You are traveling through Europe and suddenly you are stopped at a routine checkpoint. The police officer looks at your old gray or pink driver's license skeptically. Inconvenience could follow, but don't worry - we'll explain how to avoid such situations and what the exchange means for you.
The end of the paper driving license
The process of changing driving licenses in the EU is in full swing. The old paper driving licenses have been gradually being phased out since January 2022. European legislation has decided that all old driving licenses must be replaced by new credit card formats by January 2033.
If your year of birth is between 1965 - 1970, you must exchange your old driver's license by January 19, 2024.
Exchange deadlines and their meaning
It is important that you know your exchange deadline. It depends on your year of birth and the date your driving license was issued. If you were born before 1953, you have until January 19, 2033. For everyone else, individual deadlines apply. Don't miss this, otherwise you will receive a fine of 10 euros.
For driving licenses issued up to and including December 31, 1998 :
| Your year of birth | Day by which the driver's license must be exchanged |
| before 1953 | January 19, 2033 |
| 1953 – 1958 | January 19, 2022 |
| 1959 – 1964 | January 19, 2024 |
| 1965 – 1970 | January 19, 2024 |
| 197 or later | January 19, 2025 |
For driving licenses issued from January 1, 1999 :
| Year of issue | Day by which the driver's license must be exchanged |
| 1999 – 2001 | January 19, 2026 |
| 2002 – 2004 | January 19, 2027 |
| 2005 – 2007 | January 19, 2028 |
| 2008 | January 19, 2029 |
| 2009 | January 19, 2030 |
| 2010 | January 19, 2031 |
| 2011 | January 19, 2032 |
| 2012 – 18.01.2013 | January 19, 2033 |
Traveling internationally with an old driving license?
Even if the old driving licenses are supposed to be valid throughout the EU by the respective deadline, in practice there are always misunderstandings. The EU offers a declaration online in various languages that you can carry with you. If problems still arise, it is worth having the incident legally examined, especially if fines are involved.
Exchange: What you should know
The exchange costs around 25 euros. You don't have to take a new test and you won't lose your driver's license if you miss the deadline.
Driving licenses issued since 2013 are also only valid for 15 years. This also applies to the Class A motorcycle license.
Conclusion
The change in driving licenses is an important step towards a uniform and safe transport policy in the EU. To avoid unnecessary difficulties, you should exchange your driver's license in good time and find out about the exact deadlines. The process is simple and ensures that you can continue to travel around the EU without any problems in the future.
Source: Consumer advice center NRW
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )