| Document Name: | European driving licence |
| Date First Issued: | 29 July 1991 |
| Using Jurisdiction: | EU member states and member states of the European Economic Area |
| Valid Jurisdictions: | The European Economic Area |
| Purpose: | Access to unified driving licence in any of the EEA member states |
| Eligibility: | EEA residency |
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.
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is old enough to drive a vehicle of the equivalent category, and the licence is not suspended or restricted and has not been revoked in the issuing country.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.
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]
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.
| Type: | Directive |
| Council Directive on driving licences | |
| Number: | 91/439/EEC |
| Madeby: | Council of the European Union |
| Madeunder: | Art. 75 TEC |
| Ojref: | L237, pp 1–24 |
| Ojrefurl: | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31991L0439:EN:HTML |
| Made: | 29 July 1991 |
| Commenced: | 24 August 1991 |
| Implementation: | 1 July 1996 |
| Replaces: | Directive 80/1263/EEC |
| Replacedby: | Directive 2006/126/EC |
| Status: | Repealed |
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, and specified driving licence in the European Union and the European Economic Area until its repeal on 19 January 2013.
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.[2]
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.[3]
| Type: | Directive |
| Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on driving licences (Recast) | |
| Number: | 2006/126/EC |
| Eea: | yes |
| Madeby: | European Parliament & Council |
| Madeunder: | Art. 71 TEC |
| Ojref: | L403, pp. 18–60 |
| Ojrefurl: | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:403:0018:0060:EN:PDF |
| Made: | 30 December 2006 |
| Commenced: | 19 January 2007 |
| Implementation: | 19 January 2013 |
| Replaces: | Directive 91/439/EEC |
| Status: | Current |
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.[4] [5] The European Parliament adopted the Directive in December 2006.[6] Directive 2006/126/EC was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 30 December 2006.[7] Its provisions took effect on 19 January 2013; Directive 91/439/EEC was then concurrently repealed.
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.
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.[8]
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. 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”.[9]
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.
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'. As of May 2024, Saint Martin is the only French territory member of the EU to use a different format to the current 'standard' French format.
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.
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.[10]
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.[11] [12]
UK driving licences can be used when visiting EU/EEA countries with some exceptions.[13] [14] [15] 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.[16]
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.[17]
Specifically regarding driving licences, the measures presented included:
These proposals would have to be considered through the usual EU legislative procedure before coming into effect.[17]
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 1 March 2023, which would adhere to the ISO 18013-5 standard.
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.[18]
| Class | Description | Age of acquisition | Requires | Includes | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mopeds | ||||||
| AM | Two-wheel vehicles or three-wheel vehicles with a maximum design speed of not more than and with a cylinder capacity not exceeding . | 16 years (18 years in Denmark and Malta; 15 years in Austria, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden; 14 years in Estonia, Latvia, France, Italy, Poland, and Hungary). | Until 19 January 2013 this class was a national class called "M" in Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, and Norway.It is up to each member state to accept foreign licenses with younger ages than the local minimum age of acquisition. | |||
| Motorcycles | ||||||
| A1 | Motorcycles with a cylinder capacity not exceeding and a power not exceeding ; and motor tricycles with a power not exceeding . | 16 years. (18 years in Denmark, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands). | AM | B licence holders in Czech Republic (only motorcycles with automatic and semi-automatic transmission), Italy, Latvia, Slovakia (after two years and only motorcycles with automatic transmission), Spain (after three years), Poland (after three years), Portugal (at least 25 years old or additional licence for mopeds), and Belgium (after two years) are allowed to drive motorcycles not exceeding within the respective countries. In Austria (after five years, training of 6 hours), France (after two years, a training of 7 hours), Germany (after 5 years, training of 9x1,5 hours, addition of Code 196, thus only German licenses), Greece (after 6 years, at least 27 years old, training of 5 hours, addition of Code 121, thus only Greek licenses), Luxembourg (after 2 years, training of 7 hours), and Malta (training of 10 hours), a practical training without exam is needed for B licence holders. | ||
| A2 | Motorcycles of a power not exceeding and with a power/weight ratio not exceeding and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power. | 18 years. (20 years in Denmark, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands). | A1, AM | Replaced class "A" on 19 January 2013 in Malta.[19] | ||
| A | Any motorcycle or motor tricycle not in category A1/A2 | 20 years. (22 years in Denmark, Greece, Belgium, and the Netherlands). However, access to the driving of motorcycles of this category shall be subject to a minimum of two years' experience on motorcycles under an A2 licence. This requirement as to previous experience may be waived if the candidate is at least 24 years old. | A2, A1, AM | B licence holders who are at least 21 years of age are allowed to drive motor tricycles (including three-wheeled motorcycles with a power exceeding in the following countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Spain and Poland (after three years of B licence). In France and Italy, a practical training (at least 7 hours) without an exam is needed for B licence holders who want to drive motor tricycles only, and this option is available only after at least two years of B licence. In the Netherlands it's allowed to drive from the age of at least 18, and if you had your B licence before 19 January 2013.[20] Replaced class "A+" on 19 January 2013 in Malta.[21] | ||
| Motor vehicles | ||||||
| B | Motor vehicles with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) not exceeding and designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver; motor vehicles in this category may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass which does not exceed . You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer isn't more than . | 18 years (17 years in Ireland, France (since 2024) and Hungary)[22] [23] 17 years in Germany, and the Netherlands (under supervision, from age of 18 without supervision). 17 years in Greece with supervision (from someone which is at least 25 years old and has had a B licence for 5+ years[24]) and from the age of 18 without supervision (only if no accidents were caused while under supervision) [25] 17 years in Austria after 3000 km of driving under supervision. 16 years in Iceland (under supervision after 10 driving lessons, from age of 17 without supervision)[26] [27] | AM (some countries) | In some countries, holders of a B driver licence are also entitled (sometimes with special conditions) to ride motorcycles <= and power <= and ratio power/weight <= | ||
| BE | Without prejudice to the provisions of type-approval rules for the vehicles concerned, a combination of vehicles consisting of a tractor vehicle in category B and any number of trailers or semi-trailer wheres the maximum authorised mass of the trailer(s) or semi-trailer(s) do not exceed . | 18 years (17 years in Ireland) | B | |||
| B1 | 16 years | AM | This class is optional, i.e. it is not implemented by all countries. | |||
| Large goods vehicle | ||||||
| C1 | Large goods vehicle with a maximum authorised mass of not more than ; with or without a trailer with a maximum mass of less than . | 18 years | B | |||
| C1E | Combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category C1 and its trailer(s) or semi-trailer(s) have a maximum authorised mass of over, and the combined mass of the tractor vehicle and trailer(s) do not exceed . | 18 years | C1 | BE | ||
| C | Large goods vehicle with a maximum authorised mass of more than mass and not more than 8 + 1 seats (lorry); with a trailer with a maximum mass of . | 21 years 18 years in Sweden, Finland and Ireland 18 years in Germany for non-commercial use only except for apprenticeship as professional driver 18 years in Belgium for professional drivers | B for 1 year, not including restricted licence | C1 | ||
| CE | Other combinations of vehicles and trailers which with combined maximum authorised mass of more than . | 21 years (18 years in Belgium for professional drivers) | C | BE, C1E | ||
| Buses | ||||||
| D1 | Light buses with a maximum of 16 + 1 seats, maximum length of . | 21 years (18 years in Belgium for professional drivers) | B | Motor vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of no more than 16 passengers in addition to the driver; motor vehicles in this category may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding . | ||
| D1E | Combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category D1 and its trailer(s) or semi-trailer(s) have a maximum authorised mass of over, and the combined mass of the tractor vehicle and trailer(s) do not exceed . | 21 years (18 years in Belgium for professional drivers) | D1 | |||
| D | Vehicles with more than 8 + 1 seats (buses). | 24 years (21 years in Ireland; 21 years in Belgium for professional drivers) | B (C for 2 years in Bulgaria) | D1 | Motor vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of more than eight passengers in addition to the driver; motor vehicles which may be driven with a category D licence may be combined with a trailer having a maximum authorised mass which does not exceed . Includes articulated buses (at least in Germany).[28] | |
| DE | Combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category D and its trailer has a maximum authorised mass of over . | 24 years (21 years in Ireland; 21 years in Belgium for professional drivers) | D | D1E | ||
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.
| Class | Description | Age of acquisition | Issued by | Valid in | class=unsortable | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mopeds | ||||||
| LK | Small moped | Denmark | Denmark | |||
| Snowmobiles | ||||||
| S | Snowmobile | 16 | Norway |
| ||
| Motor vehicles | ||||||
| BF17 | Begleitetes Fahren (accompanied driving) | 17 | Germany | BF17 licensed driver must be accompanied by B-licence holder age 30+ | ||
| L17 | L17-Lenkberechtigung | 17 | Austria |
| ||
| Buses | ||||||
| TR | Trolleybus | 20 | Hungary | Hungary | ||
| TROL | Trolleybus | Latvia | Latvia | |||
| Tтб | Trolleybus | 24 | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Tтб was phased out and incorporated into the D category in 2013. Trolleybus drivers are now required to possess a D licence and to complete additional training on a trolleybus. Entitlement to drive a trolleybus is specified on the driving licence by code 103. | |
| Trams | ||||||
| H | Tram | 21 | Croatia | Croatia | ||
| TRAM | Tram | Latvia | Latvia | |||
| Tтм | Tram | 24 | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | ||
| V | Tram | 20 | Hungary | Hungary | ||
| Tractors | ||||||
| F | Tractor | 16 | Austria | Austria | ||
| Croatia | Croatia | With or without trailer; included in class B | ||||
| Slovenia | Slovenia | |||||
| T | Tractor | 17 | Czech Republic | Czech Republic | ||
| 16 | Germany | Germany | ||||
| Hungary | Hungary | Maximum 2 trailers | ||||
| Netherlands | Netherlands | Included in class B and C if acquired before 1 July 2015 | ||||
| Norway | Norway | Included in class BE | ||||
| Poland | Poland | Included in class BE | ||||
| 15 | Finland | Finland | Included in class A1, A2, A and B[32] | |||
| TM | Tractor | 16 | Denmark | Denmark | ||
| Tкт | Tractor | 16 | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | ||
| K | Two-wheel tractor | 16 | Hungary | Hungary | ||
| L | Tractor not exceeding 40 km/h by design | 16 | Germany | Germany | With trailer: max. 25 km/h; included in class B | |
| Heavy equipment | ||||||
| G | Agricultural vehicles | 16 | Belgium | Belgium | Included in B, B+E, C1, C1+E, C, C+E (only for agricultural vehicles with the same maximum authorised mass as the vehicles one has a licence for) | |
| G | Heavy equipment | 16 | Croatia | Croatia | Included in class B | |
| W | Work Vehicle | 16 | Ireland | Ireland | Includes land tractors with or without a trailer | |
| Member state | Front | Reverse | Validity | Issuing authority | Latest version | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria | 15 years | 11 Feb 2014 | |||||
 Belgium | 10 years | Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport | 27 Dec 2019 | ||||
 Bulgaria | Link to image | Link to image |
| 19 Jan 2013 | |||
 Croatia |
| 2023 | |||||
 Cyprus | Link to image | Link to Image |
| 1 July 2013 | |||
Czech Republic | Link to image | 19 Jan 2013 | |||||
 Denmark | 15 years | 1 Sep 2017 | Yes, proprietary app, launched in Nov 2020[33] [34] | ||||
 Estonia | Link to image | Link to image |
| 19 Jan 2013 | |||
 Finland | Depending on the licence category, valid for 2 to 15 years | Traficom | 1 April 2019 | Terminated trial, proprietary app, from 2018-2020. [35] | |||
| Åland (Finland) | Link to image | Link to image | Depending on the licence category, valid for 2 to 15 years | Åland Provincial Government | 1 April 2019 | Terminated trial, proprietary app, from 2018-2020. [36] | |
 France |
| Prefecture via the ANTS | 1 July 2015 | ||||
| Collectivity of Saint Martin (France) | [38] | Collectivity of Saint Martin | March 2015 | ||||
 Germany | 15 years | 4 Jan 2021 | Yes, proprietary app, launched in 2021. Supplementary to phyisical licence.[39] | ||||
 Greece | Link to image | Link to image | 4 July 2023 | Yes, proprietary app and .pkpass implementation, launched in July 2023.[40] [41] | |||
 Hungary | Link to image | Link to image |
| 19 Jan 2013 | |||
 Iceland |
| Sheriffs, on behalf of the Icelandic Transport Authority | 3 June 2013 | Yes, using proprietary .pkpass implementation, launched in July 2020.[42] [43] | |||
 Ireland | Link to image | Link to image | 10 years | Road Safety Authority | 28 Feb 2017 | ||
 Italy |
| Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport | 19 Jan 2013 | ||||
 Latvia | Link to image | Link to image |
| Road Safety Directorate | 2 Jan 2013 | ||
 Liechtenstein | Link to image | Link to image | 1 April 2019 | ||||
 Lithuania | Link to image | Link to image | 10 years | 30 July 2021 | |||
 Luxembourg | Link to image | 19 Jan 2013 | |||||
 Malta | Link to image | Link to image | 19 Dec 2003 | ||||
 Netherlands | Link to image | Link to image |
| RDW | 14 Nov 2014 | ||
 Norway | 15 years | Norwegian Public Roads Administration | 1 Sep 2018 | Yes, proprietary app, launched in October 2019. [44] [45] | |||
 Poland | 15 years | Starosta or prezydent miasta (city mayor) | 4 March 2019 | ||||
 Portugal | Link to image | Link to image | Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) | 2 Jan 2013 | |||
 Romania |
| 19 Jan 2013 | |||||
 Slovakia | Link to image | Link to image | 15 Sep 2015 | ||||
 Slovenia | Link to image | Link to image | 19 Jan 2013 | ||||
 Spain | Link to image | Link to image |
| Directorate-General for Traffic | 19 Jan 2013 | ||
 Sweden | Link to image | Link to image |
| Swedish Transport Agency | 21 Jan 2016 |
