News in Brief

France Rolls Out Digital Driving Licence

France has officially introduced its digital driving licence system following successful trials in Hauts-de-Seine, Eure-et-Loir, and Rhône, as announced by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

Residents holding driving licences in the contemporary credit card-shaped format, issued since 2021, can now establish virtual versions of their licences in the France Identité app, available for both iOS and Android. Participation in the system is voluntary, but the virtual licences are now recognised as official government- issued identification.

Enrolment for France’s virtual driving licence does not involve facial recognition. Instead, users scan their physical ID using their smartphone’s NFC reader and log into their ‘Mes Points Permis’ online account to download their driving records, which contain a QR code to set up their mobile driving licence.