In this guide
Most guides to the Dutch driving licence explain the process: go to your municipality, hand in your licence, wait for the RDW. The question that comes first is whether you can exchange at all. According to the RDW, that depends on the country that issued your licence.
This guide sorts the routes in the order the RDW applies them. The RDW’s list of countries is amended from time to time and we could not open it ourselves, so we do not reproduce it here. Look up your own country on rdw.nl and ask your municipality before you act on anything below.
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đź’ˇ Related: the full exchange process step by step, car insurance for expats, importing your car into the Netherlands.
Quick answer: The RDW states that you can always exchange a valid EU or EFTA licence, and that this licence may even be expired. A licence from another country can be exchanged if the Netherlands has an agreement with that country, so check the country on rdw.nl. Highly skilled migrants to whom the expat scheme applies can exchange a licence from any country. Everyone else takes the CBR exams. You must meet all conditions, including being registered in the BRP. A valid licence from outside the EU/EFTA can be used for 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands.
Conditions That Apply to Everyone
The RDW says you must meet all of these conditions:
- You have a valid driving licence from the EU/EFTA or from a country with which the Netherlands has an agreement. An EU/EFTA licence is allowed to be expired.
- You are registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP). If you have not registered yet, see registering with the gemeente and getting your BSN.
- You have EU/EFTA nationality. If not, you have a temporary or permanent residence permit (exchanging is not possible while you are waiting for a new residence permit), or you are in the Netherlands under Association Decision 1/80 of the EEC/Turkey Association Council, or you fall under the Temporary Protection Directive.
The exchange goes through your municipality, not through the RDW directly.
Route 1: An EU or EFTA Licence
RDW: you can always exchange a valid EU or EFTA driving licence, and an EU/EFTA licence is allowed to be expired.
You do not have to exchange straight away. According to the RDW, with a licence issued in an EU/EFTA country you can keep driving in the Netherlands:
- for 15 years after the date of issue of the foreign licence, for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, provided the licence is still valid;
- for up to 5 years from the issue date for categories C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E and DE, provided the licence is still valid;
- for 2 more years after the date you started living in the Netherlands, if the licence was issued more than 15 years ago but has not expired.
If you want to keep driving after that, you need a Dutch licence. Request the exchange in time, because RDW says you may not drive after the period, even if your application is still pending. If your EU/EFTA licence was issued after you were already registered in the Netherlands, you may not drive on it here and have to exchange it.
Route 2: A Country With Which the Netherlands Has an Agreement
For licences from outside the EU/EFTA, exchange is possible only if the Netherlands has an agreement with the issuing country. RDW has a page where you can check whether your licence is suitable. We were not able to open the country list ourselves, so we cannot tell you which countries are on it, which categories transfer, or which extra conditions apply. Look up your country on rdw.nl and ask your municipality.
Two practical points from RDW:
- Start before your licence expires. If your licence from outside the EU/EFTA is about to expire, start the exchange with your municipality now: RDW cannot exchange an expired licence. Extra documents, such as a CBR health declaration, can be handed in later.
- If exchange is not possible, you have to take the Dutch driving exams. RDW has a separate section on driving without a licence during the exchange and on surrendering a category.
Route 3: The Expat Scheme
The Belastingdienst’s English name for the 30% ruling is the Expat Scheme (30% facility), and the RDW uses the term expat scheme. RDW: are you in the Netherlands for work as a highly skilled migrant and does the expat scheme apply to you? Then you can exchange your driving licence from any country. This is the widest route in the system. The RDW page does not spell out what proof the municipality asks for or whether family members are covered, so ask your municipality before you rely on it, and bring the documents that show the scheme applies to you. See the 30% ruling guide for how the ruling works.
Route 4: The CBR Exam Route
If none of the routes above applies, you have to take the Dutch driving exams at the CBR, a theory exam and a practical exam. The CBR publishes its current fees on cbr.nl. The CBR health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring) is a questionnaire about your health that you fill in when you take a driving exam, and you pay for it yourself (cbr.nl). Driving schools set their own lesson prices, so ask a few schools for a quote.
Because a licence from outside the EU/EFTA can be used for only 185 days after you start living here, the CBR route needs to begin early in your stay.
The Clocks You Are Racing
- Non-EU/EFTA licence: a valid licence can be used until 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands (RDW). After that you may only drive here with a Dutch licence, even if your foreign licence has not expired.
- EU/EFTA licence: 15 years after the date of issue for most car and motorcycle categories, 5 years for the C and D categories (see Route 1).
RDW needs at least 15 working days to process an exchange, and longer if it needs more information. That time comes on top of the municipal appointment.
What It Costs
We could not verify current fees, so we quote none. The exchange is arranged via your municipality, which publishes its own price. You may need a CBR health declaration, which you pay for yourself, and a passport photo. On the CBR route the costs are the CBR exam fees (published on cbr.nl) plus driving lessons.
For the document checklist and counter-level detail, see the step-by-step exchange guide.
Sort the Insurance Alongside the Licence
Third-party liability cover (WA) is required for any car registered in the Netherlands, and the licence and the insurance are separate systems. The premium you are quoted depends on how many claim-free years (schadevrije jaren) the insurer credits from your foreign history. Ask your previous insurer for a written claim-free years statement before you cancel the old policy, then ask each Dutch insurer how it treats it. Univé has an FAQ on whether claim-free years built up abroad can be used in the Netherlands (unive.nl, checked 6 October 2026); ask for the exact conditions. For what the coverage levels mean, see car insurance in the Netherlands for expats. The driving guide covers the core insurance and road-administration steps.
Mistakes That Cost Real Money
Assuming your licence is exchangeable. Eligibility depends on the issuing country. Look it up on rdw.nl.
Missing the expat scheme route. If you are a highly skilled migrant, ask whether the scheme applies before you book lessons.
Starting the CBR route late. The 185 days include the time you spend finding a school and waiting for exam slots.
Letting an EU/EFTA period run out. RDW says you may not drive after the period, even if your application is still pending.
Cancelling foreign insurance before requesting the claim-free statement. Ask for it while you are still a customer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries can exchange a driving licence in the Netherlands?
EU and EFTA countries always. Other countries only if the Netherlands has an agreement with them: check rdw.nl. Highly skilled migrants to whom the expat scheme applies can exchange a licence from any country. Everyone else takes the CBR exams.
Can I exchange a US driving licence in the Netherlands?
That depends on the issuing country and, according to the RDW, on whether the Netherlands has an agreement with it. We could not confirm the list, so check rdw.nl or ask your municipality. Otherwise the expat scheme or the CBR exams are the routes.
Does the expat scheme let me skip the Dutch driving test?
RDW says that highly skilled migrants to whom the expat scheme applies can exchange a licence from any country. Ask your municipality which proof it wants and whether family members are covered.
How long can I drive on my foreign licence here?
Outside the EU/EFTA: up to 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands. EU/EFTA: 15 years after the issue date for most car and motorcycle categories, 5 years for C and D (RDW).
What does the exchange cost?
Your municipality publishes the fee, and the CBR health declaration is paid separately. We do not quote amounts because we could not verify them.
How long does the whole thing take?
RDW needs at least 15 working days for processing, more if it needs additional information. Add the municipal appointment.
Do I have to exchange if I have an EU licence?
Not straight away. RDW lets you keep driving for the periods listed under Route 1, as long as the licence stays valid. After that you need a Dutch licence.
Final Thoughts
Whether you can exchange is largely knowable in advance: your licence is from the EU/EFTA, from a country the Netherlands has an agreement with, or the expat scheme applies, or you take the exams. Confirm your route on rdw.nl, then watch the clocks. If you are on the CBR route, start in your first weeks. While the licence file is moving, get your foreign claim-free statement in hand and compare Dutch motor policies.
One more option sits outside the comparison sites. UnitedConsumers offers car insurance on three levels, WA, WA beperkt casco and WA casco (all risk), and asks for your claim-free years in its quote. Its October 2026 comparison on unitedconsumers.com listed seven insurers (Avéro Achmea, Bovemij, Allianz Direct, ZERO, Rhion, a.s.r. and Nationale-Nederlanden), mentioned a free member Pluspakket and a free verhaalservice and premium check, and showed a discount promotion that changes over time (unitedconsumers.com/autoverzekering, checked 6 October 2026). The panel is a selection of insurers rather than the whole market, so use it as an extra quote. The site is in Dutch.
Related reading: the full exchange process | car insurance for expats | importing your car | car leasing options | second-hand car platforms
Sources (plain text): RDW, Exchanging a foreign driving licence (rdw.nl); RDW, Rijden met een buitenlands rijbewijs (rdw.nl); CBR, Gezondheidsverklaring (cbr.nl).
More questions
How does the expat scheme help with a driving licence?
RDW: if you are in the Netherlands for work as a highly skilled migrant and the expat scheme applies to you, you can exchange your driving licence from any country. Ask your municipality which proof it wants, and whether family members are covered, before you rely on it.
How long can I keep driving on my foreign licence?
RDW: a valid licence issued outside the EU/EFTA can be used for up to 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands; after that you may only drive here with a Dutch licence. With an EU/EFTA licence you can keep driving for 15 years after the date of issue for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, and up to 5 years from the issue date for C and D categories, as long as the licence is valid. If your EU/EFTA licence was issued more than 15 years ago but has not expired, you can use it for 2 years after the date you started living here.
What does exchanging a driving licence cost?
The exchange is arranged through your municipality, which publishes its own fee. For licences from outside the EU/EFTA you may also need the CBR health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring), which you pay for yourself. We do not quote amounts here because we could not verify current figures; check your gemeente and cbr.nl.
How long does the RDW take to decide?
RDW says it needs at least 15 working days to process an exchange. If it needs extra information, it takes longer. You also need a municipal appointment first, so plan well before your 185 days (non-EU) or your EU/EFTA period run out. RDW notes that you may not drive after the period ends, even if your application is still pending.
Do I need Dutch car insurance before my licence is exchanged?
Insurance follows the vehicle: a car registered in the Netherlands needs third-party liability cover (WA). Insurers' conditions on driving licences differ, so ask your insurer, and treat your licence deadline and your insurance start date as one piece of planning.