Organization : RDW Netherlands
Type of Facility : How Can I Exchange A Foreign Driving Licence?
Country: Netherlands
Website : https://www.rdw.nl/particulier
How Can I Exchange A Foreign Driving Licence:
If you meet certain conditions, you can exchange a foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence.
Related : RDW Applying For New Driving Licence After Loss/ Theft Netherlands : www.statusin.org/10486.html
Exchange at the municipality:
If you have a foreign driving licence and wish to exchange it for a Dutch driving licence, then you can apply for an exchange at the municipality where you are registered. They will forward your application to the RDW. If you send the application directly to RDW, the application will not be processed.
You need the following at your application:
** Valid identity papers
** You foreign driving licence
** A photo
In some cases you need a ‘Verklaring van geschiktheid’ (declaration of suitability) (currently this information is only available in Dutch).
If your driving licence is missing or stolen, you need an official report of the loss/theft of the driving licence.
Waive rights to heavier categories:
If you are in the possession of a foreign driving licence with one of the driving licence categories C1, C, C1E, CE, D1, D, D1E and DE and you do not want to undergo a health examination, then it is possible to waive your rights to these heavier categories.
For this you can download a waiver form at the bottom of this page (currently this waiver form is only available in Dutch). If you wish to regain one or more of the categories for which you waived your rights before, you will have to take a driving test for them in the Netherlands.
Driving licence not readable:
Do you have a driving licence which was drawn in punctuation not used in the Netherlands (for example Japanese or Greek)? You need a translation of the concerning driving licence, issued by a sworn interpreter, the embassy or the consulate.
Downloading the ‘Waiver form’ and ‘Dutch driving licence application’:
Below you can download the ‘Waiver form’ (‘afstandsverklaring categorieën van het buitenlandse rijbewijs’) and the manual ‘Dutch driving licence application’ (‘aanvraag omwisseling voor Nederlands rijbewijs’). Currently the form and the manual are only available in Dutch.
Driving with a foreign driving licence :
If you are moving to the Netherlands and you have a foreign driving licence, you can continue to use this driving licence for a certain period. The length of this period depends on the country where you obtained your driving licence.
After this period ends, you will need to have a Dutch driving licence. This can be obtained either by exchanging the foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence or by taking a new driving exam.
Driving licence issued in EU/EFTA :
Do you have a driving licence that was issued in one of the countries of the European Union (EU) or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and are you registered in the Netherlands?
If so, you can continue to drive on this licence in the Netherlands for 15 years (from the date of issue of the foreign driving licence). This applies to the categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE. The driving licence must be valid for this to apply. For the categories C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E and DE, the maximum period is 5 years as of the issue date of the driving licence.