How to become a bus driver in Denmark

Driving a bus commercially requires more than a bus licence. You also need an initial qualification (Driver Certificate of Professional Competence) and code 95 on the licence. Here's the typical sequence.

• 011) A valid car driving licence (cat. B) — the prerequisite for proceeding.
• 022) A medical certificate (health approval for bus driving) and a first-aid certificate.
• 033) Driving lessons + driving test for cat. D (or D1) — the actual bus licence itself.
• 044) Initial qualification: the direct initial qualification test or an intensive initial qualification course (140 hours) at an approved training centre.
• 055) Code 95 is added to the licence/certificate — the proof of professional qualification.

For commercial passenger transport there is also the endorsement (code 425 = category D1 and D; code 426 = D1 only). Bus driver training includes disability awareness training: transporting people with reduced mobility, securing wheelchairs and using the lift/ramp.

If you want to become skilled, there is the vocational programme for bus drivers (Executive Order no. 186 of 28/01/2026, in force 1 August 2026). It lasts 2-5 years including the two parts of the basic course of 20 weeks each and has three levels: level 1 bus driver, level 2 with the specialisation bus driver in public transport or tourist coach driver, and level 3 transport dispatcher. Each level ends with a journeyman's test, and the licences and certificates required by the programme regulations must be in place before the test (§§ 1, 2 and 6-8).