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Health examination for a driving licence in diabetes

A person with diabetes requires a doctor's statement on their fitness to drive when applying for or renewing a driving licence, or when seeking an upgrade in driving licence category.

Doctor’s certificate regarding driving health is needed when you are applying for a driving licence, upgrading your licence from category 1 to category 2 or renewing your licence aged 70 or above. A person with diabetes also needs a doctor’s certificate for a moped or tractor licence. With regard to category 2, in order to retain your right to drive, you must submit the doctor’s certificate within two months of turning 50 and then every 5 years.

A driving licence permit can be granted to a person who, in addition to fulfilling the general requirements of the applied driving licence class, meets the health requirements regulated by the decree, and is not considered a dangerous driver in traffic due to the misuse of alcohol or other intoxicating substances.

The doctor's certificate is usually written by a doctor from primary health care or occupational health care who is familiar with the person's state of health. For the check-up, the person must fill out the preliminary information form in advance.

The doctor who writes the driving health certificate may, if necessary, require a statement from a certain specialty or after a specific time, such as from an internist for diabetes or from an ophthalmologist due to eye complications related to diabetes.

If the responsibility for diabetes treatment resides with a specialised health care unit, the unit can enter a statement regarding the effect of diabetes on driving health in the patient record. If required, a specialist can issue a separate additional certificate.

The driving health of a person with a long-term health problem continues to be assessed as part of the normal appointments. The meeting of the health requirements is recorded in the patient documentation. The assessment takes into account all medical conditions affecting driving health as well as their treatments, the use of controlled substances, injuries, changes in the state of health and their combined effect. If the doctor deems that th person no longer meets the driving health requirements, the doctor is obliged to interfere.

Updated 30.9.2023