From learner to licensed: your complete roadmap to driving in Malta

Getting your licence in Malta is a clear, well-marked journey — but only if you know the stages in advance. Learners who understand the full path move through it faster and waste far less time on re-bookings and paperwork. Here is the whole route, from the day you decide to learn to the day you drive alone.

Step 1 — Apply for your learner permit

Everything starts with the learner's permit. Since October 2024, applications are made online through the official Driving Licence Portal. To apply for a Category B (car) permit you must be at least 18 and have been resident in Malta for at least 185 days in the past year.

The permit costs €23.25 and is valid for three years — a generous window that comfortably covers your theory test, your lessons, and your practical test.

Step 2 — Pass the theory test

Next comes the theory test: 35 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, of which you need 30 correct to pass. It is sat on a touch-screen at the Theory Test Centre in Gwardamangia, in English or Maltese, and everything it asks is drawn from the Highway Code and the official question sets.

The test costs €30.25 (€22.50 for a re-sit), so it pays to be ready first time. This is the most predictable exam you will sit — study the official material properly and the pass becomes routine.

Step 3 — Take your driving lessons

With permit and theory pass in hand, the real learning begins. This is where structured lessons with a professional instructor make the difference — building your car control, road awareness, and confidence in Malta's specific conditions: left-side driving, busy roundabouts, and narrow village roads.

Step 4 — Sit the practical test

When your instructor judges you ready, you sit the practical test with a Transport Malta examiner: a vehicle safety check, a number-plate read, two safety questions, at least 25 minutes of road driving, and set manoeuvres. Pass it, and you have earned your licence.

Step 5 — Drive on your own

Once you pass, your full Category B licence follows — and with it, the freedom to drive unaccompanied across Malta and Gozo.

Every learner we train follows this same path. Knowing it in advance is half the battle — the rest is good preparation, and that is exactly what we are here for.

Wherever you are on this roadmap, we will meet you there and take you to the next step.