Moving to NL

Guide

Exchanging a foreign driving licence

Who this is for: Anyone who has moved to the Netherlands with a valid foreign driving licence and wants to know how long they can keep using it, and how to exchange it for a Dutch one.

In 60 seconds

How long you can drive on your foreign licence depends on where it's from. A valid EU/EFTA licence keeps working for most categories (AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE) for 15 years from its issue date, or 5 years for professional categories (C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E, DE); after that you must exchange it, and you can always exchange a valid EU/EFTA licence in the meantime, even an expired one. A non-EU/EFTA licence works for the first 185 days after you relocate to the Netherlands. To exchange a non-EU/EFTA licence without taking a Dutch driving test, your country must be on RDW's list of designated countries (examples include Great Britain, the USA's and Canada's provinces, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel and others — check the full list on rdw.nl), and you must have lived in the country that issued it for 185 days in the year you obtained it. You apply through your municipality, not directly with RDW — only the municipality can submit the exchange application — with a colour passport photo, your foreign licence (translated if it isn't in Latin script), your old Dutch licence if you have one, a CBR Health Declaration Form, and, if you work in the Netherlands and hold a non-EU/EFTA licence, a valid Decision on the Evidence Rule from the Belastingdienst. If everything is in order, you get a letter within 15 working days; the fee itself varies by municipality.

Step by step

  1. 1 Know how long you can keep driving on your foreign licence

    A valid EU/EFTA licence lets you keep driving in the Netherlands for 15 years from its issue date for most categories (AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE), or 5 years from issue for the professional categories (C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E, DE); you can also always exchange a valid EU/EFTA licence sooner if you want to, even if it has expired. A licence from outside the EU/EFTA can be used for the first 185 days after you relocate to the Netherlands, after which you must have exchanged it or stop driving on it.

    Where
    No visit needed — this is what to check before your licence expires or your 185 days run out.
    How long
    EU/EFTA: 15 years (5 years for professional categories) from issue. Non-EU/EFTA: 185 days from relocating to the Netherlands.
    Cost
    Free — this is a self-check, not a procedure.

    What to bring

    • Your foreign driving licence, so you can check its issue date and category

  2. 2 Check whether your (non-EU/EFTA) country qualifies for a straight exchange

    If your licence is from outside the EU/EFTA, it can only be exchanged without taking a Dutch driving test if the issuing country is on RDW's list of designated countries — examples include Andorra, Canadian provinces, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, among others; check the full, current list on rdw.nl rather than assuming your country is or isn't included. You must also have lived in the country that issued the licence for 185 days in the year you obtained it. If your country isn't on the list, or you don't meet the residence condition, you generally need to take the Dutch theory and practical driving tests instead — this guide doesn't cover that process.

    Where
    Check the current list directly on rdw.nl before assuming your country qualifies.
    How long
    Immediate — this is a checklist item, not a separate procedure.
    Cost
    Free to check.

    What to bring

    • Your foreign driving licence and proof of where you lived when you obtained it, in case you need it later in the application

  3. 3 Apply through your municipality with the right documents

    Only your municipality can submit the exchange application — you cannot apply directly with RDW. You need a colour passport photo meeting the stated requirements, your foreign driving licence (translated if it's not in Latin characters), your old Dutch licence if you have one, a CBR Health Declaration Form (required for non-EU/EFTA licences, and may also apply to EU/EFTA), and, if you work in the Netherlands and hold a non-EU/EFTA licence, a valid Decision on the Evidence Rule (Verklaring bewijsregel) from the Dutch Tax Administration.

    Where
    The municipality where you are registered.
    How long
    Set by your municipality for the appointment itself; see the next step for what happens after you apply.
    Cost
    Varies by municipality — not set centrally by RDW.

    What to bring

    • Colour passport photo
    • Foreign driving licence (translated if not in Latin script)
    • Old Dutch licence, if you have one
    • CBR Health Declaration Form
    • Decision on the Evidence Rule from the Belastingdienst, if you work in the Netherlands and hold a non-EU/EFTA licence

  4. 4 Wait for your result

    If your application is complete and in order, you receive a letter within 15 working days.

    Where
    By post, from the municipality / RDW process.
    How long
    15 working days if everything is in order.
    Cost
    No additional fee for this step beyond what you already paid your municipality.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming every non-EU/EFTA country qualifies for a straight exchange — only countries on RDW's designated list do; others require Dutch driving tests.
  • Letting the 185-day window lapse (for a non-EU/EFTA licence) before starting the exchange application.
  • Applying directly to RDW instead of through your municipality — only the municipality can submit the application.
  • Forgetting the Decision on the Evidence Rule from the Belastingdienst if you work in the Netherlands and hold a non-EU/EFTA licence.

When this does not apply to you

  • You are only visiting the Netherlands as a tourist, not living here — you may keep driving on your foreign licence without exchanging it.
  • Your non-EU/EFTA country is not on RDW's designated list, or you did not live in the issuing country for 185 days in the year you obtained the licence — you generally need to take Dutch driving tests instead of a straight exchange, which this guide does not cover.
  • You hold residence permit type 46 under the Temporary Protection Directive (e.g. some Ukrainian licence holders) — different, more flexible rules apply; check directly with RDW.

Not covered here

This guide deliberately says nothing about driving test, driving lessons, buying a car, road tax, car insurance, parking permit. Those are separate procedures with their own rules; guessing about them would do more harm than staying silent.

This guide gives general information, not legal or tax advice. Exchange rules, the designated-country list, and fees can change — always confirm current requirements directly at rdw.nl or with your municipality before applying.

Facts last checked against their sources on 2026-09-19.