Overview

• Drivers holding card-format licences issued between 1999 and 2001 must swap them for the EU-standard card by 19 January 2026.
• Mittelsachsen will accept fully digital applications for mandatory exchanges and first issues from Q4 2025 via a Bund-ID account.
• Despite the online process, one in-person visit remains required to hand in the old licence when collecting the new card, with pickup by appointment.
• Missing a deadline constitutes an administrative offence that typically results in a €10 on-the-spot fine during checks.
• ADAC advises holders of the old Klasse 3 to ensure CE 79 and other entitlements are correctly transferred, with a medical certificate required from age 50 for CE 79, as the EU-wide rollout proceeds toward final deadlines in 2033 alongside agreed plans for a complementary digital licence and cross-border ban recognition.