Austria Considers Staged Plan for Exchange of Around 3.6 Million Old Paper Driver's Licenses

According to the Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), approximately 3.6 million paper driver's licenses are still in circulation in Austria. Registration was not centralized at the time, which is why the ministry does not know the exact number of still-valid paper licenses.

The transport ministry argues that a staged plan would only result in the 20-year validity period provided by the EU for licenses issued before 2013 being shortened by national regulations. Currently, no such model is planned, as the ministry confirmed once again.

Comparison with Germany

In Germany, the exchange has been carried out for years through a legally regulated staged plan. In Austria, there is currently no comparable plan. Instead, the Austrian authorities want to reach those affected through a broad information campaign.

Currently, exchanging an old paper driver's license costs 73 euros. The ministry emphasizes that license holders must take care of the exchange themselves in good time. According to the 'Salzburger Nachrichten', the authorities want to inform the public about the process in a timely and intensive manner to avoid overburdening the authorities shortly before the deadline.

Costs and Deadlines

The ministry also assumes that the number will decrease in the coming years. Some driving licenses can no longer be reissued due to age, once the holders exceed the applicable age limits.

The ÖAMTC criticizes the ministry. The automobile club speaks of a 'typically Austrian wait-and-see approach'. From the club's perspective, there is a lack of a clear timetable that guides the millions of affected people into the exchange process in a targeted and timely manner.

Criticism from ÖAMTC

If the authorities were nevertheless working on a staged plan, coordination with the federal states and district administrative authorities, which process the majority of applications, would be necessary. So far, however, the BMIMI has not specified any concrete dates, deadlines, or quotas for such a model.

For license holders, the transitional period until 2033 means they have sufficient time for the administrative process. It is recommended not to apply for the exchange only in the last months before the deadline, as longer waiting times can then be expected.

Regardless of the question of staged plan or not, the requirement for a card-format driver's license remains in place for all documents issued before 2013. Anyone who continues to drive with the old paper license risks a fine from the deadline onward, because the driver's license will then no longer be recognized as a valid document.