Digital Driving Licence: EUDI Wallet and B196 Explained

Imagine you're planning your next big tour. The route is set, the panniers are packed and your 125 is gleaming in the sun. Instead of nervously checking whether your wallet is stowed safely, in future a quick reach for your smartphone will do. With the new EU driving licence directive (EU) 2025/2205 and the EUDI Wallet, the digital driving licence is coming, the biggest change since the introduction of the card licence. It's particularly interesting if you hold the German B196 extension, which lets car licence holders ride 125s. The borders that have so far confined you to German roads may fall. But not immediately, and not in every country.

The smartphone as your new licence

The digital driving licence is more than a handy gadget. The German EUDI Wallet is called "d-you" and, according to the Federal Digital Ministry, is due to launch on 2 January 2027, free and voluntary. At launch it's about things like age verification and opening accounts. ID card and driving licence are to follow step by step, there's no fixed date for the driving licence yet. The EU directive itself obliges member states to issue the digital driving licence as the standard format, but only 54 months after the necessary implementing acts, so towards the end of the decade at the earliest. You'll still get the plastic card on request. Technically the system is based on the eIDAS regulation. It ensures that your data is transmitted encrypted and tamper-proof during a check. You decide which information you share.

B196 in the EU: what changes for 125 riders

For touring riders, the code B196 is the most important news. So far the extension only applies nationally. In Germany you may ride a 125, but as soon as you cross the border into Austria, Italy or France, you're legally riding without a valid licence. That annoyed many campers and bikers who would have liked to spend their holiday abroad on two wheels.

The new directive allows each member state to let A1 light motorcycles fall under category B. Countries that do so must recognise the corresponding entitlements of other countries. In future this will be entered uniformly with the Union code 60.02 instead of national codes. The directive's rules apply in principle from 26 November 2029. Until then B196 remains a purely German matter, whether on a card or on your phone. How exactly Germany will convert B196 to the Union code hasn't been decided yet (more in the FAQ below).

How to prepare for the digital driving licence

To get started smoothly at launch, you can already do a few things now. How exactly the licence will get into the wallet hasn't been decided. But a current card licence makes sense anyway, especially as old paper licences must be exchanged by fixed deadlines in any case. If you're still riding with the old pink or grey document, plan the exchange at your licensing office in good time.

Your ID card matters too. For verification in the wallet you need the online ID function (eID). If you don't use it yet, you can activate and test it via the official AusweisApp (German). According to the ministry, the online ID function is the basis for identifying yourself in the wallet. A look at the Central Driving Licence Register also shows you today whether your B196 extension is correctly stored there.

What else the EU directive brings

Besides digitalisation, the 4th EU directive brings other changes that could affect you. After holding a category B licence for two years you may drive vehicles with alternative propulsion up to 4.25 tonnes (from 26 November 2027). Motorhomes up to 4.25 tonnes are regulated separately: the directive requires training, a test or both beforehand.

The EUDI Wallet becomes the central place for your digital documents. You can still apply for the plastic card in addition in future, but the digital proof is to become the standard, for example when renting a vehicle or at a police check. A lost wallet then no longer ruins the whole holiday.

How to check online whether your data is ready

To avoid nasty surprises at launch, you can already check whether your B196 extension is correctly recorded in the Central Driving Licence Register (ZFER). Only if the data at the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) is correct can it later be loaded smoothly into your wallet.

How to do it:

Requirements: you need your German ID card with the online ID function (eID) activated, your six-digit PIN and an NFC-capable smartphone with the AusweisApp.
Start the request: go to the Federal Motor Transport Authority's register information portal (German).
Identify yourself: choose the online information and identify yourself via the AusweisApp.
Result: you receive the information electronically. Check in the table of your licence categories whether code 196 is entered. If it's missing, contact your licensing office as soon as possible and have the record corrected.

Checklist for the digital driving licence

Besides the data check, keep two more points in mind:

The card licence: the digital wallet only works with the EU card licence. If you still have an old pink or grey paper licence, now is the right time to exchange it.
Category B weight limit: for vehicles with alternative propulsion the category B limit rises to 4.25 tonnes, for motorhomes up to 4.25 tonnes you need training or a test beforehand. The exact German implementation is still pending.

Frequently asked questions about the digital driving licence and B196

Will the digital licence completely replace my plastic card?

No. Under the directive you still have the right to a card. Other EU countries only have to recognise the digital licence from the point at which it's the EU-wide standard format. So always take the card with you when travelling abroad.

What happens at a check if my phone battery is flat?

That's your problem. You must show your licence at a check. If your phone is off and you have no card with you, it's usually treated as if you'd forgotten your licence. That can cost a warning fine. A charging cable on the bike or a power bank in your backpack is a good idea.

Does the EUDI Wallet or the digital licence cost extra?

Under EU rules the EUDI Wallet is to be free for you. Fees may only arise at authorities, for example if you need a new ID card for activation or have to exchange an old paper licence.

Can I really ride into every EU country with B196 from 2026?

No. The directive only applies in principle from 26 November 2029. Then only the countries that themselves allow A1 under category B must recognise corresponding entitlements from other countries. Some popular holiday countries such as Austria, Italy, Spain or France already have their own 125 rules for car drivers, and how they'll convert them is open. Until then: B196 only in Germany.

Do I need internet reception for the wallet?

No. According to the German government, the EUDI Wallet is designed so you can identify yourself online and offline, as long as the credential has been loaded onto your phone once.

Is the digital licence safe from hackers?

The wallet uses current encryption and the eID function of your ID card for security. Your data isn't stored on a central server but locally in a protected area of your smartphone. Without your biometric approval (Face ID or fingerprint) or PIN, nobody can access it.

What do I do if I lose my smartphone?

You can have the digital wallet blocked remotely, similar to a credit card. Because the data is linked to your eID, you simply reactivate it on a new device.

Will the digital licence also work at rental companies abroad?

That's one of the goals. The EU Commission explicitly describes the wallet for public and private services. But when which rental companies will accept the digital licence is still open. Until the digital licence is the EU-wide standard, you'll need the card at the counter.

Can I also store my vehicle registration in the wallet?

Yes. In Germany the digital vehicle registration already exists via the i-Kfz app. Whether and when it will move to the EUDI Wallet hasn't been decided yet.

Do I have to repeat the B196 training for EU recognition?

No. If B196 is already on your licence, it remains valid in Germany. Whether and how the entry will later be converted to the Union code and thus recognised abroad will be settled by the German implementation by 2029.

Your roadmap for the coming months

In short: the course for cross-border tours has been set, but the train only leaves in a few years. If your B196 code is correctly entered, your ID card is ready for the online function and you've read up on the European Commission's technical standards for the EUDI Wallet, you'll be prepared as soon as the European tour on a 125 becomes legal.

My final tip

Until the digital licence is introduced, check your data at the Federal Motor Transport Authority once a year. That way moving your licence to the digital format goes smoothly, and you won't be facing an empty display at a check abroad of all places.

Sources

Last checked: September 2026. Rules can change.

#EUDI#driving licence#smartphone#wallet

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