The European Parliament has given its final approval to a major overhaul of driving regulations across the European Union. The reform aims to make roads safer, harmonize license systems, and ensure that traffic offenders face consequences across borders.
Member states now have three years to transpose the directive into national law, followed by one additional year for full implementation. The changes are among the most ambitious mobility reforms in decades — combining digital innovation, harmonized enforcement, and new safety priorities.
A digital driver’s license for all Europeans
By 2030, every EU citizen will be able to carry a digital driver’s license, accessible via smartphone and valid in all member states. Physical license cards will remain available for those who prefer them, but both versions will hold equal legal value.
The new system is designed to simplify verification across borders and reduce bureaucracy for drivers moving or renting vehicles in other EU countries.
Cross-border driving bans
One of the most significant changes concerns traffic violations committed abroad. Under the new rules, serious offences such as drunk driving, drug use, fatal accidents or extreme speeding can lead to a driving ban valid across the entire EU.
Until now, such bans could only be enforced within the country where the violation occurred. In the future, authorities in the country of offence will be able to notify the issuing country, which must then recognize and enforce the ban.
For drivers, this means that losing a license in one EU state will automatically apply across all member countries — a true end to the “border loophole.”
Learning earlier, driving safer
The reform also extends the concept of accompanied driving across the EU. Young drivers will be able to gain early experience under supervision, as already practiced in Germany. This also enables them to drive abroad on holiday under the same rules.
The EU additionally opens the scheme to professional drivers, allowing apprentices to gain experience earlier — a measure expected to ease the driver shortage in the logistics and transport sectors.
Lower age limits for truck and bus drivers
To attract new workers, the minimum age for truck licenses will drop from 21 to 18, and for bus drivers from 24 to 21. The EU hopes this will make transport jobs more appealing to younger people while maintaining safety through stricter training standards.
Updated driving-school training and safety focus
Driving schools will see a stronger emphasis on road safety, including awareness of smartphone distractions, blind spots, and driver-assistance systems. Trainee drivers will also receive more instruction on interacting with pedestrians, cyclists, and children in urban traffic.
Easier rules for motorhomes
Motorhome enthusiasts can rejoice: holders of a standard category B license will soon be allowed to drive vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes after completing a specialized training or test. The exact requirements — whether a course or formal exam — will be set individually by each member state.
No mandatory medical checks for older drivers
A controversial proposal for regular medical examinations for older drivers has been dropped. Each member state may decide whether to require self-assessment forms or medical certificates, but there will be no EU-wide obligation.
Plans for age-based renewal every five years or special license categories for SUVs were also shelved after criticism from several countries.
EU’s long-term goal: Vision Zero
The driving-license reform forms part of the EU’s broader “Vision Zero” strategy — aiming for no road deaths or serious injuries by 2050. The interim target is to halve road fatalities by 2030 compared to 2019.
Progress has been slow: in the past five years, the number of road deaths across the EU dropped by only about 12 percent. In 2024, there were 19,940 traffic fatalities, a two-percent decrease from the previous year. Sweden and Denmark remain the safest countries in Europe, while Germany — with 33 deaths per million inhabitants — performs better than the EU average of 45.
