The new mobility trends embodied by the bicycle and the electric scooter, as well as the increasingly complete options offered by public transport in large urban centers are some of the reasons given by young people to justify their lack of interest in obtaining the driving license. Furthermore, the high associated cost of obtaining a permit, between approximately 600 and 1,400 euros, is presented as an additional obstacle for many young people today.
However, when looking for a job, many companies require having a driving license as an essential requirement, which adds pressure for those who have not yet obtained it. In this context, it should be noted that some autonomous communities provide financial support to young people to make it easier for them to obtain the card to mitigate the financial burden and favor their access to job opportunities that require it.
In most communities, subsidies are aimed mainly at obtaining professional licenses -truck and bus-, although there are also some for category B (cars).
The Government of Cantabria, through the Ministry of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality, grants aid of 200 euros to young people between 16 and 30 years old to obtain driving licenses and permits. In 2023, it allocated an amount of 120,000 euros, which in the 2024 call it has increased to 200,000 euros with the aim of reaching up to 1,000 beneficiaries.
The Castilian-Leonese community, with the aim of promoting driving professionals, directs its aid to obtain a driving license to those people who wish to obtain a truck or bus license. Specifically, it offers aid of up to 1,800 euros for the C driving license (truck without MMA weight limit), C E (truck up to 7,500 kg MMA) and the initial CAP (goods).
The aid is divided into 900 euros to obtain a driving license of classes C or C E and another 900 euros to obtain the certificate of professional aptitude (CAP) accrediting the initial qualification of freight transport drivers. The deadline to request aid ends on October 1, 2024.
The Xunta de Galicia has launched this year a new call to subsidize the obtaining of a driving license for young people between 18 and 30 years old registered in the community who are unemployed. The aid is both for obtaining a car license and for obtaining professional permits “with the aim of improving their autonomy, mobility and employability”, according to the Xunta.
The subsidies vary depending on the permit obtained: 400 euros for license B (car), 650 euros for license C (truck) and 1,300 euros for license D (bus). The deadline to request financial aid ends on September 30, 2024.
The Riojan community gives young people in the region interest-free loans to pay the amount of classes and traffic fees to obtain a driver’s license. The loans (up to 2,000 euros for a car license and up to 3,000 euros for each of the professional driving licenses) are aimed at young people between 18 and 30 years old with at least five years of residence in the community.
In addition, the applicant must be in possession of the Youth License and have not previously taken the exam to obtain the driving license they intend to obtain.
Apart from the autonomous communities, other organizations also allocate a financial amount to subsidize obtaining a driving license. The Getxo City Council (Bizkaia) offers grants of 100 euros to those young people between 17 and 23 years old who take the theoretical exam in Basque. This line of subsidy, endowed with 4,000 euros, is part of an aid plan to promote the use of Basque.
The subsidy must be requested after having passed the exam and it is essential to have completed the preparation for the theoretical test at one of the Getxo driving schools participating in the campaign. Young people from Getxo can also later get a voucher for 100 euros in gasoline through a raffle.
Málaga City Council plans to soon launch a new edition of the Málaga Conduce campaign, as confirmed by sources from the Youth Area to Moveo. In the last edition, which ended on July 31, 2023, the subsidy was aimed at young people between 18 and 35 years old residing in the city, who were offered 100 euros of help for obtaining any type of driving permit. drive.