Replacing a driving licence that was stolen, lost, damaged or confiscated abroad
Last update
As the holder of a driving licence, you must apply for a duplicate:
- if you have lost, accidentally damaged or destroyed your licence; or
- if your licence and documents were stolen; or
- if your driving licence was confiscated by the police authorities abroad.
You must apply for the duplicate as soon as possible.
As a matter of fact, driving a motor vehicle without being able to produce a valid driving licence when required to do so is prohibited by law.
The driving licence is issued by your country of residence. It is only possible to have one driving licence from one Member State at a time.
Who is concerned?
All persons who have their residence in Luxembourg and hold:
- a Luxembourg driving licence; or
- a driving licence issued by a Member State of the European Economic Area (EEA), and which has been registered in Luxembourg;
and whose driving licence was stolen, lost, damaged or confiscated abroad.
If you have moved to another EU Member State, you will have to replace or exchange your stolen, lost, damaged or confiscated Luxembourg driving licence in your new country of residence. You will then receive a driving licence from the country of residence. The licence becomes subject to the rules in said country with respect to the validity of the licence, the medical examinations, etc.
Prerequisites
If you are a national of a Member State of the EEA residing in Luxembourg and your driving licence was not issued by the Luxembourgish authorities, you must contact the authority that issued the permit in order to receive a certificate of authenticity before you can begin the replacement process with the National Society of Automotive Traffic (Société nationale de circulation automobile - SNCA).
How to proceed
Loss or theft of the driving licence or damaged licence
You must submit the application form for a duplicate copy of a document / driving licence (see 'Online services and forms') to the SNCA, Driving Licence Office (Service permis de conduire).
You must also enclose with your application:
- a recent 45x35 mm ID photograph (taken from the front);
- a tax stamp of EUR 30:
- which can be obtained from the Registration Duties, Estates and VAT Authority (Administration de l’enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA - AED); or
- which can be directly purchased and paid in the premises of the SNCA or at the Guichet.lu reception desk;
- in the event of a damaged licence: a photocopy of both sides of the national or foreign driving licence.
You will receive your new licence by post within a few days.
The form and supporting documents can be sent by post or be delivered by hand:
- directly at the counter of the SNCA in Sandweiler, Esch-sur-Alzette or Fridhaff; or
- at the reception desk of Guichet.lu at the following address: 11, rue Notre-Dame / L-2240 Luxembourg-Ville (opposite the Knuedler).
The SNCA does not issue any documents that can be used as a temporary licence.
Please note that if you present your form and the documents in person at the Sandweiler or Fridhaff offices, or at the reception desk of Guichet.lu, it is not necessary to bring a photo because you can have your picture taken on site. However, you have to bring an ID photo if you carry out the procedure at the SNCA office in Esch-sur-Alzette.
If your driving licence is lost or stolen abroad, you are advised to go to a police station as soon as possible to report the loss or theft. Consulates abroad do not issue duplicate driving licences. The regulations of the country in which you are staying determine whether the document issued by the police authorises you to drive a vehicle on its territory or to return the vehicle to Luxembourg, without being exposed to legal proceedings.
Confiscation of a Luxembourg resident's driving licence by the police authorities abroad
In the case of certain offences committed abroad, the local police can seize your licence and thus withdraw you the right to drive on their territory.
The restitution of the licence (depending on the seriousness of the offences committed) is possible under certain conditions. However, you will be prohibited from driving in the foreign country for a defined period of time.
When you surrender your driving licence to the police after a roadside check, you receive a copy of the notice of seizure/confiscation, which contains the information needed to recover your driving licence.
A request for a duplicate can be made to the SNCA via the application form for a duplicate copy of a document /driving licence indicating the reason 'seizure/confiscation of my driving licence abroad' ('le retrait/la rétention de mon permis de conduire à l’étranger').
The copy of the notice of seizure/confiscation must be attached to the application.
The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works reserves the right to wait for the report from the foreign authorities, if necessary, and to decide on the issue of a duplicate driving licence based on your existing driving licence record.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Driving Licence Office
-
National Society of Automotive Traffic Driving Licence Office
- Address:
-
11, rue de Luxembourg
L-5230
Sandweiler
Luxembourg
B.P. 23 - L-5201 Sandweiler
- Phone:
- (+352) 26626 - 400
- Fax:
- (+352) 8002 3666
- Email address:
- pdc@snca.lu
- Website:
- http://www.snca.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
Permis de conduire
sur le Portail Transports
-
Timbres fiscaux
sur le Portail de la fiscalité indirecte
-
Driving licence renewal in another EU country
on the Your Europe portal
-
Permis à points : barème en vigueur au 1er juin 2015 / Punkteführerschein: neue Punktetabelle ab dem 1. Juni 2015
Pdf • 347 Kb
-
Sécurité routière
Site web
Publications
Pdf • 388 Ko
Legal references
An error occurred
Oops, an error has been detected during your form processing.