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
Here is some information from your municipality.
Municipality of Westerwolde: Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence
Please note. You can only exchange a foreign driving licence if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality. When applying, you must hand in your foreign driving licence. You are not allowed to drive until you get your new driving licence.
Please contact contact op met de RDW to exchange your foreign driving licence.
The fee for exchanging a driving licence is € XX.
You must pay that fee at the time of application.
[extra optie]
You pay a fee for this service. For more information, contact the municipality [contactgegevens].
The exchanging process will take 2 to 4 weeks. The RDW will send you a letter about when you can collect your driving licence. You will have to collect your driving licence in person. You will have 3 months to do so after you receive the letter from RDW. After that we will destroy the driving licence.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Westerwolde
Visiting address
Dorpsstraat 1
9551AB Sellingen
| Monday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Tuesday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Wednesday | 09.00 - 19.00 |
| Thursday | 09.00 - 16.00 |
| Friday | 09.00 - 12.00 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |