Austria’s pink paper driving licences must be replaced by 2033

Austria’s old pink paper driving licences must be exchanged for new credit-card-style licences by 19 January 2033 under an EU regulation, ORF reported. The change affects about one-third of the country’s driving licences.

Austria has 7.5 million driving licences, an estimated 2.5 million of them still in paper form. Older credit-card licences issued before 19 January 2013 are also covered by the requirement.

In Carinthia, the authorities issuing licences expect heavier workloads and longer waiting times, especially as the deadline approaches. The current wait for an appointment at the Carinthia State Police Directorate is two to three weeks, according to Martina Zimmermann, deputy head of its administrative department.

Zimmermann advised people not to delay the exchange. A replacement licence currently costs 73 euros, and the fee is not expected to fall. It may increase in the coming months, she said.

The exchange is already taking place when licences are lost or entries are changed. The Carinthia State Police Directorate issued 440 credit-card licences for those reasons last year.

Thomas Urschitz of the Klagenfurt-Land district authority also expects additional work. He said long waiting times could be avoided if staffing levels were sufficient, but added that a temporary increase in personnel would be needed. The state’s current budget pressures are an obstacle, he said.