Divide forged driver’s licenses for unbroken

Icelandic driving licenses have been issued to foreigners who have presented forged foreign driver’s licenses and divided them for Icelandic. The magistrate had the weather of the action and procedures at the office last spring.

The forged driving licenses submitted are mostly from people of the same nationality who previously lived outside the EEA. People outside the EEA are obliged to divide a foreign driver’s license for Icelandic after 6 months of residence in Iceland.

People need to undergo a practical and written exam, as well as presenting a driver’s license from their home country in order to be able to switch to Icelandic. However, it is done without going into driving time before the examination comes.

Change the rules this spring

The forged driver’s licenses are purchased on the black market and, according to Sigríður Kristinsdóttir, a magistrate in the capital area, employees were employees before the procedure was changed this spring, not sufficiently prepared to know forged certificates from uninhabited.

« We found that forged driving licenses were being submitted, » says Sigríður.

Before amended the procedure, a foreign driver’s license or a confirmation of driving license was either submitted. Now people need to submit driving license and passport while asking for a replacement of driver’s license into Icelandic.

In his efforts to tighten surveillance, the sheriff has increased cooperation with the police and the Transport Agency.

« If there is any doubt as to whether or not a certificate is fake or not, we will send it to the Chief of Police in the Suðurnes region to review the ID Research Agency, » says Sigríður.

According to her, the collaboration was not as close before these incidents occurred. She says applications from people who previously lived outside the EEA to change driving licenses have increased greatly.

Impossible to say about the quantity

She says it is impossible to say how many Icelandic driving licenses have been issued following people presenting forged driving licenses.

If it is suspected that people have submitted a fake driver’s license, each incident must be appealed to the police.

« There were cases where people were not passing a driver’s license despite submitting a driver’s license. We do not replace certificates for Icelandic certificates unless people pass driving tests, » says Sigríður.

Immediately stopped presenting forged ID

Have you taken more people who have submitted forged credentials since you changed procedures this spring?

« It’s more that people have stopped submitting these forged certificates. It knows exactly what’s going on here and everything has become stronger. We have become better at assessing this and now that we have asked for something closer, like confirmation or other, people have often just withdrawn the application, » says Sigríður.

Asked in more detail what has changed in procedures, she mentions a number of things in that context.

« We have made the demand that people submit the certificate itself with the application. In the past, there were examples in exceptional cases that only a confirmation of driving privileges were submitted. But it is not valid today. No one gets to divide the driver’s license except by passing a test. « 

The driving tests are performed by Frumherji.