EU Driving Licence Reform Set to Transform Romania's Road Rules

digital driving licence accompanied driving Romania licence reform EU road safety Vision Zero

A new European Union directive on driving licences, which entered force in 2025, requires all member states to incorporate its provisions by 26 November 2028, with most measures becoming applicable from 26 November 2029. The reform introduces a digital licence that can be stored on a mobile phone and integrated into the EU Digital Identity wallet, while a physical licence remains optional.

It also establishes a common accompanied‑driving scheme for 17‑year‑old applicants for category B licences, requiring an experienced driver until the age of 18. Beginner drivers will face a probation period of at least two years, with harsher penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, seat‑belt violations and failure to use child‑safety systems. The EU aims to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and to achieve its “Vision Zero” target of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050.

In Romania, the Ministry of Health has drafted a decree to align national medical‑fitness rules with the EU directive. The proposal adds detailed visual‑acuity and field‑of‑view tests and requires individual risk‑based assessments for drivers with chronic medical conditions. Romania has more than eight million licence holders, many of whom may be subject to periodic medical reviews.

The European Commission’s implementation strategy also provides for EU‑wide recognition of licence suspensions for serious offences, preventing drivers from evading penalties by crossing borders.

Entities: Cseke Attila‑Zoltán · European Commission · European Union · Romanian Ministry of Health · Vision Zero

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] Accompanied driving is introduced for 17‑year‑old applicants for category B licences, requiring an experienced driver until age 18. (Accompanied‑driving rule)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Romania has over 8 million driving‑licence holders, many of whom have chronic medical conditions that may require periodic evaluation. (Licence‑holder statistic)
[● 3 SOURCES] Romania’s Ministry of Health proposes new medical‑fitness rules for licences, adding detailed vision tests and individual risk assessments for drivers with chronic conditions. (Romanian health‑minister decree)
[● 3 SOURCES] EU-wide recognition of licence suspensions will prevent drivers from avoiding penalties by crossing borders. (Cross‑border suspension rule)
[● 5 SOURCES] A digital driving licence can be stored on a mobile phone and integrated into the EU Digital Identity wallet, recognised across all EU states. (EU digital licence provision)
[● 4 SOURCES] EU driving‑licence directive must be transposed by member states by 26 Nov 2028, with most measures applying from 26 Nov 2029. (EU directive entry into force and transposition deadline)
[● 5 SOURCES] Beginner drivers will face a probation period of at least two years with stricter sanctions for DUI, drug use, seat‑belt violations and child‑safety system neglect. (Probation and sanction rules)
[● 4 SOURCES] The EU aims to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and achieve Vision Zero (no traffic fatalities) by 2050. (EU road‑safety target)