Updated · From the CBR, the RDW and the Dutch government; sources at the end of the page.

Questions · Dutch driving licence

Can I exchange my foreign driving licence for a Dutch one?

In short: A valid licence from an EU or EFTA country: always. From outside the EU only if your country has an exchange agreement with the Netherlands, or if you have the 30% ruling (the RDW’s “expat scheme”), which allows an exchange from any country. Otherwise you usually take the Dutch theory and practical exams.

Who can exchange

  • EU / EFTA licence: the RDW says you can always exchange a valid one.
  • A country or state with an agreement: a short list, including the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel, Monaco and the Canadian provinces Alberta and Québec. Each has its own conditions and categories, and you must have lived there for 185 days in the year you got the licence. The RDW keeps the exact list.
  • The 30% ruling (expatregeling): with a valid decision (“beschikking”) from the tax office you can exchange a licence from any country. See exchanging with the 30% ruling, step by step.
  • Most others take the Dutch theory and practical exams, the same as a new driver. (The RDW lists a few more cases, such as having held a Dutch licence before.)

How long you may drive on your foreign licence

  • A licence from outside the EU/EFTA: up to 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands.
  • A licence from the EU/EFTA: as long as it is valid, up to 15 years after it was issued.

How to apply

  • You apply at your municipality (in Amsterdam it costs €64.65).
  • For a licence from outside the EU/EFTA you also need a health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring) from the CBR; sometimes for an EU one too.
  • You get a letter within about 15 working days. You hand in your foreign licence at the municipality and do not get it back.

If you must take the exams

Then the Dutch rules matter more than your driving: priority to the right, shark teeth, cyclists in your blind spot, trams. An experienced driver mostly needs the Dutch way of doing things. Start with the rules, one at a time, and see taking the exams in English.

Questions people ask

Can I exchange my licence with the 30% ruling?

Yes. With a valid decision on the expat scheme (30% ruling) from the Dutch tax office, the RDW allows you to exchange a driving licence from any country.

How long can I drive in the Netherlands on a non-EU licence?

Up to 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands. After that you need a Dutch licence.

Where do I exchange my driving licence?

At your municipality. In Amsterdam an exchange costs €64.65.

Sources

Rules and fees change; the official pages above always win. Voorrah! is not affiliated with the CBR or the RDW.

Practise it

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