Hi all,

I got my Swiss driver's license by post today and it is valid for 2 years.
And in the letter it is written in German that I need to take a 2 day course to get a unlimited license.
The first day of the course should be made within 6 months and the second day of the course later within 2 years.

Can anyone please tell me how to apply for the course, where to apply if I am from Aargau and can I get the course in English?

Thanks in Advance

Hmm, I gave the form to change my driver's license today to the Kreisbüro. As far as I know (and what I hope), no additional driving tests are necessary. Are you EU/Non EU? How long have you had your driver's license?

Congrats on passing the test.
The courses are offered by the TCS and as far as I know, only in German.

Thanks.
Can you give me more details about this course and what is it like.

Thanks in advance

I'm a non EU and I got my license just today.

The courses you need to take are called the "zweiphasenausbildung". (2 Phasen).

The course description is on the TCS website along with information about the costs and a map showing the various locations. (German/French/Italian)
https://www.tcs.ch/cooldown/index_de.html#/2phasen/

The costs are between 700 - 800 chf for the two day course. If you join the TCS you get a break on the course price.

Hello,
I was in the similar situation 1 years earlier. Last year around this time i received this letter that i have to complete the 2-phases course within 6 months. I had my EU converted license for 2years before. I was shocked to see the letter and than i realised that i have got a valid permit only for 3 years.

I took two days course within a gap of 1 month in Geneva that costed me CHF 498 (the cheapest) and later submitted the certificate and got my unlimited permit.

Although the course was in french but they accomodated me and i just about to manage with little translations in English. I guess it's all about the money in the end

All the best.

Another STUPID money making tool. Why should someone who successfully passed the driving tests and received a license take the two courses? MONEY...MONEY AND MONEY. If the authorities want people to be safe drivers, they should offer these courses free of charge.

Why do some people need to take the course whilst others don't?

Is it based on in which country you got your original licence or years since having passed the test?

Anyone know?

I am not sure but I think it has to do with age.
I converted my US drivers license to Swiss and did not have to take any additional courses while my son who got his license here in CH had to do the two courses.

If I understood the link posted earlier, you have to take the test if you have the license only since 3 years. You are still in the trial period then. If you have had the license longer than 3 years before converting it, you will not need to do the test.

At least I hope it is like that, because I do not want to do any tests

Is this like a test or something?
Is there a possibility that I can lose my permit if I don't perform well?

Thanks in advance

Hi,

Does the certificate has some thing to do to get or not get the unlimited license?

Thanks in advance

No, just a course.

Yes, you need both certificates to apply for the unlimited license.

I got my Swiss license just back in September last year and I did part 1 of the 2-phase already. And whilst being a bit annoyed that I had to do this and pay and all I have to say it was a really good course and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

You have to take your own car, you take it to the skid pan and drive it round while they put the jets on - on the straight and in the curve. You get to do emergency stops in the water and you get to "race" with other drivers and do slalom. And listen to some stuff about safety and drinking and driving. There's no pass/fail - you just have to attend and take part. I took the course in German but the instructor also spoke English (and French and Italian) to me and various other people in the course so they were really nice. I'll have to go and look up the people - it's a Basel company but the course was in Frick as that's where the skid pan is.

I haven't done day 2 yet but from what they told me it involves basically doing a test drive in a driving school car with an instructor and some other students - you take turns and the students are supposed to comment on each other's driving - it's not actually a "test" because there's no pass/fail - you just get reminders of all the things you've forgotten since you did lessons and you get to learn about economic driving and things like braking/accelerating into/out of curves. There's also some theory - reminders of what has gone before.

The 2-phase courses were only introduced relatively recently - people who've had their license longer than the probation period (from whatever country) don't need to do them, but if you passed a Swiss test in the last 3 years or so then you might get a letter saying you have to do it to retain your license.

I was a real skeptic beforehand but I have to say after doing the first day I do think it's worth it - I learnt things about driving in bad conditions that I would never have learnt in the UK or from just doing a few lessons and a test and I actually really enjoyed skidding my car around and seeing what happens!!

Look up on the internet for a course provider and just phone them up until you find one who speaks English - they won't run the course in English but there are some who are willing to translate for you.

Just to add - the place I did my Day 1 was here -> http://www.drivers-cc.ch

Their website is in German only but the guy on the end of the email speaks English and there is certainly at least one instructor who speaks English (Andy - don't ask me his surname, honestly can't remember). If you're flexible with the dates then they will try to put you together with some other English speaker(s).

I passed my test in July and am going to attend the first day of 2-phase training on Wednesday, but from what I heard it is exactly as wattsli1 described.

This training is only for people who passed the Swiss driving test without having a foreign driving licence, not for those doing conversion tests. It was introduced fairly recently and they tell you clearly what you have to do when you get your probationary licence and a leaflet with all information so there is no way you could misunderstand.

TCS is very expensive. I paid 530 CHF for both days with another, Geneva-based school.

Ah, well, I don't know anything about conversion test thingies - I did my test for the first time in Switzerland last year.

Didn't know there were "different" 2 phase courses available for people who already had a license from before - I've never seen that advertised.... it could be that different schools do the course slightly differently though.

I have a converted license and I have to make the course too. I got a letter with my license saying I need to take the courses within 2 years.

OK, I checked and this applies to foreign licence conversion but only if you passed your driving test after 1 December 2005 and less than 1 year before entering Switzerland.