Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Dutch driving licence

You can only exchange the foreign driving licence if:

• you are listed in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP).
• you have a valid residence permit.
• you have a driving licence from the European Union (EU)(Externe link) and Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Switzerland.

• A valid passport or identity card.
• Your valid driving licence. A driving licence from the European Union may not be valid any more. Do you have a non-valid driving licence from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland? Then you must prove that your foreign driving licence organization agrees to issue you with a Dutch driving licence.
• A passport photo that complies with the passport photo requirements(Externe link) . The passport photo may not be older than 6 months.
• In some cases, you also need a health declaration.

Have you obtained your driving licence in a country outside the European Union? Then in most cases you have to take the driving test again. Except if your country is on the list of countries outside the European Union(Externe link) for which exchange does apply.

Are you in the Netherlands for work? Then it is possible that you fall under the ‘30% rule’ of the tax authorities. In this case, you can always exchange your foreign driving licence. It does not matter from which country you come. Your employer must arrange this for you.

For more information please contact the RDW(Externe link)