EU photocard driving licence – how to apply

General information

It is not mandatory to exchange a valid paper licence for an EU photocard licence, but you may do so voluntarily. However, paper licences without an expiry date will remain valid only until 19 January 2033.

General information about the EU photocard driving licence can also be found at oesterreich.gv.at.

Competent authority

Any driving licence authority in Austria:

• In cities with a State Police Department: the State Police Department^{German text}
  • In Vienna: State Police Department - Traffic Department (→ BMI)^{German text}
• In cities without a state police department or in municipalities: the District Authority^{German text}
  • In the Chartered Cites of Krems and Waidhofen/Ybbs: the Municipal Administration^{German text}
  • In the chartered urban district of Rust: the Burgenland State Police Department (→ BMI)^{German text}

Procedure

If you wish to convert your old driving licence, you have the following options:

• Hand in your old licence
  Your old licence is handed in to the driving licence authority and you receive a temporary licence. You pay the fee directly to the authority, and your new licence will be sent to you by standard post within five to ten days.
• Keep your old licence
  You pay the fee directly to the driving licence authority, and your new licence will be ready to pick up from there within five to ten days. When you pick up your new licence, you will hand in your old one.

The temporary licence will contain all of the information found on a full driving licence (personal data and driving licence categories, as well as any time limits, restrictions or conditions).

The temporary driving licence is only valid:

• for a maximum of four weeks from the date of issue (period cannot be extended);
• in conjunction with an aofficial photo ID card:
• within Austria.

Once the new driving licence has been issued, the temporary driving licence will no longer be valid. However, it does not need to be returned to the authorities.

Required documents

• Official photo ID
• Old Austrian/foreign driving licence
• One photo (portrait, 35 mm x 45 mm) in which the applicant is clearly recognisable (if possible in line with passport photo criteria
• Where possible, confirmation of registration in the civil register (facilitates processing for the authority)
• Where applicable,marriage certificate, divorce ruling or decree, or other official documents confirming your change of name
• If your old licence is a foreign licence, you may be required to provide a translated extract from a driving licence from the issuing country (facilitates processing for the authority)

Upon request, the confirmation of registration can be obtained by the driving licence authority via a search in the Central Civil Register (ZMR).

Costs and fees

• Issue: 49.50 Euro

Further information

If you obtained a category B licence before 19 January 2013, this also authorises you to drive three-wheeled vehicles with or without a light trailer. To ensure you retain this authorisation, when you apply for a duplicate licence (e.g. when converting a paper licence to an EU photocard licence) it will be issued not only for category B but also for category A, although a restriction will be entered in the form of codes 79.03 and 79.04.

Legal basis

sections 14 and 15 of the Führerscheingesetz (FSG)

Link to form

Application for issue of a duplicate licence (loss/theft, name change, expiry, C/D extension, EU photocard driving licence)^{German text}