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A valid driving licence is obligatory for anyone who wishes to drive a car or a motorcycle.

If your stay in the Netherlands is temporary, your foreign driving licence is usually valid. You are advised however, to apply for an international driving licence before leaving for the Netherlands.

If you are planning to stay in the Netherlands for a longer period of time and your driving licence was issued in one of the countries hereafter you can exchange your driving licence for a Dutch version: Austria, Aruba, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Dutch Antilles, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Jersey (States of), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Isle of Man, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovenia, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Sweden or Switzerland. The driving licence that was issued to you previously will be valid for 10 years after issue date. Once this transition period has passed, you must have a Dutch driving licence and are obliged to exchange your licence.

If you have a driving licence that was issued in a non-EU country, you are allowed to drive with your foreign licence in the Netherlands for a period of six months (185 days) after registering as a Dutch resident. In some cases, you might be asked to show an international driving licence, please check with your Embassy to make sure. Under new regulations per 1 February 2005, you are obliged to take a theoretical and practical driving test in the Netherlands to acquire a Dutch driving licence before the six-month period expires.

Driving licences issued in the following countries can only be exchanged for specific categories: 

• Taiwan - B - passenger vehicle / Dutch driving licence category B 
• Israel - B - passenger vehicle / Dutch driving licence category B 
• Japan -1B- passenger vehicle and motorcycle of more than 400cc / Dutch driving licence categories and B 
• Singapore - Class 2 – motorcycle of more than 400cc and Class 3 – passenger vehicle / Dutch driving licence categories A and B 
• Andorra - passenger vehicle / Dutch driving licence category B 
• South Korea - second class ordinary licence / Dutch driving licence category B 
• Quebec (Canadian province) – class 5 / Dutch driving licence category B

Special rules
Special rules apply for those with a diplomatic or consular staff status and for their families. Persons covered by the diplomatic rule are permitted to drive in the Netherlands without the need to exchange their foreign licence for a Dutch one. Contact the RDW (Dutch Road Traffic and Transport Authority) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Protocol Department for more information.

International driving licence
It is not possible to exchange an international driving licence for a Dutch licence.

The 30%-ruling and obtaining a licence
If you have recently become entitled to benefit from the 30% tax ruling, you and the other member(s) of your family can exchange your licence right away, regardless of where you are from.

How to obtain a Dutch driving licence
In order to exchange your foreign driving licence, you must go to your local municipal office to acquire a payable document called the "eigen verklaring" (= health form).
You will also need an exchange form, which you can obtain at the municipal office. You should fill in the health form. If the answer at one of the questions is YES, you will need a health check by a doctor. Once it has been completed, you can send it in a pre-paid envelope to the CBR ('Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheid' - Central Road Aptitude Bureau, P.O. Box 5301, 2280 HH Rijswijk). They will process this and send you a registered certificate of fitness (verklaring van geschiktheid). Once you receive this 'verklaring van geschiktheid' you can return to the municipal office, where you will submit:

• the original, valid foreign driving licence (if applicable: with translation, if not in English/French or German)
• the certificate of fitness 
• one identical, recent passport photograph 
• the exchange form, which has been partially filled in by you and partially by a civil servant from the municipal office

As soon as the municipal fees have been paid, the municipal office will send the entire application to the RDW for evaluation. If the application is granted, the RDW will send a letter to your home address within two to three weeks that you can collect your driving license at Town Hall. Be sure to make a photocopy of your licence and the request for a Dutch licence should you need to drive during these weeks. However, you are strongly advised not to drive while awaiting your driving license because you will not be insured! Important: if you would like to keep your original driving license, you must submit a declaration from for example your employee that you will need it in your country.

Certificate of Aptitude
In some cases, the CBR can ask for a “Certificate of Aptitude” next to the health form before processing an application. These cases occur when:

• a Dutch licence is issued for the first time
• exchanging a licence issued by certain countries 
• the application was done by diplomatic or consular staff or their families 
• you are older than 65 years of age and certain medical implications are involved

More information on the “Certificate of Aptitude” can be obtained from the CBR, your local Town Hall, or the RDW. For more information on driving tests or to apply for the test, please contact CBR/BNOR, telephone 0900-0210.

Licence plate
Driving your own car with appropriate vehicle registration number (licence plate) is permitted if your stay in the Netherlands is only temporary. In addition, all persons driving his or her own car must have a third-party insurance (“WA”).

Import
In order to import a car or a motorcycle, you are requested to apply to Customs for a permit, regardless of your country of origin. If you do not receive a permit, you are obliged to pay import duties. Once your car or motorcycle has been imported, you must to comply with a number of regulations before using it: 

• the car or motorcycle must have a Dutch vehicle registration number. In order to obtain this, it has to be approved by the Vehicle Technology and Information Centre (RDW), telephone (0900) 0739. More information about the RDW and your car.
• you will receive a registration certificate within a few weeks. A licence-plate can be bought at every RDW-acknowledged garage.
• you have to pay BPM, a national holder ship tax on motor vehicles. In some situations exemption is possible.
• you are obliged to take out a legal third-party liability insurance with an insurance company.

For more information

Rotterdam Customs
Laan op Zuid 45
Rotterdam
P.O. Box 50966
3007 BJ Rotterdam
T 010) 290 47 90 / (010) 290 48 02 (Dutch only)
F (010) 290 43 15

Renting
You can rent or lease a car from a number of rental companies. For addresses, see the Yellow Pages or the telephone directory (renting: heading “Autoverhuur”; leasing: heading ”Leasen”). For further information, please contact the ANWB (national organization in the field of traffic and tourism). If you are a member of the ANWB-Road Service, you can call for help in case of car problems en route.

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