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Denmark introduces digital driving licence, but only for Danish citizens

The Local Denmark
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Denmark introduces digital driving licence, but only for Danish citizens
Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Danish motorists are now permitted to carry their driving licence in digital form.

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As such, drivers are now able to leave their physical driving licences at home when using their vehicle, provided they have a device with them which can display the digital version.

A new driving licence app, launched on Tuesday, can be downloaded on to smart phones with either Android or iOS operating systems.

The digital licence can be used as a valid form of ID, as well as a driving licence, making it completely equivalent to the physical version, the Ministry of Housing and Transport said in a statement.

The app, ‘Kørekort’, must be downloaded and the user is required to login using NemID, Denmark’s secure digital signature system.

The digital driving licence is activated by scanning one’s own passport into the app, which uses the passport photo for the digital ID while allowing it to remain stored remotely via the user’s device.

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Foreign passports are not compatible with the app, even if the holder has a Danish driving licence. That appears to be because the app uses Danish personal registry information which is only included in Danish passports.

The Local has contacted the Agency for Digitisation to ask whether there are plans to make the app compatible with foreign passports, but has not received a response.

When presented with a digital driving licence, police in Denmark will be able to check its validity using a QR-code. This will allow officers to view the licence on their own devices, without the motorist having to hand over her or his phone.

The new driving licence is optional, and the plastic version must be kept, even if it is not taken on journeys.

It should also be noted that the digital driving license is only valid in Denmark, so you must take the physical version with you if driving abroad.

READ ALSO: Denmark to make driving licence digital with app

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