What's the minimum age for the DLR test?

How old you need to be for the DLR test depends on which procedure you mean. For the DLR Pilot Certificate — the self-funded version of the assessment — the DLR officially states a minimum age of 16; if you're still under 18 at the time of the test, your parents need to act as the contracting party and give their consent. To apply to SWISS / European Flight Academy (EFA) Switzerland, EFA's own requirements set a minimum age of 17 at the time of application. For the Lufthansa Group's Berufsgrunduntersuchung (BU) itself, the available sources don't list a separate minimum age — here it's mainly whatever minimum age the airline or flight school sets for the application as a whole.

DLR Pilot Certificate: 16, with parents as contracting party

If you want to take the DLR Pilot Certificate as a self-funded candidate — say, to use it for an application to a flight school or airline without its own DLR procedure, or as the first step on the SWISS/EFA pathway — the DLR allows this from age 16. Since minors can't legally act as contracting parties themselves, parents have to sign the contract with the DLR, or give their consent, for anyone under 18. The certificate is then valid for 2 years, so taking it early can make sense if your actual application is still some way off.

SWISS / EFA Switzerland: 17 to apply

To apply to SWISS / EFA Switzerland, the official EFA page requires you to be at least 17 at the time of application. On top of that come further requirements: a Matura, vocational Matura, university-of-applied-sciences entrance qualification or EFZ, at least B2 English (German also at least B2, with French or Italian a plus), height between 160 and 198 cm, and citizenship of a Swiss, EFTA, or EU country. The EASA Class 1 medical is only required after the actual selection, not at the start of the application.

Lufthansa BU: no separate minimum age stated

For the BU itself, the available sources don't document a standalone minimum age separate from the application process. In practice, the age limit usually follows indirectly from the entry requirements of the training programme or airline you're applying to — things like school-leaving qualifications or a minimum age to start training. If you're interested in a specific programme, the binding age limit is in that programme's job posting or application documents.

TipIf you're planning ahead, taking a DLR Certificate at 16 or 17 can be worthwhile — just check beforehand how long it is until your actual application, so the 2-year validity doesn't run out first. For a broader overview of what's required, see DLR test requirements.

Age limits and entry requirements can change and differ between airlines, flight schools, and countries. The current information from the DLR or from the relevant airline, flight school, or EFA is what applies.