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Germany is taking a significant step towards digitising vehicle documents. Drivers can now carry their vehicle registration certificate (Fahrzeugschein) on their phone, without being obliged to keep the paper document with them. This comes through the official i-Kfz app, developed by the federal authorities.
And it does not stop there: the German government has already confirmed that the digital driving licence (Digitaler Führerschein) will be introduced by the end of 2026, according to the ADAC.
What the i-Kfz app is, and how you manage your digital registration certificate
The i-Kfz app (Internetbasierte Fahrzeugzulassung) is a project of the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) and the Bundesdruckerei, launched on the initiative of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport.
Through the app, drivers can access their vehicle documents digitally and manage their registration more easily.
The digital registration certificate can also be shared quickly between several family members, or between drivers who use the same car. The app also makes car sharing and rental vehicles simpler to handle.
What you need for vehicle registration Germany online
To use the i-Kfz app and hold your registration certificate digitally, you currently need one of the following:
- A German electronic ID card (Personalausweis mit eID) – an NFC-chip document issued after 2010, with the eID function activated,
- An electronic residence permit (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, eAT) for foreign nationals with permanent residence rights,
- The QR code you received when the vehicle was registered.
Important limitations:
Not every driver can use the eID. People with a simple residence permit, without an eAT, do not hold a German electronic ID card, so they need the QR code obtained at registration.
However, the QR code cannot be obtained retroactively once the vehicle has already been registered or re-registered.
Safety recommendations:
- For vehicle registration Germany online, the authorities and the ADAC recommend that, at least at the beginning, you keep the paper version of your Fahrzeugschein with you even if you use the digital one, because problems can still occur in this early phase.
- Not all police units are yet equipped to check digital documents.
- Not having your registration certificate at a check can result in a fine, if you can produce neither the digital nor the printed version.
- Abroad, only the physical document is officially recognised. So if you cross the border, the digital certificate is not enough.
How the i-Kfz app works
Using i-Kfz to download your digital registration certificate is straightforward, but the route depends on which document you hold: a German electronic ID card, an electronic residence permit, or the QR code from registration.
- Download the i-Kfz app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Sign in:
- If you have an electronic ID card (Personalausweis) with eID activated, or an electronic residence permit (eAT), you can sign in directly and download the digital registration certificate.
- If you do not hold German electronic documents, you can use the QR code you received when the vehicle was registered, which lets you download the certificate into the app.
- Sharing and automatic updates: The digital certificate can be shared quickly with other drivers who use the same car – family members, car sharing and so on. The app checks automatically whether the data is up to date, for example after a TÜV inspection.
The digital driving licence is next
The federal cabinet (Bundeskabinett) has approved the draft law on digitising the driving licence. Under the Transport Ministry’s plan, the digital driving licence (Digitaler Führerschein) will be available by the end of 2026 and will also be integrated into the i-Kfz app.
It will let drivers prove their entitlement to drive straight from their phone, without carrying the physical card in Germany. In the rest of the EU, the document will only become valid once the European regulation is implemented – estimated for 2030.
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