France digital driving licence in France Identité app, Digi Mart USA News (France): Motorists in France can now leave their physical driving licence at home, thanks to new rules that have taken effect. There is one important detail drivers need to know.
Anyone driving in France no longer needs to dig the pink driving licence out of a drawer. According to the source, the document has been available on smartphones for several months, and police officers fully accept the digital version at roadside checks.
The French government has placed the driving licence within France Identité, the country’s official identity app. Both the older pink version and the newer credit-card-sized version can be linked to the application, so nearly every driver can take part.
During a traffic check, the motorist selects the option to show the driving licence in the app, gives consent, and holds the screen up for the officer. The officer then scans the document using NFC technology, which immediately verifies its authenticity.
Several technical conditions apply. The phone must run at least Android 11 or iOS 16, and the digital identity card in the new format must already have been added to the app.
French media describe the registration as a task of a few minutes consisting of four clear steps.
Motorists who prefer paper do not need to worry for now. The classic pink driving licence remains valid for years, although it will eventually be phased out.
From 2033, French authorities will accept only the credit-card-sized version, meaning millions of drivers will have to exchange their old document within six years.
France is taking the lead in Europe with this step, alongside countries such as Denmark and Iceland, where drivers can also already show their licences digitally. The source states that the rest of the continent is expected to follow quickly, as Brussels has now made digitalisation of the document mandatory.
For Dutch motorists, the wait is longer, but plans are in place. According to the source, the European Union reached an agreement in 2025 on new driving licence rules under which the digital driving licence becomes the standard.
By 2030 at the latest, all member states, including the Netherlands, must offer a mobile version recognised throughout the EU.
That digital version will be available through the European Identity Wallet, a secure app in which citizens can later store other official documents. The source reports that the RDW is working behind the scenes on the Dutch implementation, while the physical card will remain available for those who prefer it.
Dutch drivers who regularly travel through France cannot yet use the French system. France Identité works only for people with a French identity card, so foreign drivers must still carry their physical driving licence on holiday.
