Driving licence in the Netherlands: exchange, costs, exams

How long can I drive on my own licence?

It depends on where your licence is from. The clock starts when you move to the Netherlands.

Your licence	You may drive on it
EU or EFTA (car, motorbike)	Until 15 years after it was issued. Issued more than 15 years ago? 2 more years after you move
Outside the EU	185 days after you move. Then only a Dutch licence counts
Tourist, not living here	As long as your licence is valid

Apply for the exchange early: it takes at least 15 working days, and you may not drive after your deadline, even while your application is being handled.

Can I exchange it without taking tests?

Yes, in four cases. You also need to be registered at your town hall (in the BRP).

1. Your licence is from the EU or EFTA. It may even be expired.
2. Your licence is from a country on the RDW list, and you lived there at least 185 days in the year you got it:

Country	Which licence
Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Monaco	All categories
Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten	All categories
Japan, Singapore	Car (B) and motorbike (A)
Andorra, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan	Car (B)
Canada: Alberta and Québec only	Car (B, class 5)

3. You have the 30% ruling. Then a licence from any country can be exchanged. See below.
4. You had a Dutch licence before (valid after 30 June 1985).

Not in any of these? Then you take the Dutch exams. The US, India and most Canadian provinces are not on the list.

Can I exchange any licence with the 30% ruling?

If you came to work here with the 30% ruling (the tax break for workers recruited abroad, officially the expatregeling), you can exchange a licence from any country, without exams.

• What you need: the decision letter from the Belastingdienst (beschikking) that gives you the ruling. Bring it to the town hall.
• Your family can use it too. The government confirmed in December 2025 that family members living with you have the same right.
• It’s still in place. In 2024, MPs asked for a review after 26,264 people used this route in one year. No end date has been set so far.
• Not sure if your ruling still counts (for example, it ended or is being phased down)? Ask your town hall before you book.

How do I exchange my licence, step by step?

1. Register at your town hall and get your BSN.
2. Fill in the health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring) in Mijn CBR, with your DigiD. It costs €46.90. CBR checks it; sometimes it asks for a doctor’s exam, which costs extra.
3. Make an appointment at your town hall. Bring:
   • your foreign licence
   • a colour passport photo
   • a translation, if your licence isn’t in Latin letters
   • the Belastingdienst decision, if you use the 30% ruling
4. Hand in your licence. You don’t get it back. Keep a copy.
5. Collect your Dutch licence. RDW decides within about 15 working days; then you pick it up at the town hall.

How much does exchanging a licence cost?

Item	Price
Exchange at the town hall	€53.65 in most cities (some charge more, for example postage in Amsterdam)
Health declaration (CBR)	€46.90
Urgent processing (optional)	€39.65 extra
Passport photo	Varies

Total: about €100, plus the photo.

What does a Dutch licence cost if I can’t exchange?

You take the same exams as everyone who learns to drive here:

Step	Cost (2026)
Theory exam, car	€50.50, or €57 in English
Theory exam with an interpreter	€118.50, plus the interpreter
Health declaration	€46.90
Practical exam	€143.50
Driving lessons	Usually €54 to €78 an hour

In the first half of 2026, people spent €3,625 on average for the whole licence, with about 42 hours of lessons.

The theory exam has 50 questions; you need 44 right, within 30 minutes. It’s in Dutch or English at every exam centre (some Dutch words, like APK, stay in Dutch). A pass is valid for 18 months.

How can I practise for the Dutch driving exams?

For both the theory and the practical exam, the best way to learn the rules is to practise them in real situations. You remember who goes first when you’ve seen it at a junction, not from reading the rule.

Voorrah is a practice game for the Dutch car exam. You drive through a 3D Amsterdam with real traffic: cyclists, trams, buses and pedestrians.

• 61 lessons, one Dutch rule each, in English with the Dutch words you’ll hear on the exam (voorrang van rechts, haaientanden, dode hoek). An in-game instructor tells you what went wrong and why.
• A practice practical exam on a route like CBR’s in Amsterdam, with the examiner’s directions in Dutch and English.
• A theory section with a 50-question practice exam and a hazard drill.
• The first lessons are free.

Every lesson puts one rule in a real Amsterdam situation, so you practise it the way the theory questions and the practical exam test it.

It’s most useful if you’re new to Dutch roads: priority from the right, trams and cyclists catch out many experienced drivers from abroad.

For other things to sort out when you arrive, see what to set up first when you move to the Netherlands.

Can I drive while my exchange is being processed?

Only until your own deadline (185 days for a licence from outside the EU). After that you may not drive, even if your application is still being handled. Apply well before the deadline.

Do I get my foreign licence back?

No. You hand it in at the town hall and it isn’t returned. If you need to drive in your home country later, ask there about a replacement.

Can I take the theory exam in English?

Yes, at every CBR exam centre. Book “Theorie-examen Engels auto” in Mijn CBR. It costs €57 instead of €50.50. You can’t bring your own interpreter; for other languages you book an approved interpreter service at least 2 weeks ahead.

Does my partner need the 30% ruling themselves?

No. Family members who live with the person who has the ruling have the same right to exchange. Bring proof of the ruling to the town hall; ask them which proof of your family tie they want.