Whether you can exchange depends on the country that issued your licence
Once you are registered, you apply at your municipality, which sends the application on to the RDW, the national vehicle and driving licence authority. Licences from EU, EEA or Swiss countries can be exchanged, while others only qualify if the country is on the RDW list or you meet a special condition. You hand in your foreign licence and do not get it back, and how long you may keep driving on it depends on where it was issued. If an exchange is not possible, you take the driving exams run by the CBR.
How it works
Swap your foreign driving licence for a local one and check what you need.
After you move, your foreign licence is usually valid only for a limited time. Licences from EU and EEA countries can normally be exchanged without a test; licences from other countries only under specific agreements, and otherwise you may need to take a driving test. You usually need your original licence, ID, proof of address, a photo and sometimes a certified translation or a medical certificate. Apply in good time, as processing can take several weeks and you may have to hand in your old licence.
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At a glance
Some offices want a phone call before you book
Municipalities take the application and pass it on to the RDW, but they do not all handle it the same way. In some cities you book a specific exchange appointment, in others you call first, and a few let you walk in. Open an office, for example in The Hague or Tilburg, to see the steps.
Guides
Related services
For Dutch citizens renewing a passport and for residents without a passport from their own country: who can apply and what to prepare.
Get a hand with applying for or activating DigiD, and with the online forms, messages and allowances that depend on it.
See who can apply for income support, what a municipality takes into account and where to get advice if the application is difficult.
For Dutch citizens who need a new or replacement ID card: who can apply, what to bring and how collection works.
For holders of a Dutch licence: how renewal works online or at the counter, how to replace a lost licence and where to collect it.
For newcomers and returning residents: what registering at the town hall means, who it applies to and what to prepare before your appointment.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Warsaw, Wrocław, and Gdańsk
Most offices in Liège, Tournai, and Brussels
Most offices in Augsburg, Berlin, and Bielefeld
Most offices in A Coruña, Alicante, and Almería
Most offices in Akranes, Akureyri, and Borgarnes
Where to next
Appointment, hand-in of your old licence and collection vary by city. See how your municipality handles an exchange.
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