Two new EU directives published in November 2025 will reshape how driving licences are issued, renewed and enforced across the European Union. The changes affect medical requirements, licence validity, minimum driving ages and the introduction of a digital driving licence. For road-freight operators, the reforms are particularly relevant as they influence driver recruitment, compliance processes and the management of cross-border journeys.
The reforms are split between two directives:
- Directive (EU) 2025/2205 – the major update covering training, medical rules, licence validity, digital licences and minimum ages.
- Directive (EU) 2025/2206 – a narrower amendment dealing with cross-border driving bans and information exchange.
Although both texts were adopted simultaneously and share the same implementation deadlines, only Directive 2205 contains the substantive changes affecting daily operations for hauliers.
A major overhaul of licence rules
Directive 2025/2205 is the centrepiece of the reform, offering the most significant update to EU driving-licence rules in over a decade. It introduces new training and testing requirements, modernises medical rules, and adjusts several age thresholds. One of its most noteworthy changes concerns access to professional categories: from 2029, 18-year-olds will be able to obtain a category C licence provided they complete their initial CPC. This adjustment is intended to help ease Europe’s driver shortage by enabling earlier entry into the profession while maintaining a professional training baseline.
The directive also introduces an EU-wide probation period for all novice drivers. Regardless of how old a driver is when they obtain their first licence, they must complete at least two years as a probationary driver, during which Member States will apply stricter sanctions for drink-driving and seatbelt non-compliance. For operators taking on younger drivers, this means closer supervision and a heightened need for structured induction programmes.
Training requirements will also change. To ensure a more consistent standard across Europe, the theory test will include updated topics such as blind-spot awareness, the role and limitations of driver-assistance systems, the correct way to open vehicle doors in urban settings, and the risks associated with distraction, particularly mobile-phone use. The directive also places greater emphasis on the protection of vulnerable road users, a priority for hauliers operating in urban environments.
Medical rules are being modernised as well. Drivers applying for a new licence or renewing an existing one must undergo an assessment covering eyesight and cardiovascular function. While Member States may replace medical checks with self-assessment for cars and motorcycles, this option does not apply to professional drivers. The directive also allows countries to shorten licence validity for drivers aged 65 and above, meaning older drivers may face more frequent checks depending on how individual Member States transpose the rules.
The validity periods themselves are being harmonised: category C and D licences will continue to follow a five-year renewal cycle, while car and motorcycle licences will generally be valid for 15 years. If these also function as national identity documents, Member States may reduce their validity to 10 years.
One of the most visible reforms will be the introduction of the EU digital driving licence, which will become the standard format across the bloc. Although mobile-based, the digital licence will not replace physical cards entirely; anyone who prefers a card will retain the right to request one. For road-freight operations, the digital licence is expected to simplify roadside checks, particularly in cross-border situations.
Cross-border enforcement strengthened
Directive 2025/2206 plays a much narrower role. It does not affect training, licence validity or driving ages; instead, it focuses exclusively on the enforcement of serious driving bans across borders. Under the new rules, if a driver commits a serious offence in another Member State – such as drink-driving, causing a fatal accident or excessive speeding resulting in a fatal outcome – the country where the offence occurred must promptly inform the country that issued the licence. The issuing authority must then decide whether to recognise the disqualification, ensuring that dangerous drivers cannot avoid a ban by returning home.
This measure is particularly relevant for international hauliers, as the information-exchange system will become faster and more consistent. Transport managers may need to adapt their compliance procedures to respond quickly to cross-border infringement notifications received through the EU driving-licence network.
When the changes take effect
Both directives follow the same timeline. Member States must transpose them into national law by 26 November 2028, and the rules will begin to apply from 26 November 2029. Some elements – such as the digital licence – may appear earlier in certain countries, but the full package will not come into force before 2029.
What this means for road-freight operators
For the haulage sector, the reforms carry several practical consequences:
- Younger, CPC-qualified drivers will be able to enter the workforce sooner.
- Training providers will need to update teaching materials to cover new theory topics.
- Compliance teams must prepare for more consistent cross-border enforcement.
- Operators with older drivers may face shorter licence validity periods depending on national decisions.
- Digital licences should streamline roadside checks, especially for cross-border transport.
While the exact impact will depend on how each Member State implements the rules, the overall direction is clear: more harmonisation, earlier access to the profession, stronger enforcement, and a shift to digital documentation.
