How to get a Dutch driver’s licence: the ultimate guide

If you’re considering getting a driver’s licence in the Netherlands, your first question is probably: “But how?”

And let us tell you: it’s not always simple. The answer depends on your situation. You might: 

• Be able to use your home country’s driver’s licence with no need to swap
• Be able to swap your home country’s driver’s licence for a Dutch one
• Need to take lessons, a theory exam, and a practical exam (yikes!) — even if you already have a licence.

So how can you skip the bike and hit the roads like a driving Dutchie? Here’s the ultimate guide to getting your Dutch driver’s licence. 

🙋‍♀️ Who can get a Dutch driver’s licence?

In the Netherlands, anyone aged 17 or older can get a Dutch driver’s licence. A basic car licence lets people hit the road in either a car, moped, or high-powered e-bike (speed pedelec).

Naturally, if you’ve moved to the Netherlands as an international, it’s likely that you’ve already gone through the rite of passage of getting your driver’s licence in your home country. 

Here’s the thing: even if you’ve been driving for 30 years, the Netherlands only allows some people to directly switch their licence. Whether you can depends on the licence your country is from and, sometimes, your visa.  

Members of EU/EEA countries

Are you the holder of a lucky EU or EEA state driver’s licence that was issued before you registered in the Netherlands? Then congratulations: you can use your current licence to drive in the Netherlands — at least for a while. 

Once your licence has expired or needs to be reissued, you must apply for the switch at your local Dutch gemeente (municipality), where you’ll be issued a shiny new licence complete with the Dutch language. 

Need a reminder of those EU/EEA countries? Here you go: 

EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

People who can swap their driver’s licence in the Netherlands

Not a holder of an EU/EEA country driver’s licence? No problem, it’s possible you’re still eligible to swap your licence to a Dutch one without having to take the theory and practical exam — but only if you fall into two main categories: 

Under the 30% ruling

Do you have the 30% ruling for highly-skilled migrants? Then congrats! Your visa and tax status grant you a huge benefit: the ability to switch your home country’s driver’s licence to a Dutch one. 

Try to do this within 185 days of registering in the Netherlands. Just apply at your local municipality, they’ll take your foreign licence, and you’ll be issued a nice Dutch card instead. Makkelijk! (Easy!)

After 185 days, your foreign driving licence is no longer valid, and you won’t legally be allowed to drive on Dutch roads until you formally make the switch. 

Even better than this cosy 30% ruling benefit, if you have a partner who came to the Netherlands with you, they get the same advantage. Leuk!

Special inter-country driver’s licence agreements

In some ultra-special cases, the Netherlands has signed agreements with other countries or regions that agree that they think their citizens drive pretty well. 

These places are Andorra, the Canadian province of Albert, the Canadian province of Quebec, Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, Guernsey, Israel, Japan, Jersey, Man, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Taiwan, the former Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten), and South Korea. 

If you hold a driver’s licence from one of the above places, you’ve won the jackpot and can exchange your home licence for a Dutch driver’s licence. Woo-hoo! 

How to exchange your licence

If you’re one of the lucky ones above who can exchange their driver’s licence, what you need to do is pretty easy. 

1. Head to your local municipality (where you’re registered) with the following documents:
   • A colour passport photo
   • Your valid foreign driving licence
   • Your 30% ruling notification from the Belastingdienst (if applicable)
   • Your passport
   • Your Dutch residence permit and (if applicable) 30% ruling statement
   • A completed Health Declaration from the CBR (you’ll need to do this in advance) 
2. Request to exchange your foreign driver’s licence and fill in the appropriate form
3. Your municipality will send the documents to the Dutch licence authority, the RDW
4. If approved, you’ll receive a letter within 10 days advising when to collect your licence from the municipality

People who need to pass the Dutch driver’s licence tests

Uh-oh — if you’ve read this far, that means you’re not in one of the exemption categories above. 

Perhaps you’re from Australia, South Africa, India, New Zealand, or one of the other many countries that didn’t make the list? 

Here’s where we’re the bearer of bad news. If you: 

• do not have a licence from an EU/EEA country, 
• don’t have the 30% ruling, 
• And don’t have a licence from a specially-exempted country above,

you cannot exchange your driver’s licence in the Netherlands. Instead, you’ll need to pass your theory and practical driver exams and will likely need to take lessons to do so. 

The good news? Getting your Dutch driver’s licence is very achievable! In fact, this Australian writer did just that. 

The other good news? (Yes, there’s more!). You can likely drive on your home licence for 185 days after registering in the Netherlands. 

Take our advice: these 185 days are a great time to practise on Dutch roads and start the process of getting your Dutch driver’s licence. 

🪪 How to get your Dutch driver’s licence

Alright — you’ve drawn the short straw and can’t switch your home country’s driver’s licence. Or, perhaps you’ve never had a driver’s licence. 

Either way, to drive on Dutch roads, you need to get a Dutch driver’s licence. While the process is a little time-consuming and can be expensive, there are some tips and tricks to make it faster and easier. 

Here’s how to get your Dutch driver’s licence in six easy steps. 

1. Find a driving school

Hear us out: even if you’ve been driving for years, you almost definitely need Dutch driving lessons. 

It’s one of the cold, hard truths of the Netherlands. The country is known as being one of the hardest countries in the world to get a driver’s licence. 

In fact, the average Dutchie has to take 43 hours of professional driving lessons before getting their licence. 

Luckily, you’re not an average Dutchie. 🍀

If you’ve been driving for years, you shouldn’t need 43 hours, but you will need more time than you might expect. Driving in the Netherlands is just different: there are priority and non-priority roads, turbo-roundabouts, and millions of bikes.

The extensive Dutch road infrastructure takes a lot of getting used to, and it takes some time to develop awareness of the other road users. You’ll need to flex those neck muscles!

Plus, in the Netherlands, only licenced driving instructors can give unlicensed drivers lessons — there’s no Learner’s Permit. That means you need to sign up with a driving school. 

But not all driver’s schools are created equal. Many internationals have reported being squeezed for far too many unneeded lessons, unscrupulous instructors, or instructors who have difficulties with English. 

Take your time to select a good driving school with great reviews and a high exam pass rate. Even if the price is a little bit higher, it’s often worth it. As the Dutch say “Cheap is expensive” (Goedkoop is duurkoop).  

Once you’ve chosen your school, they’ll take on the task of booking your exams and will do everything they can to prepare you for Dutch roads. 

2. Prepare for and pass the Dutch driver’s licence theory exam

Here’s a fun fact: over 50% of test-takers fail their theory exam on the first attempt. 

Alright, maybe it’s not so fun. The Dutch driver’s licence theory exam is heralded as one of the hardest in the world and is made up of three parts: 

Part one: Hazard perception

In the first part, you’ll be shown an image from the perspective of a driver in a car. You’ll have to look through the “windshield” at the situation, your speedometer, and your rearview mirror before making a decision to brake, reduce your speed, or do nothing. 

The catch? You only get eight seconds per question and have to do 25 scenarios in a row. It’s intense, and it will often feel like multiple answers are correct. 

Luckily, you are allowed to get 12 of the 25 questions wrong. However, this is a tricky part of the exam and requires a lot of online practice. 

Part two: Traffic knowledge

Whew, made it through the stress of hazard perception? Now, you’re onto the next set of questions: traffic knowledge. 

In this section, you’ll be asked 12 questions about speed limits, traffic signs, types of roads, the positioning of your car, and more. But beware! You can only get two questions wrong, and they can be tricky. 

Part three: Traffic insight

Finally, the third part of the Dutch driver’s licence theory exam consists of applying the rules and understanding how to act. There are a massive 28 questions here, and you’ll need to answer 25 correctly. 

3. Submit your Health Declaration

This is an easy step on the path to getting your Dutch driver’s licence: you’ll fill in a simple questionnaire online about your health history. Expect questions about your eyesight, general health, and even psychology. 

Once complete, the CBR will let you know if they need further information. Sometimes, you might be sent for a check-up with your huisarts or a specialist. 

4. Take driving lessons

Alright, this is where it gets fun! Jump behind the wheel of a car with your instructor, and they’ll coach you on driving the Dutch way. 

A lot of this involves “Het Nieuwe Rijden,” introduced in 2013, which is a more economical and environmental way of driving modern cars. It involves rolling up to stoplights, turning off your engine in certain traffic situations, and changing how you use your gears. 

Most of all, your instructor will prepare you for both the Dutch driving exam and generally driving on Dutch roads safely. There’s more than you expect to get used to, so enjoy!

While the average Dutchie takes 43 hours of lessons, as an “experienced driver”, you’ll likely need a lot less. Expect to take at least 10 hours of driving instruction (normally completed in three to four lessons), while some internationals might need 20 hours or more.

5. Pass your practical exam 

Feeling confident? Strut your stuff for a CBR driving examiner. In your 30- to 40-minute practical driving exam, you’ll need to: 

• Prove you can drive confidently on Dutch roads 
• Demonstrate awareness around traffic situations, particularly bikes and pedestrians
• Merge onto and exit off a highway
• Perform at least two special manoeuvres (like a three-point turn or reversing around a corner)
• Use a navigation program (for example, Google Maps) to direct you somewhere (this can be used in your preferred language)

It’s important to know that you don’t have to drive perfectly, and small mistakes are okay. Did you:

• Touch the curb with your wheel while parking? All good! 
• Drive five kilometres an hour over the speed limit? It happens! 
• Tear through a red light because you stopped by an Amsterdam coffeeshop before your test? Um, we’ll draw a line there; that’s a fail. 

The most important thing is to make your driving examiner feel comfortable letting you drive on Dutch roads. So, keep a balance between traffic flow and safety.

Tips to pass your Dutch driving exam

• Try to drive the maximum speed as much as possible (where it’s safe)
• Use the right speed when approaching all different priority junctions and traffic situations
• Change gear at the correct time and fully release the clutch before entering a bend
• Avoid using the clutch and brake pedals unnecessarily
• Maintain a balance of traffic flow and safety

6. Apply for your driver’s licence

Gefeliciteerd, you passed! Your examiner gave you the go-ahead, your driving instructor gave you a huge high-five, and now you’re ready to hit the road — almost. 

Before you can legally drive, you have to apply for your new Dutch driver’s licence, a process that takes about a week. Luckily, it’s pretty painless. You’ll need to: 

1. Get some fresh-lookin’ passport photos taken
2. Take them to your local municipality (at least two hours after your exam) to request your licence who will send the information to the RDW, the Dutch licence authority
3. Wait about a week for your fresh Dutch driver’s licence to arrive (or pay a priority processing fee to pick up your licence within one to two days).

That’s it! You can hit the road with your wallet one card heavier and weighed down with your huge ego after passing the Dutch driver’s licence exams. You go, schat!

💰 Costs to get a Dutch driver’s licence

We’re not going to sugar-coat it — getting a Dutch driver’s licence can be expensive. 

If you’re lucky enough to be able to swap your home country’s driver’s licence for a Dutch one, your costs will be pretty minimal — approximately €170. 

If you are unable to swap your old licence for a Dutch licence, the costs begin to stack up. Expect to pay between €500 and €1500 for the exams, lessons, health declaration, and licence fees. Here’s the breakdown: 

⏰ How long does it take to get a Dutch driver’s licence?  

If you’re lucky enough to be able to switch your home country’s driver’s licence for a Dutch licence, you’ll receive the licence within a week or two.

If you can’t switch your home licence, it is possible to qualify for a Dutch driver’s licence in as little as one week after passing your theory exam. However, only if you’re very committed, have a good driving school, and have luck scheduling exams. 

In general, most internationals who have previously held driver’s licences in other countries can get their licence within two months, including studying for the theory exam. 

If you need to go through the whole process but have previously held a licence, most people typically allow: 

• Between two and four weeks to study for the theory exam
• Between three and 15 hours of lessons held over one to six weeks 

Of course, you can stretch that over as long a period as you like. After passing your theory exam, the result is valid for 18 months. 

Ready to hit the road? Getting your driver’s licence in the Netherlands can be a pain, but it’s not impossible — and it’s well worth it when you’re cruising down the A2 with Snelle beats blasting. 

Have you gotten your Dutch driver’s licence? Tell us your experiences in the comments below!

⁉️ Getting a Dutch driver’s licence: Frequently asked questions