It has been six years that you can apply for a new driving licence at any major office without a pap

24/7/2024Press releases

And drivers have been able to apply for a driving licence online via the Transport Portal or the Citizen Portal for over three years now. This is a breakthrough in the digitalisation of transport agencies, which brings with it a number of advantages such as the ability to apply at any time from the comfort of your home and save part of the administrative fee. The digitisation of photos and the loosening of local jurisdictions have made life easier for drivers for even longer, six years to be precise.

It has been six years that you can apply for a new driving licence at any major office without a pap

"One of the main goals of the digitalisation of the state is to save people time and money. We do this because applicants for driving licenses save themselves the travel, time and money of having to get a paper license photo or travel to their place of residence. If you apply electronically, you even save yourself one trip to the office altogether. I am happy that the Ministry of Transport is one of the pioneers of digitalisation in our country, which we are still continuing," said transport minister Martin Kupka.

What does it mean that local jurisdiction gets relaxed? Drivers can apply for, exchange or collect their new driving licence at any municipal office of the municipality with extended jurisdiction.

How does the sharing of photos already obtained by the state work? When submitting the application, a photograph from the state registers or one that was taken directly during the processing of the application was used. Applicants thus saved the cost of taking the photo and the time they would have spent travelling and taking the photo themselves.

"We are making life easier for drivers and simplifying the whole process of applying for the driving licence. For six years now, drivers have been able to take advantage of the digitisation of photos and the relaxation of local jurisdiction. Since 1 July 2018, it was 663 237 applicants for the driving licence who have used the option of collecting the document outside the office of their permanent residence, most of them in Prague, Brno and Černošice. The digitisation of photos affected all drivers who applied for the licence during this period. There were nearly five million of them," says Stanislav Dvořák, Director of the Department of Driver Agencies at the Ministry of Transport.

The electronic application for the driving licence was a key step in the digitalisation process and it has now been possible to apply for the driving licence online via the Transport Portal or the Citizen Portal for more than three years. More than 150,000 drivers have used this option so far. The functionalities of the Transport Portal are continuously expanding and it is now possible to digitally check the status of the penalty points account or to apply for a change of owner or operator or for a third licence plate. Check here for more information on the latest news.

The digitalisation of transport agendas and the expansion of the Transport Portal's functionalities continues. Where will his next steps lead? It will be for example made available to legal entities and for news in the vehicle agenda such as notifications about the validity of the technical inspection certificate or information about vehicle insurance. There will be a lot of innovations in the drivers' agenda such as the electronic application for the driver's card for the digital tachograph, electronic payment of administrative fees and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are driving licences changing?
Because their holders are changing. It is an international document and its requirements are set out in international regulations.

Do I have to carry my license with me?
You don't need to carry your driving licence in the Czech Republic, we introduced this innovation on 1 January 2024. But it is still true that you need to take it abroad.

What about a digital driving licence? When will it arrive?
The amendment to the Directive will make it possible, but not compulsory, to have a digital driving licence on your mobile phone in 2028. However, it still depends on the negotiations in the EU.