Germany Introduces Digital Driving Licence and Vehicle Registration – Key Updates for Drivers

The German Federal Government has taken another major step toward digital mobility. In the future, drivers will be able to present their driving licence and vehicle registration digitally on their smartphones. On November 5, the Federal Cabinet approved the draft law for the digital driving licence, which is expected to be available by late 2026, ahead of the EU-wide rollout planned for 2030.

Digital vehicle registration already available

The legal basis for the digital vehicle registration was established in February 2024. With the newly launched i-Kfz app, developed by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) and the Bundesdruckerei, vehicle owners can now store their digital registration on their smartphone and present it during roadside checks.

The app is free and currently supports:

• iOS 17 or later
• Android 12 or later

It does not support Huawei or Motorola devices due to missing Google services or incompatible encryption technology.

Requirements and features

To activate the digital registration, users need an electronic ID card (eID). In the future, adding the document via QR code during the registration process will also be possible.

The app automatically updates the vehicle data—for example, after a technical inspection—and allows users to share the digital registration with others who need to drive the vehicle.

Important notes

The KBA recommends keeping the physical documents for now, as not all authorities have fully adopted the new procedures.
For international travel, the paper vehicle registration remains mandatory.