Baghdad - Al-Forat
The General Traffic Directorate has launched an online driving licence renewal service through the Ur government services portal, allowing people in Baghdad and the provinces to submit applications and pay fees without having to visit traffic offices and wait in queues.
The director of the General Traffic Directorate told a press conference that the first phase covers the renewal of expired and soon-to-expire driving licences, with replacements for lost licences, vehicle ownership transfers and annual vehicle registration renewals to be added in the coming months, along with booking appointments for vehicle inspections.
How to renew
- Create an account on the Ur portal using the unified national ID card
- Fill in the renewal form online and choose an appointment for the medical check
- Pay the fees by bank card or through e-payment outlets
- Visit the designated centre once for the check and to collect the licence
The director said the new licence is issued with modern security features and linked to a unified database, making it easier for traffic patrols to verify it electronically and curbing forgery, adding that applicants can track the status of their request through text messages sent to their phones.
“Renewal used to take a whole day going from counter to counter. Today people complete it from home and only come in for a few minutes,” the director of the General Traffic Directorate said.
The service is part of a government drive to expand digital transformation in state institutions. The Ur portal hosts hundreds of online services for various ministries and institutions and receives tens of thousands of requests every day, as the government seeks to reduce in-person visits and curb red tape and administrative corruption.
Welcome and reservations
Drivers welcomed the new service. Taxi driver Ammar Hamid said renewing his licence used to cost him a full working day, “and that means losing a day’s living”, while others called for a simpler portal interface and help centres for the elderly and those who are not comfortable using the internet.
The directorate said it had set aside counters at registration offices to help people complete their applications online, as well as a phone line for enquiries, and urged the public not to deal with middlemen or offices claiming to speed up transactions for money, stressing that fees are collected only electronically and only at the official published rates.
