Changes to driving licenses: Digital document, driving age 17 and older, and new testing rules

Changes to driving licenses will include the use of digital documents, rules for novice drivers, and the approach to health screening. The Department of Road Transport has already begun preparations to adapt national regulations to the new European Union directive.

Most of the changes won't take effect immediately. EU countries have time to adapt their regulations, and the main changes will come into effect in 2029. Earlier, 17-year-olds will be allowed to drive under the supervision of an experienced driver.

Changes to the driving license will include a digital document

One of the most visible elements of the reform will be the European digital driving licence.

The document can be stored in the European Digital Identity Wallet and used via telephone or other digital device.

This is intended to facilitate, among other things, renewing a driving license, issuing duplicates, exchanging the document and checking its validity.

The plastic card, however, will not disappear. People who prefer a traditional document or need one, for example, when traveling outside the European Union, will still be able to obtain one.

The digital driving license is available today

For drivers using Cypriot documents, the digital form of the driving license itself is not entirely new.

Currently, you can save your driving license in a government application Digital CitizenThe document displayed in this application is equivalent to a physical document when legally used in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

However, new EU regulations go further. Ultimately, digital driving licenses are to operate according to a common European standard and be mutually recognized across the EU.

The implementation of the solution will require cooperation between the Road Transport Department and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.

Category B driving license still valid for 15 years

The new directive generally provides for a 15-year period of administrative validity for the basic driving licence categories, including category B.

In this case, drivers will not experience a major revolution.

Cyprus already applies a 15-year validity period and the Road Transport Department does not currently envisage shortening it.

What about drivers over 70?

The situation of older drivers may be much more interesting.

Currently, anyone over the age of 70 must present a medical certificate when renewing their driving license. The renewed document is valid for three years.

The new European approach places greater emphasis on actual health condition and ability to drive safely, and smaller due to the driver's age.

This means moving away from the simple mindset of “a driver has reached a certain age, so they should automatically be subject to greater restrictions.”

Fitness to drive is to be assessed individually, based on objective evidence and, where necessary, examinations or additional tests.

For now, however, for drivers over 70 years of age, nothing changes.

The Department of Road Transport emphasises that the current rules remain in force and only when the law is adapted to the directive will it be determined whether the procedure will be modified.

17-year-olds will be able to drive a car

A big change awaits young drivers.

New EU regulations introduce the possibility of obtaining a category B driving license and driving a car from the age of 17 under the supervision of an accompanying person.

EU regulations also specify requirements for the guardian.

You must be at least 24 years old, have held the appropriate driving licence category for at least five years and have not been subject to a driving ban in recent years.

The Department of Road Transport is already analysing how this system will be implemented into local regulations.

The exact model has not yet been determined.

Minimum two-year probationary period

Another change will apply to people who obtain a driving license for the first time.

The new directive provides for beginner drivers a trial period of at least two years.

During this time, special rules and harsher consequences for certain offenses will apply.

The goal is to reduce the number of accidents among young and inexperienced drivers.

The details of national sanctions and rules will need to be set out in regulations prepared by the authorities.

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When will the changes come into effect?

The new directive applies at EU level from November 2025, but member states have been given several years to adapt their regulations.

Basic national regulations are to be adopted by November 26, 2028, while most of the new rules will apply from November 26, 2029.

Some regulations are expected to come into effect earlier, including the supervised driving system for 17-year-olds.

In the coming months, the Department of Road Transport will be preparing appropriate legislative changes. These changes will then be subject to public consultation.

For drivers this means that the current rules still apply todayThe new directive sets the direction for change, but does not mean that all new regulations will automatically enter into force immediately.

Sources: Road Transport Department of the Republic of Cyprus, European Commission, EUR-Lex