Die digital ID cards have reached the population, says Digitization State Secretary Florian Tursky and refers to the 560,000 driving licenses that have already been activated by the population since 2022. Now follows with that digital registration certificate the next step in the Austrian digitalization offensive.
For Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), the digital registration certificate is not only important for the population, but also a “further step for modern police work”, which will set an international standard for one of the “most modern police organizations in all of Europe”, it was said at the media event in the Rossau barracks in Vienna. One prerequisite was the modernized equipment of the executive branch, emphasized Karner, pointing out that since 2017 every police officer has had one Smartphone is equipped.
The digital registration certificate is available via the App “eIDs” be, and it also requires the “Digital Office” appa full function of the ID Austriaan activated one Fingerprint or facial recognition on the smartphone as well as one valid Austrian registration certificate. Of course, several vehicles can also be saved; during traffic control only one needs to be valid for a short period of time QR code generated which the officer then checks.
Tursky announced the next digitization steps for 2024 with the ID card; a Digi-E-Card is another project that is being worked on together with the Ministry of Social Affairs. The work on the registration certificate is still continuing, because its digital version cannot yet be passed on, for example if a Car borrowed – the paper version remains the only option for now. But that should change soon, as well Company cars should be able to be passed on later in the year with authorization. And anyone who fears that they will have problems generating the QR code when checking a vehicle in a location with poor network coverage can be reassured Internet access is not necessary for this, says Tursky.
By amending the eIDAS regulation with the EU Digital Wallet, the vehicle documents should also be available in… EU countries abroad become valid, says Tursky. He emphasized that Austria is currently the only European country that works with this standard. “Until the end of 2025 All EU states must have followed suit. Bilaterally, we are already talking to neighboring countries about recognition.
ÖAMTC for fee abolition
The ÖAMTC welcomes the introduction of the digital registration certificate in Austria. ÖAMTC lawyer Matthias Wolf: “It is a relief for drivers and law enforcement that in the future all traffic control can be carried out using a QR code.” However, another, long-overdue reform is still open: for everyone Registration of a vehicle, regardless of whether it is a change of residence or a new registration, over 200 euros are due. More than half of this – currently 119.80 euros – goes to the authorities fee. There is no actual compensation from the local authorities. For the ÖAMTC that would be Fee abolition a timely and logical measure.
In view of the high financial burden that drivers are currently faced with, the mobility club is calling for this “Körberlgeld” to be abolished as quickly as possible. Wolf: “It’s particularly absurd that one… Change of residence to another district the entire registration fee of over 200 euros has to be paid again. So anyone who moves more often for work-related reasons pays multiple times – which affects seasonal workers massively, for example.” According to Wolf, changing the address can be done easily by comparing it with the central registration register: “Since all data in the registration system is centralized and digitized anyway, that’s one Mandatory deregistration and re-registration of a vehicle is antiquated. By abolishing this procedure, not only the registration holders, but also the registration authorities would be significantly relieved.”