How many years of holding a B2 driver's license are required to upgrade to an A1?

[StMalachi]

You can upgrade to an A1 driver's license after holding a B2 license for more than five years. Additionally, you must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in the current scoring cycle or the last three consecutive cycles to be eligible for the A1 upgrade. An A1 driver's license allows you to operate large passenger vehicles. Conditions required to upgrade to an A1 license: If you hold a C-class license, you cannot directly upgrade to an A1. You must first upgrade to a B-class or A3 license and hold it for at least three years before applying for an A1 upgrade. The applicant must be at least 22 years old and under 60 years old. No red-green color blindness is allowed, and uncorrected or corrected vision must be at least 5.0. Physical conditions such as height and weight must meet standards, with all limbs intact, including a fully functional thumb and at least three other fingers. No record of causing a fatal traffic accident with full or primary responsibility. Such a record disqualifies applicants from upgrading to A1, A2, or B2 licenses. Additional regulations for upgrading to medium-sized buses, tow trucks, or large passenger vehicle licenses: To upgrade to a medium-sized bus license, the applicant must have held a license for small cars, automatic transmission cars, low-speed trucks, or three-wheeled vehicles for at least three years, with no full penalty points in the last two consecutive scoring cycles. Alternatively, the applicant must have held a city bus or large truck license for at least one year with no full penalty points in the last scoring cycle. To upgrade to a tow truck license, the applicant must have held a medium-sized bus or large truck license for at least three years, with no full penalty points in the last two consecutive scoring cycles. Alternatively, the applicant must have held a large passenger vehicle license for at least one year with no full penalty points in the last scoring cycle. To upgrade to a large passenger vehicle license, the applicant must have held a medium-sized bus or large truck license for at least five years, with no full penalty points in the last three consecutive scoring cycles. Alternatively, the applicant must have held a tow truck license for at least two years with no full penalty points in the last scoring cycle. Temporary residents can only apply for upgrades to small cars, automatic transmission cars, low-speed trucks, or three-wheeled vehicles. Article 15: Applicants upgrading to large passenger vehicles, tow trucks, or medium-sized buses must not have any record of full or primary responsibility in fatal traffic accidents. Upgrading from B2 to A1 requires passing four exam sections: Section 1 (theoretical safety and civilized driving training), Section 2 (in-road safety and civilized driving training), Section 3 (out-road safety and civilized driving training), and Section 4 (theoretical safety and civilized driving training).

[LaEthan]

I just helped a friend look into this recently. It takes a full 5 years to upgrade from a B2 license to an A1 license, and the count starts from when you obtain the B2 license. During this period, you absolutely cannot have too many violations—for example, avoid accumulating 12 penalty points within any 5-year span, or your application will be blocked. You also need to be at least 26 years old, so don’t overlook this requirement. In terms of the process, you’ll need to enroll in an additional driving course at a driving school first, complete the training, and then pass both the theoretical and practical exams, which are stricter and cover topics like bus-specific characteristics and emergency handling. I think this waiting period is quite reasonable—driving a large passenger vehicle comes with significant responsibility, and gaining more experience helps reduce accidents. I’ve seen people rush to upgrade only to cause problems due to inadequate skills, which serves as a serious lesson. So be patient, wait out the 5 years, and then take action.

[Bonnie]

I remember researching the rules for upgrading a driver's license. To go from B2 to A1, you must have held the license for at least 5 years, counting from the first day you obtained it. The key requirement is no serious traffic violations, with no more than 12 penalty points accumulated in any consecutive 5-year period. The age requirement is over 25 years old, specifically 26. Having driven trucks for many years, I understand that upgrading to drive passenger vehicles carries higher risks, requiring familiarity with road conditions and passenger safety. The process includes driving school training, passing a medical examination, and taking new test items. The government sets these thresholds to ensure drivers are mature and responsible. Beginners shouldn’t complain about the long wait; instead, they should use this time to develop good habits. With enough experience, upgrading will be more beneficial for job opportunities.

[Fernando]

I wanted to upgrade my driver's license a while ago. To upgrade from B2 to A1, it takes 5 years—you must hold a B2 license for 5 years before applying. During this period, you need to drive carefully and avoid accumulating 12 penalty points. After applying, you have to take a bus driving course, and the exam is stricter, covering control and safety points. You must also be at least 26 years old. I think this is good because driving a bus carries greater responsibility than driving a truck, and the 5-year waiting period helps accumulate experience and reduce risks for beginners. Anyway, I’ll wait patiently and not rush into taking the test.