You dream of getting your category B licence, but you wonder how much it will really cost? Between test fees, the provisional licence and driving hours, the bill can climb quickly. Here is the complete and honest budget for 2026, with our tips to spend less.
1. The compulsory test fees · 2. Private practice or driving school? · 3. The estimated total budget · 4. How to pay less
1. The compulsory test fees
Whether you choose private practice or a driving school, some costs are unavoidable in Belgium:
| Step | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Theory test (registration at the test centre) | ± €15 to €20 |
| Provisional licence (issued by the council) | ± €25 to €35 |
| Practical test | ± €40 |
| Vehicle for the practical test (driving school hire, if needed) | ± €100 to €150 |
| Full licence (issued by the council) | ± €25 to €35 |
Exact fees vary by test centre and council: always check the official prices before registering.
2. Private practice or driving school: the real cost difference
Private practice (with an accompanying driver)
You learn with a relative (parent, spouse, friend) who meets the accompanying-driver conditions. It is the cheapest option: you only pay test and fuel costs. Allow about €100 to €200 in total if everything goes well first time.
The driving school
The average price of a driving hour is between €50 and €60. For a standard 20-hour course, expect between €1,000 and €1,200, plus test fees. Packages offered by driving schools (10 or 20 hours + test) often include a small discount.
3. The estimated total budget
| Path | Realistic total budget |
|---|---|
| Private practice, passed first time | ± €100 to €200 |
| Mixed path (a few driving school hours) | ± €400 to €700 |
| Full driving school (20 h) | ± €1,200 to €1,500 |
4. How to pay less (without cutting quality)
- Pass the theory first time. Every resit costs a new registration and wastes weeks. Good online preparation costs less than €10 and prevents many failures.
- Prepare the theory seriously before the provisional licence. The better you master the theory, the more cost-effective your (paid or free) driving hours are.
- Compare driving schools. Price gaps between schools in the same city are real; ask for the hourly rate AND the package prices.
- Space it out smartly. Better 2 regular hours a week than 10 hours at once followed by a month off: you would regress between sessions.