Remarkable: many drivers with a plastic driving license have to replace it and pay 25 euros for it. It also expires after ten years. While the older paper copy remains valid and therefore costs the holder nothing. “That will be the case until 2033,” says Thomas De Spiegelaere of the FPS Mobility in Dag Alles.
Five years ago, two out of three Belgians drove around with a paper driver’s license. That is now slightly less than half, but still a considerable part. Anyone who received the new ‘bank card’ driving license ten years ago must now replace it. That costs around 25 euros, depending on where you live. Add the passport photo to that, and it suddenly seems better to leave everything as it was.
Europe has introduced the new format to clarify the multitude of documents and to prevent fraud.
But what about the paper driver’s license? “In principle, it will still be good until 2033,” says Thomas De Spiegelaere of the FPS Mobility. “Everyone who has obtained their driving license since 2013 will receive the new format. to prevent fraud. However, the paper copy, which many still have, remains valid.”
Fine on vacation
The plastic driver’s license is not exclusively for those fresh from driving school. Drivers with a paper driver’s license can also apply for one. Many did that for peace of mind. However, the paper version remains legal not only in our country, but in all EU countries. Yet you hear about Belgians who were fined on holiday in France because they did not have a plastic driving licence. “There is no legal basis for such a fine and you could therefore contest it,” says De Spiegelaere. There are limitations though. “The photo on your paper driver’s license must be recognizable. But that was already the case in the past.”
Nearly half a million compatriots will have to renew their ‘bank card’ in 2023, while many do not even realize that such a limit exists. After all, the old one was valid indefinitely. Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) therefore decided to send a letter to everyone whose driving license expires. Not replacing it can result in a fine of 1,600 euros.
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