Using Your Home-Country Licence in the Netherlands, and the RDW Swap

This guide is for internationals who live in the Netherlands, or are about to move here, and want to keep driving on a licence issued in another country. After reading it, you will know how long your current licence stays valid on Dutch roads, whether you can exchange it for a Dutch one, and what the municipality and the RDW each handle.

• How long you can drive on your foreign licence
• Who can exchange, and which licences qualify
• The expat scheme and the 30% ruling
• What the municipality does and what the RDW does
• Driving while your application is processed
• FAQ

How long you can drive on your foreign licence

The RDW explains on its page about driving with a foreign driving licence that the period depends on the country that issued your licence. In every case, the licence itself must still be valid.

EU and EFTA licences. For categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE, you may keep driving for 15 years from the date your licence was issued. For categories C1, C, D1, D, C1E, CE, D1E and DE, the limit is five years from the date of issue. If your licence was issued more than 15 years ago and has not expired in the meantime, you may use it for another 2 years after the date you moved to the Netherlands.

The RDW gives this example: you have lived in the Netherlands since 15 June 2024 and hold an EU licence issued on 1 January 2019. You may drive in the car and motorcycle categories until 1 January 2034. The truck and bus categories ran out on 1 January 2024, but because you moved after that date, you may use them until 15 June 2026.

There is one important exception. If your EU or EFTA licence was issued while you were already living in the Netherlands, you are not allowed to drive on it here at all, and you must exchange it.

Licences from outside the EU and EFTA. You may use a valid licence for the first 185 days after you move to the Netherlands. After that, you may only drive with a Dutch licence. If the categories on your licence are not labelled A, B, C, D or E, the RDW says it is wise to also carry an international driving licence, which you get in the country that issued your current licence.

Ukrainian licences. If you fall under the Temporary Protection Directive (residence permit 46), you may keep driving on your Ukrainian licence, even if it has expired. You can only exchange it with a 30% ruling from the Dutch tax authority.

Who can exchange, and which licences qualify

The RDW page on exchanging a foreign driving licence lists conditions, and you must meet all of them:

• You have a valid driving licence from the EU or EFTA, or from a country the Netherlands has an agreement with. An EU or EFTA licence may be expired.
• You are registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP).
• You have an EU or EFTA nationality. If you do not, you must have a temporary or permanent residence permit, be in the Netherlands under Association Decision 1/80 of the EEC/Turkey Association Council, or fall under the Temporary Protection Directive (residence permit 46). You cannot exchange while you are waiting for a new residence permit.

You can always exchange a valid EU or EFTA licence. For licences from outside the EU and EFTA, only the countries on the RDW list qualify, and only for the categories shown. These include Andorra, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Québec, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Israel, Japan, Monaco, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and the former Netherlands Antilles. Check the RDW list for the exact categories, because several countries qualify for category B only. You must also have lived in the issuing country for 185 days in the year you got the licence.

If your country is not on the list, for example the United States, you cannot exchange. There are two exceptions: the expat scheme described below, or having held a Dutch driving licence in the past that the RDW accepts. In the second case, you get back the categories you had on that Dutch licence. Otherwise, you will need to pass both the theory and practical tests at the CBR.

The expat scheme and the 30% ruling

If you are in the Netherlands for work as a highly skilled migrant and the expat scheme applies to you, the RDW says you can exchange a licence from any country. In this case, the country list does not limit you.

If you work in the Netherlands and hold a licence from outside the EU or EFTA, you need to bring a valid Decision on the Evidence Rule from the Dutch tax authority. The RDW refers to this tax arrangement as the 30% ruling in its section on Ukrainian licences. The RDW pages do not explain who qualifies for the scheme. The Dutch tax authority decides that case by case, so ask your employer or the tax authority if you are unsure.

What the municipality does and what the RDW does

You apply at your municipality, not at the RDW. Only the municipality can submit the application. Bring:

• A colour passport photo that meets the official requirements.
• Your foreign driving licence. If it uses characters not used in the Netherlands, such as Japanese or Greek, have it translated by a certified translator, the embassy or the consulate.
• An old Dutch driving licence, if you have one.
• A valid Decision on the Evidence Rule, if you work in the Netherlands and hold a licence from outside the EU or EFTA.
• A Health Declaration Form from the CBR, if your licence is from outside the EU or EFTA. Some EU or EFTA licence holders need one as well.

You fill in the application form at the municipality and pay the fee. The RDW states only that the fee may vary per municipality, so ask your own municipality for the current amount. If you have an expired licence from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, also bring an original statement from the issuing authority saying it has no objection to a Dutch licence being issued.

The municipality sends everything to the RDW, which processes the application. If everything is in order, you receive a letter within 15 working days telling you that you can collect your Dutch licence at the municipality after 5 working days. If anything is missing, the RDW informs you in writing, which delays the exchange. You will not get your foreign licence back.

Timing matters most for licences from outside the EU and EEA. The RDW cannot exchange an expired non-EU licence, so start before it expires. The CBR health declaration can be submitted later, but applying for it also takes time.

Driving while your application is processed

Once your 185-day period, or your 15-year or 5-year period, has ended, you are no longer allowed to drive without a Dutch licence, even if your application is still being processed. Apply well before your deadline.

Within your permitted period, the RDW leaves it up to you whether to drive after you have handed in your licence. If the police stop you, you must be able to show a driving licence and may be fined if you cannot. The police can contact the RDW to check that you applied and handed in a valid licence. The RDW calls the risk of a fine small but present, and the amount is listed in the Fine Database of the Public Prosecutor (OM). If you drive, carry a passport or ID. If you have a valid licence and insurance, you are insured even if you cannot show the licence, but check with your insurer. The RDW advises against driving in other countries during the exchange.

FAQ

Can I exchange an American driving licence?

Not through the standard route, because the United States is not on the RDW list. You can exchange it if the expat scheme applies to you, or if you previously held a Dutch licence that the RDW accepts. Otherwise, you must pass the CBR theory and practical tests.

How long does the exchange take?

The RDW needs at least 15 working days. If everything is in order, you get a letter within 15 working days and can collect your licence at the municipality after 5 working days. Missing documents and the CBR health declaration can add time.

How much does the exchange cost?

The RDW does not state an amount. It says the fee may vary per municipality, so check with the municipality where you are registered.

Do I get my foreign licence back?

No. The RDW states that you will not get your foreign licence back after the exchange. If you need a licence for travel, discuss this with your municipality before you apply.

Official sources: rdw.nl · rdw.nl

Last verified: 7 October 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins. General information, not legal or tax advice.