Moving up from the 125cc class: upgrading your A1 licence to A2
For two years on your 125, you’ve learned what corners feel like, where grip runs out, and when the right moment to brake is. And now your fingers are itching because the little bike is hitting its limits and more power is calling?
That’s exactly the point where you want to upgrade your A1 licence to A2—and it’s a lot more straightforward than most newcomers fear. If you’ve been riding a 125 for two years, you’ve already covered most of the distance. We’ll now go through, step by step, how the upgrade works, what it costs, and what other routes are open between the motorcycle licence classes.
The MYCOVER® team explains!
Table of contents:
- Upgrading your A1 licence to A2: costs, test and duration
- Upgrading from A2 to A: the jump to an unrestricted motorcycle
- From A1 straight to A: is that possible?
- What you gain by upgrading to A2
- Other routes to upgrading your motorcycle licence
- Conclusion on upgrading from A1 to A2
- Frequently asked questions about upgrading from A1 to A2
Upgrading your A1 licence to A2: costs, test and duration
Upgrading from A1 to A2 is the most relaxed step in the entire staged motorcycle system. You’ve already crammed the theory once, you can ride a motorcycle—basically you just need to get used to the more powerful bike. That’s exactly why lawmakers deliberately simplified this route.
This is what you need to upgrade from A1 to A2:
- You’ve held category A1 for at least two years—that’s the key point
- You’re at least 18 years old
- A current eye test, no more than two years old
- A first-aid course, if you haven’t provided proof of one yet
- An application for the upgrade at your driving licence authority
Once the two years are up, the rest moves quickly. You sign up with a driving school, do a few practice rides on an A2 bike, and then take the test. How many lessons you take depends on your skill level and what your instructor recommends. There’s no fixed number of mandatory lessons for the upgrade—often just a few sessions to refresh are enough.
A1 to A2 without a test? What really gets dropped
Many people search for upgrading from A1 to A2 without a test and hope for a test-free switch. That did exist in the past, under the old staged licence. Since the EU reform at the beginning of 2013, though, it’s history. In plain terms: you always have to take a practical test. So “without a test” is only half true—what it really means is that the theory test is dropped. That really is removed when upgrading from A1 to A2.
The practical upgrade test is also a shortened version. Instead of the full 60 minutes for direct entry, the shortened practical test for A2 takes around 40 minutes. You’ll demonstrate the basic manoeuvres such as slalom, evasive action and emergency braking, and then prove your skills in real road traffic.
How much does it cost to upgrade your A1 licence to A2?
The exact costs for upgrading from A1 to A2 depend on your region and, above all, on how many practice lessons you need. Here’s a realistic overview:
| Item | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Practice rides at the driving school | depending on your skill level, often only a few hours, approx. €60 to €90 per hour |
| Practical upgrade test (driving school and exam fee) | approx. €200 to €280 |
| Application fee at the driving licence authority | approx. €40 to €70 |
| Realistic total | approx. €400 to €800 |
The upgrade itself hardly adds much: essentially, you’re paying for the practical test and, if your instructor recommends it, a few practice lessons. The big-ticket items like theory, first-aid course and eye test are only paid once anyway—you already did those for A1. If you go straight into A2 without prior ownership, you pay those basic costs all at once. In the end, you’re investing in the same building blocks either way—just at different points in time.
How long does the upgrade from A1 to A2 take?
Once your two years of A1 are up, the upgrade is a matter of just a few weeks. A lot of it can even be prepared while the waiting period is still running.
Upgrading from A2 to A: the jump to an unrestricted motorcycle
If you’ve held A2 for two years, the next upgrade is just as relaxed. The route from A2 to A works on exactly the same principle as from A1 to A2: two years’ prior ownership, then only the practical test—no theory. So even for the much-searched switch from A2 to A without a test, the same limitation applies as one level down: the theory is dropped, but the practical test remains mandatory.
The big difference is what you’re allowed to have in your garage afterwards. With category A, you can ride an unrestricted, unlimited-power motorcycle—no 35 kW limit. From adventure tourers to supersports, everything is allowed, and that’s exactly what makes this upgrade so appealing. Via this staged route, you can ride the unrestricted class from age 20, provided you got your A2 at 18. Cost-wise, it’s similar to the A1 upgrade—usually between €400 and €800.
If you’re in more of a hurry and don’t want to wait the two years, you can also switch to A via direct entry before the period ends. That does mean full training with theory and practical tests, the age advantage of 20 is gone, and it becomes noticeably more expensive. In most cases, waiting is the better option. You can find more about the unrestricted class on our page about category A.
From A1 straight to A: is that possible?
In theory it’s possible, but in practice it rarely makes sense. If you have A1 and want to go straight to the unrestricted category A without the intermediate step of A2, there’s no shortened upgrade. The simplified route with only a practical test always applies only from one level to the one directly above it—so from A1 to A2 and from A2 to A.
If you skip A2, the driving school treats you like a direct entrant to category A, meaning: full theory and practical tests. The minimum age for this direct entry is 24. You’ll then take the practical test on a powerful bike with at least 44 kW.
Bottom line, you’re usually better off with the classic staged route: A1 at 16, after two years upgrade to A2, after another two years upgrade to A. That way you’re on an unrestricted motorcycle at 20—four years earlier than with direct entry. Before you take the first step, our overview of category A1 will help you put things into context.
What you gain by upgrading to A2
The real gain with the upgrade is in the power. With A1 you’re limited to 11 kW (15 hp) and 125 cm³; with A2 you can go up to 35 kW (48 hp). That’s the jump from a restricted light motorcycle to a true mid-range class, covering a huge share of common models. A2 also includes categories A1 and AM, so you don’t lose anything you were allowed to ride before.
If you want to see A1 and A2 side by side with all the technical key data, you’ll find the full comparison table on our main motorcycle licence page. For everything about category A2 itself, our detailed page on category A2 is worth a look.
Other routes to upgrading your motorcycle licence
Not everyone starts from scratch with A1. Maybe you already have an AM licence for a Scooter, you’ve got a car licence in your pocket, or you’re considering skipping a level. Depending on your background, there are a few special routes that can be worth it. We’ll go through the most important ones one by one so you can find the route that fits your starting point.
The staged motorcycle licence and the principle behind it
The whole structure you see in this article is called the staged licence. The idea is that you move up step by step: you gain two years of practical experience at each level and can then move up to the next category with a reduced test. The order always stays the same:
- A1 from age 16 for light motorcycles up to 125 cm³
- A2 from age 18, or via upgrade after two years of A1
- A from age 20 via upgrade after two years of A2; direct entry, by contrast, only from 24
The AM Scooter licence sits below A1 and is automatically included in all three categories, but it doesn’t count as an upgrade level. There’s no shortened two-year route from AM to A1—only the regular A1 training. More on that in the section on upgrading from AM to A1. The appeal is obvious: each upgrade level comes with less theory and fewer mandatory lessons, you spread the costs over the years instead of paying everything at once, and you can ride the unrestricted class years earlier than via direct entry.
Upgrading from AM to A1
The AM licence for Scooter, Scooter and light vehicles up to 45 km/h is the lowest level and is possible from age 16—in many federal states even from 15. But there’s no shortened two-year upgrade like from A1 to A2. If you want to go from AM to A1, you basically go through the normal training for category A1 with theory and practical tests. The small advantage as a licence holder: the theoretical basic material shrinks from twelve to six double lessons, plus the four category-specific units for the motorcycle. So you save on theory, but there’s no way around the two tests.
From a category B licence to A1: code number 196
If you’ve held a category B car licence for a while, you can ride light motorcycles up to 125 cm³ and 11 kW (15 hp) via the B196 extension—exactly the vehicles in category A1. Requirements are at least five years’ prior ownership of category B and a minimum age of 25. You complete rider training at a driving school for this—at least four theory and five practical units of 90 minutes each—but no test. The entitlement is entered in the licence as code number 196.
One point that causes many people trouble later: B196 isn’t a full A1 licence, but only an add-on to your car licence, and it’s valid only in Germany. That has an important consequence as soon as you want to move up to a more powerful bike. The years you ride with B196 don’t count towards the easy upgrade to A2. You’d have to do A2 from scratch, as if you’d never ridden a 125. So B196 is more the convenient solution for riding a 125 than a springboard into the higher categories. You can read all the details in our guide to the B196 licence. You can see how the different routes fit together on our main motorcycle licence page.
Can you do A2 directly without A1?
Yes, absolutely. Many people wonder whether you must have A1 for A2, or whether A2 is possible without A1. The clear answer: A1 is not a requirement for A2. You can go straight into category A2 at 18, without having done A1 beforehand. That does mean full training with theory, special rides and both tests—so it’s more involved and more expensive than the upgrade. Whether it makes more sense for you to start early with A1 and upgrade later, or to enter A2 directly, mainly depends on your age.
Conclusion on upgrading from A1 to A2
If you’ve been riding your A1 for two years, switching to A2 is one of the most straightforward steps there is. No new theory, no mandatory special rides—just a shortened practical test and a manageable cost range of usually €400 to €800. The exact same principle applies later when moving from A2 to the unrestricted category A. If you start early with the staged licence, you spread the costs over the years, get to know more power level by level, and you’ll be on an unrestricted motorcycle at 20. In most cases you don’t need direct entry or the detour via B196—the classic upgrade is the most relaxed way up.
You can get a complete overview of all categories and upgrade routes at any time on our main motorcycle licence page.
The right Cover for your new bike
With the upgrade to A2 or A, a more powerful—and usually more valuable—motorcycle will soon be in your garage. To keep it protected from rain, UV rays, dust and scratches, a handcrafted MYCOVER outdoor Cover is well worth it, made to fit almost any model.
You can find the right size in seconds with our size finder. Simply enter your bike’s make and model, and the tool will first show you the right base size. Then you’ll see sizes for common modifications such as a top case, tall windscreen, bar-end mirrors or a wide handlebar, so the cover fits properly even with accessories fitted.
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Frequently asked questions about upgrading from A1 to A2
Do you need A1 for A2?
You don’t need A1 for it—it’s not mandatory for A2. You can also do A2 directly from 18. But if you’ve already had A1 for two years, upgrading saves you the entire theory part. Our detailed page on category A2 shows how direct entry works.
How much does it cost to upgrade your licence from A1 to A2?
In most cases you’ll be looking at €400 to €800, depending on your region and how many practice lessons you take. The upgrade step itself stays affordable because the big basic costs like theory, first-aid course and eye test were already incurred for A1. With direct entry into A2 without prior ownership, those items are due now instead.
Can I switch from A1 to A2 without a test?
Not completely without a test—only the theory test is dropped. You always have to take a shortened practical test of around 40 minutes. A test-free upgrade hasn’t existed since 2013.
How long do I need to have A1 to upgrade to A2?
You need at least two years of prior ownership. As a rule, you can take the practical test up to one month before this period ends.
What’s the difference between A2 and A?
A2 is limited to 35 kW; A is the unrestricted category with no power limit. After two years, moving from A2 to A again requires only the practical test. You can find everything about the unrestricted category on our page about category A.
Do I have to go back to driving school for the upgrade from A1 to A2?
There are no mandatory lessons for the upgrade. How many practice rides make sense depends on your skill level and what your instructor recommends—often a few sessions to refresh are enough. However, you still register for the practical test through a driving school.
From what age can I upgrade from A1 to A2?
At the earliest, at 18. Since you can get A1 at 16 and you need two years of prior ownership, the upgrade works exactly on your 18th birthday. If you got A1 later, the earliest possible upgrade date shifts accordingly.
What motorcycle am I allowed to ride after upgrading to A2?
With A2, bikes up to 35 kW (48 hp) are allowed, with a power-to-weight ratio of up to 0.2 kW/kg. Restricted models are also permitted, as long as the base bike produces no more than 70 kW. Our detailed page on category A2 shows which specific models fall under this.
