Driving licence in the Netherlands for expats: exchange or take the exams?
TheorieWin is not the CBR and does not book exams. What cbr.nl says always applies.
With a valid licence from outside the EU/EFTA you may drive for 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands. After that you need a Dutch licence. You can exchange it only if it comes from the EU/EFTA, from a country on the RDW list, if you have the 30% ruling (expat scheme) or if you held a Dutch licence before. Otherwise you take the theory and practical exams at the CBR. Brazil and the countries of Latin America are not on the list.
Exchange or take the exams? How to tell
Answer the questions from top to bottom. The first yes tells you what you can do.
Is your licence from a country in the EU or the EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland)?
Yes You may keep driving with it while it is valid, up to 15 years after its date of issue (licence B). If that time is almost up, you have 2 more years from the day you came to live in the Netherlands. After that you must exchange it; you may also do so earlier.
No ↓
Did you ever hold a Dutch licence that was still valid after 30 June 1985?
Yes You can exchange your foreign licence, from any country. You get back the categories that were on your Dutch licence.
No ↓
Do you have a Beschikking expatregeling (the 30% ruling) from the Belastingdienst, or do you live with someone who has one and belong to their household?
Yes You can exchange a licence from any country. You get all the categories on your foreign licence.
No ↓
Is your licence from a country or territory on the RDW list (see below)?
Yes You can exchange it, but you only get the category on the list, often only B.
No ↓
No to everything? Then you cannot exchange. You get a Dutch licence once you pass the theory exam and the practical exam at the CBR. Until 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands you may still drive on your foreign licence.
The licence must be valid when you exchange it: the RDW cannot exchange an expired licence from outside the EU/EFTA.
The 185 days: how long can you drive on your foreign licence?
- With a valid licence from outside the EU/EFTA you may drive until 185 days after you started living in the Netherlands.
- After that you may only drive with a Dutch licence, even if your exchange application is already in progress.
- During lessons from a driving school you do not need a licence (Wegenverkeerswet 1994, art. 108).
- Want to exchange? Start in time. The CBR advises filling in the health declaration 6 months before you may no longer drive; the assessment can take up to 4 months.
- Do you have to take the exams? Then plan the theory exam as early as you can, so that you can also pass the practical exam within the 185 days.
The RDW list: exchanging a licence from outside the EU/EFTA
The Netherlands has an agreement with these countries and territories. You only get back the category on the list (RDW list, checked on 19 October 2026).
| Country or territory | Categories you can exchange |
|---|---|
| Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten | All |
| Great Britain | All (BE only if you took a separate exam for it) |
| Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Monaco | All |
| Canada: only Alberta and Québec | B |
| Andorra, Israel, Taiwan, South Korea | B |
| Japan, Singapore | A and B |
Not on the list are, among others, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Suriname, the United States, India, Turkey, Morocco and South Africa. With a licence from those countries you can only exchange with the 30% ruling or if you held a Dutch licence before.
For the list and the 30% ruling these conditions also apply:
- You lived at least 185 days in the country in the year you got the licence.
- You are registered in the BRP (the personal records database of your municipality).
- No EU/EFTA nationality? Then you have a valid residence permit. If you are still waiting for a (new) residence permit, you cannot exchange.
How to exchange
- Fill in the health declaration at the CBR. You need it for a licence from outside the EU/EFTA. The CBR can take up to 4 months.
- Apply for the exchange at your municipality (gemeente). Only the municipality can submit the application. Bring: a colour passport photo, your foreign licence, an old Dutch licence if you had one and the Beschikking expatregeling if it applies to you. If your licence is not in Latin script, you also need a translation by a sworn translator, the embassy or the consulate.
- Pay at the municipality. The cost differs per municipality.
- Wait for the letter. If everything is in order, you get a letter within 15 working days. It says you can collect your Dutch licence at the municipality after 5 working days.
- You do not get your foreign licence back.
No exchange? How to get your Dutch licence
- Theory exam at the CBR, in Dutch, in English or with an interpreter: 50 questions, 44 correct to pass. How the exam works and how to book it.
- Driving lessons at a driving school. During the lesson you do not need a licence.
- Practical exam at the CBR, within 18 months after you passed the theory exam.
- Apply for your licence at your municipality once you have passed.
Many rules differ from your own country: traffic from the right has priority at an uncontrolled junction (gelijkwaardig kruispunt), a tram nearly always goes first and there are cyclists everywhere. The theory exam tests exactly that. See examples of animation questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I exchange my licence from Brazil, Mexico or Colombia?
Only with the 30% ruling (expat scheme) or if you held a Dutch licence before. Those countries are not on the RDW list, so otherwise you take the theory exam and the practical exam.
How long can I drive on my foreign licence?
With a licence from outside the EU/EFTA, until 185 days after you started living in the Netherlands. A licence from the EU/EFTA stays valid longer, up to 15 years after it was issued.
Can I keep driving while my application is in progress?
Not after the 185 days. After that you may only drive with a Dutch licence, even if your application is already in progress.
Can I take the theory exam in Spanish or Portuguese?
Not directly: the exam is in Dutch or English. In another language you can take it with an interpreter from an agency the CBR accepts. How the exam with an interpreter works.
Sources
- rdw.nl rijden met een buitenlands rijbewijs
- rdw.nl buitenlands rijbewijs omwisselen
- rdw.nl exchanging a foreign driving licence
- rijksoverheid.nl mag ik met mijn buitenlandse rijbewijs in nederland aan het verkeer deelnemen
- rijksoverheid.nl kan ik mijn buitenlandse rijbewijs omwisselen voor een nederlands rijbewijs
- cbr.nl buitenlands rijbewijs omwisselen
- wetten.overheid.nl Wegenverkeerswet 1994
- wetten.overheid.nl Regeling omwisseling niet-Nederlandse rijbewijzen
- wetten.overheid.nl Reglement rijbewijzen
- cbr.nl welk theorie examen past bij jou