Millions of Austrians have to exchange their driver's licenses.
Millions of people in Austria will have to swap their old driver's license for the new EU card format. The change is mandatory, but it has nothing to do with driving ability.
The reason is an EU-wide directive to phase out old paper and early card licenses. The goal is to make licenses more forgery-proof and to standardize them across the EU. The new EU driver's license is a credit-card sized document with a photo and is only valid for 15 years. After that it must be renewed.
Who needs to act first? The deadlines are staggered. The next big cut-off is January 19, 2026 for all card licenses issued between 1999 and 2001. After that, later years follow one by one. The very last deadline is January 19, 2033. Anyone born before 1953 has until 2033 regardless of when their license was issued.
You do not need to retake a driving test or do a health check for a normal Class B license. Your driving entitlement stays the same. You just exchange the document. To apply, go to your local driver's license authority with your ID or passport, your current license, and a biometric passport photo. Cost is around 25 Euro. In some places you can start the process online.
What if you miss the deadline? You won’t lose your right to drive, but you can be fined 10 Euro in a traffic check. More importantly, old licenses may not be recognized abroad anymore. After exchanging, you can keep the old license as a souvenir — it will be stamped as invalid.
If you live outside Austria, the rules differ. Within the EU, your local authority handles the swap. Outside the EU, you apply at any German driver's license authority.