Long-term residents in the Netherlands must possess a Dutch driving licence to drive a motor vehicle. Some expats may trade in their foreign licence, while others may need to retake a test. Which category are you in?

Firstly, you must be at least 18 years old to obtain a driving licence, usually issued and renewed by the municipal authorities. Driving licence basics Ruled to be in breach of European Union law, the Netherlands adjusted regulations at the start of 2004 to ensure that EU expats no longer have to register their driving licence with Dutch municipalities.

The European Court ruled in July 2003 that Dutch authorities cannot legally require EU citizens to register their driving licences when they move to the Netherlands. The ruling came after the European Commission submitted a complaint to the court, stating that EU legislation obligates member states to recognise the licences of EU residents.

The EU founding charter, the Treaty of Rome, allows for the freedom of movement of EU citizens, but Dutch regulations prevented expats from automatically using their foreign licence if they were a Dutch resident. Expats are considered a resident if they spend at least 185 days per calendar year in the Netherlands, but if they wished to use their driving licence for longer than a year, they previously had to have it registered.  This is no longer the case and the change in regulations also applies to nationals of the incoming EU member states. But EU and EER nationals can still only use their foreign licence for a period of 10 years after the original issuance of the licence or the duration of the licence's validity before having to exchange it for a Dutch licence.

If your licence is more than 9 years old, you may use it for one year from the date you registered as a resident, provided the licence is still valid. If you have a driving licence that has been issued from a non-EU country, you may drive in the Netherlands on your foreign licence for a period of six months (185 days) after registering as a Dutch resident. In some cases, you might be asked to show an international driving licence, check with your embassy to make sure. Under new regulations introduced from 1 February 2005, you have to take a theory and practical driving test in the Netherlands to acquire a Dutch driving licence before the six month period expires. Or you can exchange your own, foreign licence for a Dutch one.

Special rules apply to those who have been accorded diplomatic or consular staff status, as well as their families. People covered by the diplomatic rule may drive in the Netherlands without the need to exchange their foreign licence for a Dutch one. Contact the RDW (Dutch Road Traffic and Transport Authority, see the end of the article) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Protocol Department, for more information.

Exchanging a foreign driving licence In certain cases you may choose to trade in your foreign-issued driving licence for a Dutch licence. This is only possible if you live in the Netherlands and possess valid residence status.

Valid driving licences issued by EU or EER countries, as well as Andorra, Aruba, Monaco, Netherlands Antilles, Isle of Man, State of Jersey and Switzerland can be traded in. Driving licences issued in the following countries can only be exchanged if they cover the categories listed here: Taiwan, B (passenger car); Israel, B (passenger car); Japan, IB (passenger cars and motorcycles larger than 400cc); Singapore, Class 2 (motorcycles larger than 400cc), Class 3 (passenger car).

It is not possible to exchange an international driving licence for a Dutch licence. One condition for trading in a foreign-issued driving licence is that it must be valid at the moment the request is made. The driving licence must also have been issued within a 12-month period during which the holder lived at least 185 days in the issuing country. The 30 percent ruling and getting a licence If you have recently become entitled to benefit from the 30 percent tax ruling, you and the other member(s) of your family can simply exchange your licence, no matter where you are from.

Ask for an exchange form for your foreign driving licence at your local municipal office. More information on the 30 percent ruling. The procedure In order to exchange your foreign driving licence, you must go to your local municipal office and request (and pay for) a document called the uittreksel bevolkingsregister. It states who you are and where you live. You will also need a health form (called eigen verklaring); and an exchange form. You and your doctor should fill in the health form. Once it has been completed, you should mail it and the uittreksel bevolkingsregister in a pre-paid envelope to the CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheid - Central Road Aptitude Bureau).

They will process this and send you a "certificate of fitness" (verklaring van geschiktheid) in the mail. Once you receive the certificate you can return to the municipal office, where you will submit: the original, valid foreign driving licence the certificate of fitness two identical, recent passport photographs the exchange form, which has been partially filled in by you and partially by a civil servant from the municipal office (if you are benefiting from the 30 percent-ruling:) a copy of a statement issued by the Tax Office in Heerlen proving that you or the other member(s) of your family are entitled to benefit from the 30 percent tax ruling. As soon as the municipal fees have been paid, the municipal office will send the entire application to the RDW for evaluation. If the application is granted, you will receive your Dutch driving licence at your home address within two to three weeks. This means that you will leave the municipal office without a licence, without which you are not allowed to drive.

Be sure to make a photocopy of your licence and the request for a Dutch licence should you need to drive during these weeks. However, you are strongly advised not to drive while awaiting your Dutch passport because you will not be insured!

Return of your original driving licence If you are a EU citizen you will forfeit your original licence when exchanging it for a Dutch one, unless you are receiving the 30 percent ruling. Non-European Union nationals benefiting from the 30 percent ruling will have their original licence sent to their address in the Netherlands.

Non-EU citizens who are not receiving the 30 percent ruling cannot apply to exchange their driving licence for a Dutch one and are advised to obtain a Dutch driving licence via an accelerated exam. Licence verification As so many different types of driving licences from various countries are submitted for exchange, the validity or authenticity of every document has to be verified. The Department of Road Transport may therefore ask you to have the validity of certain information confirmed by the Consulate or Embassy of the country that issued the foreign driving licence. You may also be required to have the content of the foreign driving licence translated by an approved interpreter/translator. Japanese and Taiwanese nationals who wish to exchange their licences are required to have their original licence translated.

Chinese nationals — who are obligated to undergo an exam before exchanging their licence for a Dutch driving licence — must also obtain a translation of their original licence. Retaking the test You will have to take a theory test and a road test at the CBR if your driving licence cannot be traded in. The "accelerated" test, based on the understanding that you have prior driving experience, is no longer available.

The test previously only examined driving capabilities without testing a motorist's theory skills. More information can be obtained from the Special Driving Test Office (Bureau Nader Onderzoek Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, or BNOR). Click here to view the information in Dutch. Certificate of fitness The CBR can in some instances require a "certificate of fitness" over and above the health form when applying for a driving licence. These instances are: when a Dutch licence is first issued when trading in a licence issued by certain countries when the application is made by diplomatic or consular staff or their families when certain medical issues are involved when you are older than 65. More information on the "certificate of fitness" can be obtained from the CBR, your town hall, or the RDW. To find out about driving tests or to apply for the test, contact: CBR/BNOR
Tel: 070 41 30100

For general information about driving licences, contact: The National Transport Authority
Tel: 0900 0739 (EUR 0.10 per minute)

[Updated March 2005]

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