Austrian Driving Permit - 2013 Edition
Austria Introduces Secure, High-Tech Driver's Licence
Starting from January 21, 2013, the Austrian Driver's Licence has undergone a significant transformation, adopting advanced security features to combat forgery and ensure authenticity. The new licence is issued by the OeSD and conforms to EU standards, making it a high-security, polycarbonate, biometric document.
The revamped Austrian Driver's Licence is constructed from durable polycarbonate card material, a standard aligned with EU regulations. It incorporates various biometric security elements and digital and physical anti-counterfeiting measures, setting a new benchmark for driving licences within the EU.
Key security features include laser-engraved personal data embedded into the card layers, making alteration difficult. Holograms and optically variable devices (OVDs) are visible on the card surface, providing visual authentication. Microprinting and UV (ultraviolet) security elements are also present, only visible under special light.
Integration of machine-readable zones (MRZ) following ICAO standards for international travel and verification is another crucial feature. Biometric data is incorporated into an embedded chip to meet EU's third-generation driving licence requirements, enhancing identity verification when used with appropriate reading devices.
The licence also includes a secondary photo in latent image form and features laser-engraved, tactile printing. For added protection against photo tampering, a transparent, optically variable security feature has been included.
While specific granular details for Austria might not be publicly disclosed for security reasons, the general standards Austria follows as an EU country include all of the above features designed to make the licence both tamper-evident and interoperable within the EU framework.
The enhanced security features on the revamped Austrian Driver's Licence make it more resistant to forgery, ensuring the safety and integrity of the document for both the issuing authority and the licence holder. However, the exact nature of the specified new security features remains undisclosed, with micro lettering being one of the features confirmed.
The Austrian Driver's Licence was revamped on January 21, 2013, in compliance with the EU directive on driving licences (2006/126/EC), which mandates a uniform format and enhanced security for driving licences issued within EU member states starting early 2013. Despite the transformation, the issuance and details of the revamped Austrian Driver's Licence beyond its security features are not described in detail.
The Austrian Driver's Licence, now constructed from durable polycarbonate card material, integrates various biometric security elements and digital and physical anti-counterfeiting measures, making it not only a high-security document but a standard within the EU's automotive industry and transportation sector. The licence's enhanced security measures, including laser-engraved personal data, holograms, microprinting, UV security elements, machine-readable zones, biometric data, and transparent, optically variable security features, align it with the EU's third-generation finance requirements for secure identification.
