Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence in the Netherlands

Do you have a foreign driving licence and do you live in the Netherlands? You can drive temporarily in the Netherlands on your foreign driving licence. Later, you have to exchange your driving licence at your municipality.

Whether or not you are allowed to drive on your foreign driving licence depends on when you come to live in the Netherlands, and which country you were granted your licence. The rules applicable to you can be found on the Rijksdienst voor het wegverkeer – RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority) website.

The exchange of your foreign driving licence is subject to certain conditions. For example you must be registered in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen – BRP) at your municipality. You can find all the conditions for exchanging your foreign driving licence on the RDW website.

You can also check with the RDW chatbot (in Dutch) whether you can exchange your driving licence. Choose "Rijbewijs omwisselen" and by answering a few questions the chatbot can provide your answer.

You can apply to exchange your foreign driving licence at your municipality. On the RDW website you can find out the steps to take.

If it is not possible to exchange your licence, you will have to take a theory and practical driving test at the Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen – CBR (central office for driving licences). On the CBR website you can find out more information about the licence classes that can be exchanged.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Bernheze

Here is some information from your municipality.

Municipality of Bernheze: Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence

Please note: you must live in the Netherlands and be registered with a municipality to exchange a foreign driving licence. You must hand in your foreign driving licence when you apply. You are not allowed to drive until you have received your new driving licence.

Apply for a driving licence online

You apply for your driving licence online at the RDW via Apply for driving licence (in Dutch).
You will enter a DigiD screen where you log in with your DigiD app. Have you not yet downloaded the DigiD app and/or haven't done the check with your proof of identity? Then check the DigiD website (in Dutch) for more information.
You pay online via IDEAL and indicate where you want to collect the new driving licence.
You will receive an e-mail from RDW confirming that your new driving licence will be made.

Collecting the driving licence

The RDW will send you a message 2 working days after your application that your new driving licence is ready and can be collected.
To collect your driving license, make an appointment online with the municipality of Bernheze..
When you collect your driving licence, you must bring the old driving licence with you. If you did not yet have a driving licence, bring a valid identity document.
Please note! You must collect a requested driving licence within 3 months, otherwise it will be destroyed.

Applying for or renewing a driving licence at the municipality of Bernheze

Do you not want to apply online via the RDW? Then you must arrange the application or renewal of your driving licence at the municipality of Bernheze. You can collect your driving licence after 5 working days. For both the application/extension and the collection, make an appointment. This can be done online or by telephone.

Apply for/extend driving licence: make an appointment (in Dutch)
Collecting a driving licence: make an appointment (in Dutch)

Rijbewijs	€ 41,60
Spoedaanvraag (urgent request)	€ 75,70

It takes 2 to 4 weeks for the licences to be exchanged. You will receive a letter from the Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer – RDW (Netherlands Vehicle Authority) when you can collect your driving licence. You must collect your driving licence in person. You have 3 months to do this after you have received the letter from the RDW. After that time, the driving licence will be destroyed.

More information