Replacing, Updating or Surrendering Your Driving Licence in Austria

If you have lost your driving licence, it has been stolen, your name has changed or you want to surrender a category, Austria has specific procedures and fixed fees. This guide explains the main rules for 2026.

In brief:

• A duplicate driving licence (Duplikat) costs 73 euros in 2026.
• Loss or theft must be reported to the police no later than one week after it happens.
• You do not have to apply for a new driving licence after changing your name or address.
• Extending a fixed-term driving licence costs 16 euros, excluding the medical opinion fee.
• After surrendering a licence or category, you can request the entitlement again without a practical test within 18 months.

When do you need a duplicate driving licence?

You can apply for a duplicate driving licence (Duplikatführerschein) if:

• your driving licence has been lost or stolen;
• you want to exchange an old paper licence for a credit-card-sized licence (Scheckkartenführerschein), although this is not mandatory;
• you voluntarily want to update your name; or
• your old document has become invalid, for example because it is illegible or the photograph no longer clearly identifies you.

What to do if your licence is lost or stolen

You must report the loss or theft to the police without delay and no later than one week after it happens (Verlust- bzw. Diebstahlsanzeige). The confirmation you receive replaces the driving licence for eight weeks, but only within Austria.

You can then apply for a duplicate at the driving licence authority (Führerscheinbehörde). In cases of loss or theft, you receive a temporary driving licence (vorläufiger Führerschein).

If you lose your Austrian driving licence or it is stolen abroad, a duplicate cannot be issued there. Country-specific information is available in the “Verkehr” section.

Documents required after loss or theft

• official photo identification;
• confirmation of the police report;
• one upright 35 x 45 mm photograph in which you can be clearly recognised;
• if applicable, proof of address registration (Meldezettel). This can make the process easier, although the information can also be retrieved from the Central Register of Residents (ZMR).

For an exchange or because the document is invalid, you must present the old driving licence instead of the police confirmation. After a name change, you must provide a marriage certificate, a divorce decree or judgment, or another official document confirming the change.

Name and address changes

If your name or address changes, you do not have to report the change to the driving licence authority. Updating your name on the licence is voluntary.

However, you can use the driving licence as official photo identification only if the name shown on it is your current name. Even then, it is accepted only to a limited extent as identification. The correct name may also be necessary when travelling abroad.

Fees and validity of temporary licences

• Duplicate licence for loss, exchange or name change: 73 euros; temporary licence valid for a maximum of 8 weeks.
• Extension of a fixed-term licence: 16 euros plus the medical opinion; temporary licence valid for a maximum of 4 weeks.
• Surrender of individual categories: 73 euros; temporary licence valid for a maximum of 4 weeks.
• Exchange of a military driving licence when you do not yet have a civilian licence: 90 euros; temporary licence valid for a maximum of 4 weeks.
• Exchange of a military driving licence when you already have a civilian licence: 73 euros; temporary licence valid for a maximum of 4 weeks.

The validity period of a temporary driving licence cannot be extended. It is valid only together with official photo identification and only in Austria. Once the new card is delivered, the temporary licence becomes invalid, but you do not have to return it.

For an exchange, you have two options. You can hand in the old licence and receive a temporary one; the new card will arrive by post within 5-10 days. Alternatively, you can keep the old licence and collect the new one at the office within 5-10 days, handing in the old document at that time.

Expiring licences and surrendering driving entitlements

Fixed-term licences, such as C/C1 and D/D1 categories or other categories subject to a health-related restriction, must be extended in good time before they expire. If the deadline passes, the entitlement ends and you must apply for it again. You can do this without a practical test within 18 months after the expiry date. A C category obtained before 1 November 1997 must be extended no later than before your 48th birthday; three weeks beforehand is recommended.

As a general rule, card driving licences issued from 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years. This is an administrative deadline. When renewing, there is generally no medical examination or driving test.

You can voluntarily surrender your entire driving entitlement or individual categories at any time (Verzicht). If you surrender the entire entitlement, the driving licence is withdrawn or invalidated. If you surrender only some categories, you receive a new card. You can request the entitlement again without a test within 18 months. After that, you must take a practical test, although attending a driving school is not required.

Where to apply

You can apply at any driving licence authority in Austria:

• in Vienna: Landespolizeidirektion Wien, Verkehrsamt;
• in cities with a provincial police directorate, where there is no district authority: Landespolizeidirektion;
• in other cities and municipalities: the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft);
• in the cities of Krems and Waidhofen/Ybbs: Magistrat;
• in Rust: Landespolizeidirektion Burgenland.

Online appointment booking is recommended at the police directorates. In Vienna, an appointment is mandatory for an in-person extension or surrender application. You can also request a duplicate at an Austrian diplomatic mission if you are abroad without a place of residence, or if you have moved to a non-EEA country.

Additional points to know

Do you have to exchange an old paper driving licence?

No. Exchanging it for a credit-card-sized licence is voluntary. The fee is the same as for a duplicate: 73 euros.

Can you drive abroad with the police confirmation?

No. The police confirmation and the temporary driving licence are valid only in Austria.

What happens to the entitlement to drive three-wheeled vehicles?

If you obtained category B before 19 January 2013, a duplicate will include a category A entitlement next to B, restricted by codes 79.03 and 79.04. This does not allow you to ride a motorcycle.

How long can a military driving licence be exchanged?

You can exchange it within one year after leaving the Bundesheer. After that, it can no longer be converted into a civilian licence.

Practical steps

1. Identify the reason for your application: loss, theft, exchange, name change, extension or surrender.
2. If the licence was lost or stolen, report it to the police immediately and no later than one week afterwards.
3. Prepare your official photo identification, a 35 x 45 mm photograph and any required supporting documents, such as the police confirmation, Meldezettel or proof of a name change.
4. Contact the relevant Führerscheinbehörde and, where available, book an appointment online.
5. Pay the applicable fee and check the conditions and territorial limits of any temporary driving licence you receive.
6. If a fixed-term licence is expiring, apply before the expiry date. If it has already expired, remember that the entitlement can be requested without a practical test only within 18 months.