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 whether you can exchange your driving licence (in Dutch) with the RDW chatbot. 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 to exchange your foreign driving licence.

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 Elburg

Here is some information from your municipality.

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

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.

Take these documents with you to the municipality:

A color passport photo. View the photo matrix for the requirements.
Your foreign driver's license.
Do you still have an old Dutch driving licence? Then take this with you.
Are you in the Netherlands for work? In that case, take the Decree for evidence rule from the Tax and Customs Administration with you.
Have you issued a driving license outside the EU/EFTA? Then you always need a health declaration from the CBR. Have you issued a driving license within the EU/EFTA? Then you sometimes need a health declaration. Check the website of the CBR when you need it.

You can exchange your foreign driving license at the municipality where you are registered.

By appointment

Make an appointment for this via: Make an appointment.

You pay a fee for this service. For more information, contact the municipality by using de form 'Information request'.

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.

RDW