Italian one by some paperwork only before you get residency but not AFTER. If you want the licence after getting residency, you need to go through this hell. Hola Lucas, unless something changed recently (or maybe motorizzazione of your city has different rules - I don't think so) this part is not correct. You can convert your license after having your residency, I'd be surprised of the opposite to be honest. I know because I did it 2 years ago. The only requisite is that your argentinian license has not expired. Feel free to reach out if you need.
- liendolucas 4y ago
  > I know because I did it 2 years ago. The only requisite is that your argentinian license has not expired. Yes, I forgot to mention that little detail. Mine is expired :-( which I'm regretting so much (Gracias por la sugerencia Ramiro, seguro que a alguien que este en situacion similar a la mia le sirve de ayuda!).
frollo 4y ago
That's why Italians don't to this directly. We go to an "autoscuola" (driving school) which not only teaches us how to drive, but also handles the bureaucracy for us. They book the exams and stuff. If you own a car in Italy, you have to locate the nearest autoscuola/ufficio pratiche auto (literally "car bureaucracy office") and get in friendly terms with them. They do all sort of car-related stuff for relatively small fees (the only one I remember is the 1€ fee for paying the car tax).
- 4dayworkweek4u 4y ago
  shhh
- liendolucas 4y ago
  I don't know your economy but 250€ to send me a PDF to my mailbox with all the material and not a face-to-face course for me is a ripoff (they started to get this advantage with the COVID pandemic). Autoscuolas are a ripoff, is a business mounted on a bureaucratic fault. Why do I need to pay someone else for the right to drive a vehicle when in fact I already know how to do it? I do understand that if I want to get things smoothly I have to do it this way, but this is not the root of the issue. Edit: some corrections.
  - frollo 4y ago
    This is a ripoff. They can handle just the bureaucracy for a small fee. Some of them refuse to do so, but they totally can.
bloqs 4y ago
The steps and issues you have described are IDENTICAL in the United Kingdom, FYI

trilbyglens 4y ago

Wow. I just did my license here in the Czech Republic (after driving semi-illegally for 15 years with no issies lol) and it was dodgey but painless. I paid a dude $500 bucks to drive with me for an hour and rubber stamp my ability, and then for the written test, I had a "translator" provided, despite me speaking Czech. She basically told me all the answers as we went through thr test hah!

liendolucas 4y ago
I'm actually considering getting it elsewhere in the EU and end this shitty thing, so if anyone has any suggestions, they are welcome. The funny thing is that I already know how to drive, so my problem is purely theoretical and bureaucratic.
- throw_pm23 4y ago
  Knowing how to drive is not 100% the same as knowing every little local rule and exception. Believe it or not, it is still practically useful to know who has priority when entering roundabouts and it can differ from country to country.
inglor_cz 4y ago
So this is still a thing? The Czech police arrested multiple criminal rings around driving schools that provided those sorts of "services" for foreigners.
culopatin 4y ago
Did you have a US license? We’re moving to Czechia this year and I’m trying to figure out what I can do about driving. What made you finally get a license there? Also was thinking of getting a motorcycle license in the US so I can use it there for a while (since the moto license school is $1200usd vs 250 for a class in the us).

paganel 4y ago

The first part, about the questions, partly applies to Romania too, only that in here you need to answer correctly at least 22 out of 26 of those questions. Maybe it helps you, and I don't know if that's the case for Italy, but here in Romania there are a couple of websites to which you can temporarily subscribe ("temporarily" meaning 7 to 10 days, can't remember exactly) and then you can train yourself on those test questions like you're during the exam itself. After 3 or 4 days of going through those tests again and again you're pretty much guaranteed to pass the police test itself, even if you haven't read the actual road legislation. As for the bureaucracy I cannot offer any good advice, but maybe there are also some companies who can help you with that? (after paying them, of course).

liendolucas 4y ago
I've already failed one time the test, and not for not studying. Hell I studied a hefty book (don't know how many times I read it cover to cover) and done a ton of quiz questions. Why did I fail? I don't know. But what I can recall from the time I sat down that almost 8 out of 30 persons failed it and I refuse to believe that almost 1/3 (including myself) are stupid persons that don't know basic driving rules. I was warned by some italians themselves that is not easy to pass the theoretical test. So I can only keep reading things over again and keep doing random questions or get it (legally) elsewhere.
- petree 4y ago
  You're right, it's not believable that only 1/3 don't know the rules, most likely it's 2/3 of people that don't know the rules, given how people drive.
  - liendolucas 4y ago
    You can know all the rules to the letter and ace a driving quiz, and that's a guarantee of basically nothing. That's why I believe studying and sitting down for a driving exam is pointless. It should be as simple as go to for 3 or 4hs rule driving course by the government (or authorized government authority), then sign a document declaring that you have assisted the course and you are aware of driving rules and allow you to do supervised driving before taking the driving exam. Every single time I'm walking on the streets I particularly pay attention to car drivers when going to the supermarket. Do you know what a lot of people are doing? Looking at mobile phone screens. Given the fact that statistically almost everyone has a mobile phone I'm inclined to think that distraction due to mobile screen can be as dangerous (or even more) as being drunk while driving. This is also why I believe that displays in cars should be completely banned and driving instruments should be old school.

_the_inflator 4y ago

That's why I am glad to have EU citizenship. Good luck!

ralgozino 4y ago

> One last thing that goes beyond comprehension. If you come from Argentina (like I do) and you have a valid driver's licence you can get the Italian one by some paperwork only before you get residency but not AFTER. If you want the licence after getting residency, you need to go through this hell. Hola Lucas, unless something changed recently (or maybe motorizzazione of your city has different rules - I don't think so) this part is not correct. You can convert your license after having your residency, I'd be surprised of the opposite to be honest. I know because I did it 2 years ago. The only requisite is that your argentinian license has not expired. Feel free to reach out if you need.

liendolucas 4y ago
> I know because I did it 2 years ago. The only requisite is that your argentinian license has not expired. Yes, I forgot to mention that little detail. Mine is expired :-( which I'm regretting so much (Gracias por la sugerencia Ramiro, seguro que a alguien que este en situacion similar a la mia le sirve de ayuda!).

frollo 4y ago

That's why Italians don't to this directly. We go to an "autoscuola" (driving school) which not only teaches us how to drive, but also handles the bureaucracy for us. They book the exams and stuff. If you own a car in Italy, you have to locate the nearest autoscuola/ufficio pratiche auto (literally "car bureaucracy office") and get in friendly terms with them. They do all sort of car-related stuff for relatively small fees (the only one I remember is the 1€ fee for paying the car tax).

4dayworkweek4u 4y ago
shhh
liendolucas 4y ago
I don't know your economy but 250€ to send me a PDF to my mailbox with all the material and not a face-to-face course for me is a ripoff (they started to get this advantage with the COVID pandemic). Autoscuolas are a ripoff, is a business mounted on a bureaucratic fault. Why do I need to pay someone else for the right to drive a vehicle when in fact I already know how to do it? I do understand that if I want to get things smoothly I have to do it this way, but this is not the root of the issue. Edit: some corrections.
- frollo 4y ago
  This is a ripoff. They can handle just the bureaucracy for a small fee. Some of them refuse to do so, but they totally can.

bloqs 4y ago

The steps and issues you have described are IDENTICAL in the United Kingdom, FYI