Dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle having gear sets switchable via switching elements, which form precisely eight wheel planes (RE-1 to RE-8) disposed one after the other in axial direction from the input side to the output side of the dual clutch transmission in the sequence first to eighth, which are assigned respectively to a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, of which the first sub-transmission has a first input shaft and the second sub-transmission has a second input shaft, and both sub-transmissions (A, B) have a shared output shaft being axis parallel to the input shafts (22, 23), wherein the input shafts (22, 23) coaxial to one another can be alternatingly activated via in each case one load-shiftable coupling (K1, K2), and the even forward gears (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) are assigned to the first sub-transmission and the odd forward gears (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) are assigned to the second sub-transmission, which are switchable in the case of a gear shifting via the switching elements (SE-A to SE-G), wherein each of the wheel planes (RE-1 to RE-8) has a drive gear (27, 30, 33, 35, 37, 39, 43, 45) supported loosely or non-rotationally on the respective input shaft (22, 23) and, meshing therewith, a gear (28, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 46) on the output side supported loosely or non-rotationally on the output shaft, which during formation of forward gears by means of switching elements (SEA to SE-G) is coupleable with or decoupleable from the respective input shaft (22, 23) and/or the output shaft, wherein the dual clutch transmission for the shifting of the forward gears has exactly five switching elements (SE-A to SE-D, SE-F) switchable on both sides in axial direction and at least one sixth switching element (SE-E, SE-G) switchable on one side, wherein the input shafts (22, 23) are free from non-rotational gears of the wheel planes (RE-1 to RE-8) disposed thereupon, and wherein each input shaft (22, 23) has exactly one switching element (SE-C, SE-A) switchable in axial direction on both sides, and wherein by means of the first switching element (SE-C) the first input shaft is coupleable with or decoupleable from the first to fourth wheel planes (RE-1 to RE-4) of the first sub-transmission, and wherein by means of the second switching element (SE-A) the second input shaft is coupleable with or decoupleable from the fifth to eighth wheel planes (RE-5 to RE-8) of the second sub-transmission, wherein the fifth wheel plane (RE-5) switchable onto both sub-transmissions (A, B) is loosely supported with its drive side gear on the second input shaft and by means of the third switching element (SE-D) is coupleable with the drive side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission, wherein the second sub-transmission has the fifth wheel plane (RE-5) which directly adjoins the first sub-transmission in axial direction, and wherein the fifth wheel plane (RE-5) by means of the third switching element (SE-D) is coupleable with the first sub-transmission, and wherein the output side gear of the fifth wheel plane (RE-5) switchable onto both sub-transmissions (A, B) is supported loosely on the output shaft and is coupleable via a seventh switching element (SE-G) with the output shaft.