What legal consequences exist if you don’t exchange your UK driving licence?
Anyone resident in Austria has six months from establishing residence to exchange their UK driving licences for Austrian ones. This applies to citizens of all nationalities.
This means that all UK citizens qualifying for the Art 50 EUVAufenthaltstitel "Artikel 50 EUV" The Aufenthaltstitel "Art 50 EUV" is a residency title to be issued to British citizens from the end of the transition period. Its name is derived from Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. The "Titel" refers to the document or card itself, and not the right, or permission that it confirms. card must have exchanged their driving licence by 30 June 2021.
The ÖAMTC specifically states in its information:
If a vehicle is driven without a valid driving licence, liability insurance may in the event of a traffic accident reclaim any payments made to the victim up to € 11.000 from the driver and the owner of the vehicle. A non-EEAEEA The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of the 27 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The United Kingdom is not part of the EEA. licence is invalid if the holder fails to exchange it for an Austrian licence within 6 months of becoming a resident. If the vehicle is lent to another person, the owner must make sure that the driver is in possession of a valid driving licence.
Source: ÖAMTC on NON-EEA DRIVING LICENCES IN AUSTRIA
The penal provisions of the Austrian Driving Licence Act stipulate a minimum fine of EUR 363 for driving with an invalid licence. This fine is comparable to that for driving when your licence has been taken away. (§37 para. 3 no. 1 FSG). Subsequent offences incur higher fines, or up to six weeks imprisonment, although such imprisonment is only used as a last resort to stop reoffending in the case of serial offending.
Further Information
Austrian Driving Licence Act (FSG; Führerscheingesetz) – in German