European_Driving_Licence

European driving licence

European driving licence

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The European driving licence is a driving licence issued by the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA); all 27 EU member states and three EFTA member states; Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which give shared features the various driving licence styles formerly in use. It is credit card-style with a photograph. They were introduced to replace the 110 different plastic and paper driving licences of the 300 million drivers in the EEA. The main objective of the licence is to reduce the risk of fraud.

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A driving licence issued by a member state of the EEA is recognised throughout the EEA and can be used as long as it is valid, the driver is old enough to drive a vehicle of the equivalent category, and the licence is not suspended or restricted and has not been revoked in the issuing country. If the holder of an EEA driving licence moves to another EEA country, the licence can be exchanged for a driving licence from the new EEA country. However, as all EEA driving licences are recognised throughout the EEA, it is usually not necessary to exchange it.[1]

The exception is for those holding EEA driving licences issued in exchange for a non‑EEA licence. When holding a converted licence, one should not assume the licence is recognized when moving to another EEA country, which might require that the driving licence be converted again to a licence issued by that country.[1]

History

1980–1996

The first step to a European driving licence was taken on 4 December 1980, when the Council of Ministers adopted Council Directive 80/1263/EEC on the introduction of a Community driving licence, which established a Community model national licence that guaranteed the mutual recognition by the Member States of national licences. It also established the practice of exchange of licences by holders moving from one Member State to another.

1996–2013

Examples of the paper and plastic card models in 91/439/EEC
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On 29 July 1991, the Council of Ministers adopted the Council of the European Union Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences. The directive required EU Member States to adopt laws implementing the directive before 1 July 1994, which took effect on 1 July 1996. Directive 80/1263/EEC was repealed on the same date.

Directive 91/439/EEC was incorporated into the EEA Agreement through Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 7/94 of 21 March 1994,[2] and specified driving licence in the European Union and the European Economic Area until its repeal on 19 January 2013.

Provisions

The Council of the European Union Directive 91/439/EEC harmonised the categories of driving licences among the Member States and established two Community driving licence models, one paper version and one plastic card version. It furthermore established an obligatory test of knowledge (theory) and a test of skills and behaviour (practical) which had to be successfully passed before an individual is offered a driving licence. It also required an applicant to meet the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness to drive. The directive specified the minimum ages for driving different types of vehicles, and established progressive access in categories A, C, and D, from light vehicles to larger or more powerful vehicles. The directive stipulated that it is mandatory to have the normal residence in the Member State issuing the licence.[3]

Amendments

The Directive was substantially amended by nine directives and two acts of accession. The plastic card version of the Community licence model, for example, was added to the Directive by Council Directive 96/47/EC of 23 July 1996.[4]

Since 2013

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In March 2006, the Council of Ministers adopted a Directive proposed by the European Commission to create a single European driving licence to replace the 110 different models in existence throughout the EU/EEA at the time.[5][6] The European Parliament adopted the Directive in December 2006.[7] Directive 2006/126/EC was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 30 December 2006.[8] Its provisions took effect on 19 January 2013; Directive 91/439/EEC was then concurrently repealed.

Provisions

The licence is a credit-card-style, single plastic-coated document, very difficult to counterfeit. The document is renewable every 10 or 15 years depending on the member state. Several member states have the option to include a microchip containing information about the card holder on the card.

Some categories like C and D are issued for five years only. After expiration, a medical check-up is necessary in order to renew the licence for another five years.

EEA relevance

The EEA (blue and green)

The provisions of Directive 2006/126/EC mention that it has European Economic Area (EEA) relevance, meaning that its provisions apply to all 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, through incorporation into the agreement on the EEA.[9]

The Directive was incorporated into the EEA agreement through Decision of the EEA Joint committee No 29/2008 of 14 March 2008 amending Annex XIII (Transport) to the EEA Agreement.[10] The Decision made some adaptions to the directive, notably: the distinguishing sign issuing the licence is encircled by an ellipse instead of being printed on the European flag, the words "driving licence" in Icelandic and Norwegian languages were added, and the words “European Communities model” were replaced by “EEA model”.[10]

Switzerland

Although Switzerland is a member state of EFTA, it is not a contracting party of EEA Agreement. Switzerland is instead linked to the EU by a series of bilateral agreements and has generally adopted much of the harmonised EU legislation with regard to driving licences. Switzerland has used categories similar to the EU system of vehicle categories since the 2000s, and Swiss driving licences resemble EEA-style credit-card licences, comparable to other non-EU/EEA European countries.

French Overseas Collectivities and Territories

Likewise, French Overseas Collectivities and Territories are not in the EEA despite being part of the French Republic. However, with the exception of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (which uses 'standard' French driving licenses) and Wallis and Futuna (which is the last remaining French territory still issuing non-credit card sized licenses), all Overseas Collectivities of France have followed EU harmonisation standards, as well as the 'EEA model'.

Implementation

The directive stipulated that (then) all 31 EEA members states must have adopted laws implementing the directive no later than 19 January 2011. Those laws took effect in all EEA members states on 19 January 2013. All licences issued before that date will become invalid by 2033.

Brexit

Directive 2006/126/EC applied to the United Kingdom until the transition period after the UK withdrew from the EU terminated on 31 December 2020, as EU law continued to apply to the UK during this period.[11]

From 1 January 2021, European licences are recognized by the UK if the driving test was passed in an EU/EEA country, and can be used both if the holder is visiting or if residing in the UK. They can also be exchanged for a UK driving licence.[12][13]

UK driving licences can be used when visiting EU/EEA countries with some exceptions.[14][15][16] International Driving Permits might be needed in some cases. Depending on which convention the country in question has ratified, a 1949 IDP (Geneva Convention on Road Traffic) might be required in some EEA countries, and a 1968 IDP (Vienna Convention on Road Traffic) in others. However, none of the EEA countries currently require IDPs for visitors staying shorter than 12 months.[17]

Proposed changes

On 1 March 2023, the European Commission released a proposal to modernise the legal framework surrounding driver training, examination, licences and cross-border enforcement of driving offences.[18]

Specifically regarding driving licences, the measures presented included:

  • Creation of a European digital driving licence, valid throughout the EU,
  • Digitalisation of all licence renewal, replacement and exchange procedures, and
  • Lowering the minimum age for obtaining a driving licence for cars and lorries to 17 years old.

These proposals would have to be considered through the usual EU legislative procedure before coming into effect.[18]

Digital (mobile) driving licences

In July 2019, Norway was the first EU/EEA country to issue a mobile version of its driving licence using a proprietary app on a nationwide basis. This was preceded by limited trial in Finland from 2018-2020. Since then, mobile driving licences have been available in Iceland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland and Portugal. These digital/mobile driving licences all have proprietary implementations and are not valid outside their issuing country. This is due to change with the introduction of standardised European digital driving licence, as per the new 'Proposal for a Revision of the Directive on Driving Licences' on the 1 March 2023, which would adhere to the ISO 18013-5 standard.

Standard data field labelling

To help users of different languages to understand what each of the data fields on the licence contains, each is labelled with a number. A legend on the back of the card identifies each field in the issuing authority's language.[19]

  1. surname
  2. other names[a]
  3. date of birth, place of birth[d][c]
  4. a) date of issue, b) date of expiry, c) issuing authority, d) different number from the one under heading 5, for administrative purposes[b]
  5. licence number (Can Be Transferred)[c]
  6. photograph of holder
  7. signature of holder
  8. address (Some EU Countries)[c]
  9. licence categories
  10. first issuing date of the category
  11. expiry date of the category
  12. restrictions (number coded)
  13. space reserved for the possible entry by the host Member State of information essential for administering the licence
  14. space reserved for the possible entry by the Member State which issues the licence of information essential for administering the licence or related to road safety (optional).

Notes

aSuch as given names, local variations may occur.
b4(d) is optional. In some countries the personal number is listed.
cThis is optional and not implemented by all countries
dNorway[20] and Sweden:[21] a hyphen (-) is shown in lieu of place of birth.

ISO/IEC 18013-1:2018 extends the numbering of Directive 2006/126/EC to include other data fields (sex, height, weight, eye colour, hair colour) and is used by other countries such as Canada.

Categories valid in all EEA member states

Categories of European driving licences. [1][22][23]
Note: Above graphic is outdated since 19 January 2013.
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National categories in EEA member states

There are other national categories for tractors, large motorcycles, motorised wheel boats, motor tricycles (modern voiturettes, Category B1 or S), and military categories such as for driving tanks. National categories mean they are not harmonised and only valid within the issuing country. The table below gives general descriptions that do not include full details of regulations.

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Overview of driving licences

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See also

Notes

  1. The legal acquis is marked as EEA-relevant by the EU, and is incorporated into the EEA Agreement (by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).

References

  1. "Driving licence recognition and validity". Europa.eu. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  2. European Commission website – Transport: driving licence Archived 7 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Klartecken för EU-körkort". Svenska Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 11 October 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2006.
  4. "EU backs European driving licence". BBC News. 27 March 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  5. "EU announces plans for European driving license". Workpermit.com. 18 December 2006.
  6. "DIRECTIVE 2006/126/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL". Official Journal of the European Union. 30 December 2006.
  7. "303795 | European Free Trade Association". www.efta.int. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  8. Asa Bennett (27 January 2020). "How will the Brexit transition period work?". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. "Exchanging your foreign driving licence". nidirect. 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  10. "Driving in the EU from 1 January 2021: UK licence holders living in the EU". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  11. "Brexit: What are the rules on driving in the EU after transition?". BBC News. 27 December 2020. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  12. "Visit Europe from 1 January 2021". GOV.UK. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  13. "Brexit: What are the rules on driving in the EU?". BBC News. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  14. Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences
  15. "Nytt norsk førerkort : fra 19. januar 2013" (PDF). Vegvesen.no. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  16. "Föreskrifter om ändring i Transportstyrelsens föreskrifter (TSFS 2012:60) om körkortets utformning och innehåll" (PDF). Transportstyrelsen.se. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  17. "DIRECTIVE 2006/126/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL" (PDF). Official Journal of the European Union. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  18. "asa-ausweise.ch". 27 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012.
  19. "Press Release: Changes to the Minimum Ages and Test Requirements to obtain a Driving Licence". Transport Malta. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  20. Ministerie van Algemene Zaken (30 July 2012). "Wanneer mag ik op een trike rijden?". Rijksoverheid.nl.
  21. "Press Release: Changes to the Minimum Ages and Test Requirements to obtain a Driving Licence". Transport Malta. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  22. "Licence Categories and Codes". www.ndls.ie. National Driving Licence Service. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  23. "Kørekort til 17-årige (Ledsagerordningen)". Sikkertrafik.dk. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  24. "Νόμος 4850/2021 - ΦΕΚ 208/Α/5-11-2021". e-nomothesia. 11 May 2021. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  25. "Driving studies | Ísland.is". island.is. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  26. "Hva kan du kjøre med førerkort klasse S?". Statens vegvesen (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  27. "Ist Begleitetes Fahren mit 17 im Ausland erlaubt?". Focus.de. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  28. "L17 – Allgemeines (SDG)". oesterreich.gv.at - Österreichs digitales Amt (in German). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  29. "Driving Licence App". en.digst.dk. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  30. Jarrahi, | Javad (27 November 2020). "Denmark introduces mobile driver's license in latest digital ID push | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  31. "Permis de conduire professionnel : contrôle médical obligatoire". www.service-public.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  32. Borak, | Masha (25 September 2023). "Greece starts issuing new ID cards as conspiracy theories spread | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  33. Macdonald, | Ayang (4 January 2022). "Greece to introduce full mobile version of digital ID, driving licenses | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  34. "Digital Driver's License | Ísland.is". island.is. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  35. "Alfarið hægt að skilja veskið eftir heima". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  36. "Digitalt førerkort". Statens vegvesen (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  37. Nina (1 October 2019). "Digital driver's license crashes". Norway's News in English — www.newsinenglish.no. Retrieved 23 October 2023.

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