How do I become a Lufthansa pilot?

You first take the DLR certificate and apply to the European Flight Academy with the required ratings. The Lufthansa Group assessment centre, the Class 1 medical and roughly 24 months of training follow, and finally the Airline Fit, the hiring interview with one of the group's airlines.

How much does the DLR test cost for an EFA application?

The appointment in the EFA web shop costs 427 euros. With the autumn promotion's discount code it is 327 euros for dates until 31 December 2026 (as of September 2026). According to the EFA, promotional appointments cannot be rescheduled or refunded.

Which DLR rating do I need for Lufthansa?

The EFA publishes the required minimum ratings in a separate PDF linked from its FAQ. The scale runs from A (above standard) to D (below standard). For English, A or B is enough as language proof, while C or D means you also need a B2 certificate.

Do I need A-levels or Abitur to become a Lufthansa pilot?

For training in Germany, the EFA requires a university entrance qualification such as Abitur or Fachhochschulreife. There is no minimum grade average, and you can apply before you finish school.

Can I retake the Lufthansa assessment?

Yes. According to the EFA FAQ, the selection process can be repeated after 24 months. The DLR test itself can be rebooked sooner: the EFA sets no waiting period, and the DLR recommends a six-month gap.

Am I guaranteed to fly for Lufthansa after EFA training?

No, there is no guarantee of a particular airline. According to the EFA, you can apply to all Lufthansa Group airlines where there is demand, with priority over external applicants. The Airline Fit after training decides whether you are hired.

How to Become a Lufthansa Pilot: EFA Selection Step by Step

If you want to fly for Lufthansa, you apply not to Lufthansa but to the European Flight Academy (EFA), the Lufthansa Group's flight school, and before that you need a DLR certificate with the required ratings. Older forum posts cause confusion because they still talk about "BU" and "FQ".

This article walks through today's process, based on the official EFA and DLR pages as of September 2026. Prices and requirements change, so the EFA website has the final word.

What are the requirements for the EFA in Germany?

You need a university entrance qualification (Abitur or Fachhochschulreife), must be at least 17 when training starts, speak fluent English and be a citizen of an EU state, Switzerland or an EFTA state. According to the EFA FAQ there is no minimum grade average, and you can apply before you have finished school.

Criterion	Requirement according to the EFA FAQ (as of September 2026)
Age	at least 17 when training starts
Education	Abitur or Fachhochschulreife, no grade average required
English	fluent: DLR rating A or B, otherwise a B2 certificate (e.g. Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC)
Citizenship	EU, Switzerland or EFTA
Height	no fixed limit, the aeromedical examiner decides
Fitness	normal fitness is enough
Licences	a PPL is fine, CPL holders cannot apply
Work experience	not required

Visible tattoos are generally permitted at the EFA, although airlines may have their own rules. Glasses are not an automatic rejection, as eyesight is checked at the medical.

How does the EFA selection process work?

Selection has five steps: the DLR certificate, the application to the EFA, the Lufthansa Group assessment centre, the aeromedical examination and, after training, the Airline Fit.

Step	What happens	Where
1. DLR certificate	computer-based aptitude test, ratings A to D per competency area	Hamburg, Milan or Zurich
2. Application to the EFA	certificate with the required rating plus school certificates and documents	online
3. Assessment centre	interviews, group exercises, psychomotor test	Hamburg or Zurich
4. Medical	EASA Class 1 with eye test and drug screening	aeromedical centre
5. Airline Fit	hiring interview after training	depends on the airline

According to the EFA, the DLR certificate examines memory, spatial reasoning, English, engineering, mathematics, attention and psychomotor abilities, among other things. It is purely computer-based, and the personal elements only follow at the assessment centre. More on this in DLR test stage 1 and stage 2.

How do you book the DLR test, and what does it cost?

You book the appointment directly in the EFA web shop, in Hamburg, Milan or Zurich. The regular price is 427 euros, paid by you. With the autumn promotion's discount code it is 327 euros for appointments until 31 December 2026 (as of September 2026).

What you should know before booking, all according to the EFA:

New dates are published at the beginning of each month.
The discount code can be requested and redeemed only once per person. Appointments booked with it cannot be rescheduled, and the fee is not refunded if you cancel.
Regular bookings can be rescheduled by you up to 14 days before the test, according to the EFA FAQ.
The preparation software arrives as a link in the confirmation email. If nothing arrives, check your spam folder, then ask the EFA.
Content and certificate are identical at all three locations.
The certificate is valid for 2 years. The EFA advises applying promptly so it stays valid throughout the process.

ImportantThe cheaper promotional date is fixed. Only book it once you can realistically judge when you will be ready.

The DLR also offers the certificate directly, for 417.69 euros plus VAT in 2026, in Cologne, Hamburg and, from October 2026, Vienna. For an EFA application, the EFA web shop is the intended route. More on prices in How much does the DLR test cost?.

The DLR recommends spreading the training units in the official software over three weeks. You can start earlier on fundamentals such as mental arithmetic, working memory and spatial reasoning, for example with the 8-week training plan. The DLR Test Trainer is suited to short daily sessions on an iPhone. The app is independent of the DLR, trains ten test types but not the joystick test MIC, and does not replace the official software.

Which ratings do you need in the DLR certificate?

The certificate has no "pass". It awards a rating from A to D for each competency area. The EFA requires certain minimum ratings for an application and publishes them in a separate PDF linked from its FAQ. For English, a rating of A or B counts as your language proof, while a C or D means you also need a B2 certificate.

According to the EFA document (accessed on 17 September 2026), the levels mean:

Rating	Meaning according to the EFA document
A	Above Standard
B	Standard
C	Marginal
D	Below Standard

Four areas are assessed in line with EASA requirements: basic cognitive abilities (information processing, spatial and numerical abilities, technical comprehension), operational and professional competencies (English, psychomotor abilities, multitasking), personality traits (self-organisation and discipline, stress coping and impulse control) and social competencies (communication, leadership and teamwork).

What is firmly documented is the rule for English: according to the EFA FAQ you need an A or B there, otherwise a separate B2 certificate. Check the current PDF yourself for exactly which area requires which minimum rating, because the EFA can change the requirements at any time.

If a rating falls short, you can retake the test. According to the EFA FAQ you choose the new date yourself. The DLR recommends waiting six months, and every area has to be repeated. Details are in Can you repeat the DLR test?, and alternatives in DLR test not good enough: plan B.

What happens at the assessment centre and the medical?

The Lufthansa Group assessment centre is about you as a person: teamwork, behaviour in group and one-to-one situations, psychomotor skills and career motivation. The EASA Class 1 medical certificate follows afterwards.

Assessment centre

According to the EFA FAQ, the assessment takes place either at Interpersonal GmbH in Hamburg or at the SWISS Flight Crew Assessment Center in Zurich. Process, tests and decision rules are identical at both. Psychologists conduct interviews and group exercises, and there is a psychomotor test.

Practical points from the EFA FAQ (as of September 2026): the dress code is business casual, travel costs are not reimbursed, and the result arrives a few days later. No more than 24 months may pass between your selection day and your first day at flight school. If you are unsuccessful, the process can be repeated after 24 months.

Preparation here means being able to explain your motivation, knowing the job realistically and working calmly and constructively in a group. More in Passed the DLR test: what comes next?.

Class 1 medical

According to the EFA, you take the medical at an aeromedical centre after a successful assessment. It includes an eye test and a drug screening. The certificate is valid for one year and is then renewed annually. For the flight phase in the USA you also need an FAA third-class medical.

What does training cost, and which airlines will you fly for?

According to the EFA, training in Germany costs 130,000 euros and takes about 24 months, excluding the type rating. Afterwards you apply to the airlines of the Lufthansa Group. There is no advance commitment to a particular airline.

Course and costs in brief

According to the EFA FAQ, theory is taught in Bremen and flight training takes place in Phoenix (USA) and Rostock-Laage. Your first flying lessons follow in the USA after the roughly twelve-month theory phase. The package includes theory, flight training, learning materials, exams, transfers and accommodation in the USA and the uniform, but not the DLR certificate, the medicals, the US visa or an iPad.

Component	Amount (as of September 2026)
Training package	€130,000
Personal contribution	€10,000
Brain Capital (education fund)	€120,000
Repayment	from €30,000 annual income over 11 payment years, 12% of gross pay when the full amount is financed; capped, ends after 20 years at the latest
End of payments	after 20 years at the latest

According to the EFA, a Lufthansa Group support programme can cover the 10,000 euro personal contribution for qualified applicants. The training is eligible for BAföG, the German state student aid, and Eurowings runs its own programme with benefits and a prioritised intent to hire. This is an overview, not financial advice. Full details are in pilot training costs and financing.

Which airline will you fly for?

According to the EFA FAQ, graduates can apply to all Lufthansa Group airlines, provided there is demand and they meet the individual requirements. They are given priority over external applicants. At the Airline Fit, the airline meets you in person and reviews your flight school record.

The EFA also describes a "Take-off Promise": according to the FAQ, anyone who receives no cockpit offer from the Lufthansa Group within 24 months of graduating, despite demonstrable applications, is reimbursed 50% of the training costs. The promise is tied to conditions such as a valid medical and licence.

On pay there are only media reports. According to frankfurtflyer.de of 15 October 2025, which cites Süddeutsche Zeitung and company figures, first officers start at around 90,000 euros at Lufthansa and around 74,000 euros at Eurowings. Collective agreements change, and in the first years the Brain Capital payments come off your gross pay. More in pilot salaries at Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings.

What happened to the BU and FQ?

Both terms come from the earlier Lufthansa process. Today the EFA calls the first step the DLR certificate and the second the Lufthansa Group assessment.

Older experience reports describe an invitation to the Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU, the basic aptitude examination) at the DLR in Hamburg, followed by the Firmenqualifikation (FQ, the company qualification) with group exercises, an interview and a psychomotor test.

Today's model differs in three ways. First, you book and pay for the test yourself. Second, according to the DLR, the certificate contains no selection decision: everyone receives a certificate with ratings, and each flight school or airline sets its own minimum ratings. Third, the personal elements are no longer run by the DLR but by Interpersonal in Hamburg or SWISS in Zurich.

As far as is publicly known, the computer-based tasks have remained closely related, so older reports are still useful for task types. Do not rely on them for deadlines, costs or retake rules, and there are no official pass rates anyway. Other companies use the certificate too, see Which airlines use the DLR test?.