In this guide
In the Netherlands you get a driving licence through a structured process run by the CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen), and prior driving experience abroad does not skip it unless you can exchange your licence.
This guide is for people who cannot exchange their licence. If you are not sure, read our exchange driving licence guide first. That guide covers exchange, which lets you skip the tests. If it does not apply to you, come back here.
Who must take the exams?
You can always exchange a valid EU/EFTA driving licence. For other countries, exchange is possible only if the RDW has an agreement with the country that issued your licence; the RDW checklist on rdw.nl tells you whether yours qualifies.
If you are in the Netherlands for work and the expat scheme (30% ruling) applies to you, you can exchange a licence from any country (RDW). To exchange, you must also be registered in the BRP and, if you are not an EU/EFTA national, have a temporary or permanent residence permit. The exchange goes through your municipality.
If you cannot exchange your licence, you take the CBR process: a health declaration, a theory exam, driving lessons and a practical exam. Always check your own status on rdw.nl, because the list of agreement countries can change.
The 185-day rule
If you have a valid licence issued outside the EU/EFTA, you may use it for 185 days after you come to live in the Netherlands. After that you may only drive with a Dutch licence (RDW). Plan your exam steps with this deadline in mind, and start early. For driving once you have your licence, see our driving in the Netherlands guide for expats.
Overview: the CBR process
- Health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring): EUR 46.90 in 2026
- Theory exam: EUR 50.50 in 2026 (EUR 57.00 in English)
- Driving lessons: priced by the driving school
- Practical exam: EUR 143.50 to the CBR in 2026, plus the school’s charges
(All CBR fees: CBR, tariffs 2026.) You fill in the health declaration when you are going to take a driving exam (CBR). The theory exam must be passed before the practical exam; the examiner checks at the exam that your theory result is still valid.
Step 1: health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring)
The CBR assesses whether you are healthy enough to drive. For this you fill in a questionnaire about your health, the Gezondheidsverklaring, and you pay for it yourself: EUR 46.90 in 2026. You fill it in through Mijn CBR. If it is necessary, the CBR may send you to one or more doctors or ask for a driving test (CBR). Answer the questions honestly.
Step 2: theory exam
Format
According to the CBR, the car theory exam has 50 questions; it also includes 2 test questions that do not count, so you answer 52 in total. You need at least 44 of the 50 correct to pass. You have 30 minutes (45 minutes for the exam with extra time or the individually guided exam). You get the result straight after the exam. The questions come in different types and you answer on a computer; the CBR shows an example of each type and the list of topics on its website.
The English option
A regular car theory exam can also be taken in English. This costs EUR 57.00 at the CBR in 2026. Other variants cost more: with extra time EUR 64.00, with an interpreter or individually guided EUR 118.50 (CBR).
On the day
Bring a valid identity document; the details on it must match the details in your BRP registration, otherwise you cannot take the exam. Also bring your reservation number. Be at the exam centre 15 minutes beforehand. Only your ID may go into the exam room (CBR).
Preparing
The CBR has pages on learning and practising, a list of topics and example questions. If you fail, you can book a new exam; you do not see which questions were wrong, but your result form shows how you did on each topic (CBR).
Step 3: driving lessons
Driving lessons are given by a driving school (rijschool). We could not establish whether the law requires lessons, so ask the CBR or your school if you are considering preparing without a school.
How many lessons and what do they cost?
According to the CBR (research among exam candidates, July and August 2026):
- candidates needed 42.5 lessons on average to get their licence;
- 80% of candidates pay between EUR 54 and EUR 78 per hour for lessons; the price differs per school;
- the differences between schools relate to the region, the type of car and the length of a lesson: one school’s lesson lasts an hour, another’s 50 minutes or an hour and a half.
Your instructor can estimate how many lessons you need after the first lessons. Ask the school this at the start.
Choosing a driving school
The CBR suggests asking schools:
- whether the price is per hour or per 50 minutes or 90 minutes;
- whether the instructor can estimate in the beginning how many lessons you need;
- what you pay the school for the exam, and whether a lesson in the hour before the exam is included.
Check the pass rate as well when you compare schools (CBR). For an expat, ask also whether the instructor teaches in English.
Step 4: practical exam
The practical exam costs EUR 143.50 at the CBR in 2026. Your driving school transfers this amount to the CBR, and the school also charges for administration, use of the car, the instructor’s presence and possibly a lesson just before the exam (CBR).
What to expect
According to the CBR the exam lasts 55 minutes in total:
- Before the drive: you meet the examiner, who checks your ID and that you passed the theory exam, and whether you filled in the Zelfreflectie form (discussed after the drive). In most cases your instructor may ride along. You read a number plate from about 25 metres, and the examiner asks you a few questions about the car.
- The drive: about 35 minutes. You drive partly independently to a destination, using a navigation system; for most of the drive you follow the examiner’s instructions. The examiner looks at whether you drive safely and independently, including vehicle control, looking behaviour and giving way, across seven exam parts: pulling away, straight and curved road sections, junctions, merging and leaving, overtaking and changing lanes, special road sections and special manoeuvres.
- The result: you hear straight after the drive whether you passed.
If you pass, you apply for your licence at your municipality after the exam day. The cost differs per municipality and is at most EUR 53.65 in 2026; for a rush licence you pay EUR 39.65 extra in 2026 (CBR).
If you fail
The examiner tells you what to work on, and the result form shows it; discuss it with your instructor. The earliest you can retake the exam is after 2 weeks. A retake costs the CBR fee again plus the school’s charges. If the examiner stops the exam because of dangerous behaviour, the earliest retake is after 15 weeks. After failing 4 or more times within 5 years, you get a special exam each time (CBR).
The CBR also offers an intermediate test (tussentijdse toets) for EUR 143.50, a kind of trial exam (CBR).
Cost summary
CBR fees in 2026, plus your own lessons. The lesson column uses the CBR averages above as an illustration, not a quote; schools also charge for administration, the car and the instructor at the exam.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Health declaration | EUR 46.90 |
| Theory exam in English | EUR 57.00 |
| Practical exam (CBR fee) | EUR 143.50 |
| Licence at the municipality (maximum) | EUR 53.65 |
| CBR and municipality fees together | EUR 301.05 |
| Lessons: 42.5 lessons at EUR 54 | EUR 2,295 |
| Lessons: 42.5 lessons at EUR 78 | EUR 3,315 |
| Total with lessons at EUR 54 per hour | EUR 2,596.05 |
| Total with lessons at EUR 78 per hour | EUR 3,616.05 |
Not included: the school’s charges for exam administration, car use and the exam-day lesson, and any resits (EUR 143.50 each for the practical exam plus school charges; EUR 57.00 for each English theory exam). For comparison, the CBR says that getting a licence cost EUR 3,625 on average in the first half of 2026.
These costs are worth keeping in mind when you think through the overall cost of living in the Netherlands.
Practical tips
- Start early. Check the 185-day deadline and the exam dates you can get.
- Select English for the theory exam if it is your strongest language. It costs EUR 57.00 instead of EUR 50.50.
- Compare driving schools on more than price. Compare lesson length, what the exam charges include, cancellation terms, pass rates and language of instruction.
- Use your final lessons to practise independently, so that you are used to deciding for yourself during the exam.
Life without a car while you wait
For daily trips you can use public transport and a bike. The OV-chipkaart system is used on trains, buses and trams in the Netherlands, and our cycling guide for expats covers buying a bike and using cycle paths. Once you do have your licence, read about registering your car in the Netherlands if you plan to own one.
Is it worth it?
That depends on where you live and work. If you live in a city with good public transport you may reasonably decide to postpone it. A licence is more valuable if you live in an area with limited public transport, have children, work in places that are hard to reach by train or bike, or travel by road regularly. If you do want a Dutch licence, start in time because of the 185-day deadline.
Final thoughts
The key steps:
- Register at your gemeente and get your BSN; the 185-day period runs from when you come to live in the Netherlands (RDW).
- Complete the health declaration (EUR 46.90 in 2026).
- Pass the theory exam (EUR 50.50, or EUR 57.00 in English).
- Find a driving school and take enough lessons.
- Pass the practical exam (EUR 143.50 plus the school’s charges) and apply for your licence at your municipality.
For the early admin of your move, start with our BSN registration guide and the cost of living guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries must get a Dutch driving licence from scratch?
You can always exchange a valid EU/EFTA driving licence, and a licence from a country with which the Netherlands has an agreement. The RDW keeps a list of agreement countries outside the EU/EFTA; use its checklist on rdw.nl to see whether your country is on it. If your licence is from another country and the expat scheme does not apply to you, you cannot exchange it and have to take the CBR exams. Check your own situation on rdw.nl.
How much does it cost to get a Dutch driving licence from scratch?
According to the CBR, getting a car licence cost EUR 3,625 on average in the first half of 2026. In 2026 the CBR fees are EUR 46.90 for the health declaration, EUR 50.50 for the theory exam (EUR 57.00 in English) and EUR 143.50 for the practical exam. Lessons are priced by the driving school: 80% of candidates pay between EUR 54 and EUR 78 per hour, and candidates needed 42.5 lessons on average. Schools also charge for administration, the car and the instructor at the exam.
How long does it take to get a Dutch driving licence from scratch?
It depends on how fast you learn, how many lessons you need and how soon you can get exam dates. The CBR gives no standard duration, so ask your driving school for an estimate. The RDW lets you drive on a licence from outside the EU/EFTA for 185 days after you come to live in the Netherlands; after that you may only drive with a Dutch licence, so start early.
Is the CBR theory exam available in English?
Yes. According to the CBR, a regular car theory exam can also be taken in English, at a fee of EUR 57.00 in 2026. The exam has 50 questions (plus 2 test questions that do not count) and you need at least 44 correct; you have 30 minutes.
How do I find an English-speaking driving school in the Netherlands?
Ask driving schools in your city whether their instructors teach in English and have experience with candidates from abroad, and compare the price per lesson, the length of a lesson, what the exam-day charges are and the pass rates, as the CBR advises when comparing schools.
Can I drive on my foreign licence while going through the CBR process?
Yes, for a limited time: with a valid licence issued outside the EU/EFTA you may drive in the Netherlands for 185 days after you come to live here (RDW). After that you may only drive with a Dutch licence.