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
Here is some information from your municipality.
exchange foreign driver's license
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.
You can only exchange your foreign driving license if you meet these conditions:
- You are registered in the Municipal Personal Records Database (BRP).
- You have a valid Dutch identity card or residence document.
- You obtained your driving license in a country:
- within the European Union (EU),
- within European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
- or with which the Netherlands has agreements for exchange (the list of countries can be found on the RDW website).
Your foreign driving license is still valid. Has your EU driving license expired? Then you can still exchange it. You will then need a statement from the authority where you applied for your driving licence.
Applying at the service desk
You can exchange your foreign driving licence at Contact en openingstijden | Gemeente Oldenzaal.
By appointment
Make an appointment via Afspraak maken | Gemeente Oldenzaal.
Without an appointment
You can visit on Ganzenmarkt 1, 7571 CD Oldenzaal on Monday till Thursday from 8.30 - 17.00 hours. And on Friday from 8.30 - 12.30 hours.
The fee for exchanging a driving licence is € 41,60
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.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Oldenzaal