Five people in business clothes are sitting at a table and are holding a meeting.

A challenge that will take you places

Application requirements and selection process for the training in Germany

Your way to the cockpit

Requirements and Application process

The dream of flying begins with a clearly structured pilot training programme – and this requires certain personal, academic and medical prerequisites. On this page, you will find a comprehensive overview of everything you need to meet for a successful application and the steps involved in the selection process for the training in Germany.

The Prerequisites for Pilot Training in Germany

Find out what you need in order to successfully apply

The table shows the fundamental requirements you have to meet if you want to apply for the pilot training. You still have questions that have not been answered? Please see our FAQ section for answers to frequently asked questions.We would of course also be happy to help you personally.

Language*

English:

Fluent, at least B2 level
Assessment of language proficiency: Certificate by the Deutsches Luft- und Raumfahrtzentrum (DLR, German Aerospace Center) with A or B Rating
If rated C or D, validation of a current B2 language certificate (The following certificates will be acepted: Cambridge certificate, GMAT, IELTS, LCO, TELC, TOEFL iBT, TOEIC 4 Skills; all test details in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR))

Age (at the time of application)

At least 17 years

Nationality / Passport

EU Citizenship
Swiss Citizenship
EFTA and unlimited residence permit

Education / Degree*

General entrance qualification for higher education
Leaving certificate (Matura), entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences
Federal Vocational Baccalaureate (Fach-/Berufs-Maturität)

or similar qualification if a certificate of admission to a university of applied sciences or to a technical school without an examination is provided

Further Requirements

Certificate by the Deutsches Luft- und Raumfahrtzentrum (DLR, German Aerospace Center) (certificate with the relevant rating must be provided at the start of the application process. You can find further information on the required rating here.)

Aero-Medical Fitness*

Certificate need not yet be provided at the start of the application process

* The recruitment requirements for Lufthansa Group cockpits may vary depending on the airline (further information)

The steps to take to join the pilot training at the European Flight Academy

Our selection process in Germany

Our EASA-compliant selection process assesses both your cognitive performance and your technical and social skills. Beyond that, we want to get to know you as a person. If you successfully complete the selection process, your chances of completing flight training and obtaining your pilot’s license are very high.

At the same time, this demanding selection gives you confidence: you know that you possess the essential abilities you will later need in the cockpit.

And even if you do not pass all stages, you will still gain a very valuable experience—one that will provide you with many personal insights in any case.

Details

Overview of the selection process

You will take your first step in the selection process even before officially applying at the European Flight Academy. Your first step will be directly registering with our partner Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, German Aerospace Center) for taking the DLR test with corresponding certificate. This computer-based procedure for determining suitability focuses on examining your various skills and abilities, such as memory retention, understanding and conception of space, performance and personality requirements, English, engineering, mathematics, attentiveness, psychomotoric skills, multi-tasking, and also teamwork and personality traits. Following the DLR will issue a certificate to you setting out a rating in various areas. In order to apply at EFA you will need to achieve a certain rating. You can find the specific requirements for the rating here.

You can currently take the DLR test on site either in Hamburg, Germany, Milan, Italy or in Zurich, Switzerland. You can pick the date of the test yourself once you are ready for it. You will have to schedule and organize your test directly with the DLR. Since this certificate represents the basis for the general suitability for a job in the cockpit, this step deliberately is implemented independently of the European Flight Academy. The costs for this test are an investment in your future as a pilot; as such, you will have to cover these costs yourself.

You can find all in-depth information regarding the process and corresponding costs here.

Registration for the DLR test

After successfully obtaining the DLR certificate with the required rating, you can apply directly at the European Flight Academy. You can find the necessary documents and requirements as well as the link to the application here.

After you proved yourself successful in various computer procedures in step 1 and have obtained the DLR certificate, and after verification that you meet all fundamental requirements, we would like to get to know you personally and will invite you to an assessment center.

Our goal here is to gain insights into your social skills and personality traits by conducting interviews and group exercises as well as to test your psychomotoric skills, among other things. The experienced psychologists of our partner Interpersonal GmbH or of SWISS Flight Crew Assessment Center will be by your side the whole time, and you will have the opportunity to ask some selection pilots of Lufthansa Group your questions.

A person sits in front of a laptop and takes notes.

After the assessment center

What you can expect after successful completion of the assessment center

If you also succeeded in step 2, only a small further step remains until you hold your admission to the flight school in your hands: the aero-medical fitness examination

Don’t worry: You do not have to be an elite athlete in order to hold your own in the cockpit. We require of you a normal level of fitness. We will verify that you meet the medical requirements. And this much is clear: You may only enter the cockpit completely sober. This is why you have to subject yourself to a drug screening. Once your suitability has been determined, you will receive the class 1 medical certificate of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

It is a common misconception that weak eyesight in general is a disqualifier – there are indeed pilots who compensate for a few diopters with prescription glasses. It is not possible, however, to make any blanket statements when it comes to eyesight and minimum or maximum height requirements since an aero-medical examiner (AME) must determine fitness.

You finally made it and can now register for one of the next open flight-training spots – we welcome you to the European Flight Academy!

A person is examined by an ophthalmologist.

After you completed your training you can apply for open cockpit jobs with one of the Lufthansa Group airlines. During the so-called “Airline Fit” your future employer would also like to get to know you in person and reflect with you on your experiences and performance at the flight school. If, after the airline fit, the airline confirms that you would be a good match and if you sign an employment agreement, soon you will be able to take off as a pilot.