Digital Driver’s Licenses Gain Speed in Europe: Physical Cards Not Obsolete Yet

The transition to digital driver’s licenses is set to become the new standard across the European Union. European Parliament members have passed a directive making it the default format. By 2030, all member states will be required to offer their citizens a digitalized version of the driver’s license, which will be integrated into each country’s mobile app wallet.

France is partially ahead in this transition as its citizens have been able to add their driver’s licenses to the France Identité app since early 2024. However, there are still hurdles to overcome, such as gaining access to the France Identité app itself, which requires a biometric ID card not yet possessed by everyone. While the digital license is intended to become widespread, the physical version will not vanish. Motorists will still have the option to obtain a traditional plastic card license.

Digital License with an Option to Choose

“It was particularly important to me, as the rapporteur, that people maintain their freedom of choice, European Parliament member Jutta Paulus stated during a press conference. Meaning, those who say: ‘I don’t want to be constantly tracked by a surveillance device [a smartphone], I want to sometimes be offline,’ will still be able to use their old plastic card or request one at any time.”

This option proves beneficial for travel outside the European Union. “You can always request a physical license, even if you already have a digital one. For instance, if you are traveling to a country like the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a digital license cannot be presented to the police, you can request a physical card,” the rapporteur added.

The directive ensures that drivers should receive their physical licenses promptly, with lawmakers aiming for a turnaround of about three weeks. Furthermore, states must not impose disproportionate fees to favor one format over another.

Regarding the digital license, it must contain the same information as the traditional card, including features that ensure the authenticity of the data. During checks, only the absolutely necessary information should be accessible, to minimize the sharing of personal data.

To date, 800,000 individuals have uploaded their driver’s licenses to France Identité. If you have the government app (which requires an ID card in the format of a credit card), you can do the same, whether you have the old pink license or the new-format one. Since this spring, the process has been streamlined: there is no longer a need to download a certificate from the Mes Points Permis website; simply entering the number on your license will add it directly.