For most Europeans the surprise is not the driving licence: it is the car. Your licence travels well, but your car does not stay foreign for long. Here is how driving in the Netherlands works with the paperwork: what to do with your licence, and how to bring a car in without paying tax twice.
Can you drive in the Netherlands on a foreign licence?
Yes, within limits. A licence issued in an EU or EFTA country, including Switzerland, remains valid for car and motorcycle in the Netherlands for 15 years from its date of issue, as long as it is valid. For lorries and buses it is five years. If your licence is more than 15 years old, you have two years after settling to exchange it at your municipality.
A licence issued in another country while you were already living in the Netherlands must be exchanged immediately. And once the period has ended, you cannot drive on the foreign licence, even if the exchange is in progress.
How do you exchange a driving licence in the Netherlands?
You exchange at your municipality, which is the same place you registered. You bring a colour photo, your foreign licence, any previous Dutch licence and sometimes a health declaration from the CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen). A licence written in characters not used in the Netherlands, Greek or Japanese for example, needs a translation by a sworn translator, the embassy or the consulate. The RDW replies within about 15 working days, and you collect the new licence from the municipality about five working days later. The fee is set by each municipality.
For EU, EEA and Swiss licences there is no exam. For a Swiss, Icelandic or Liechtenstein licence that has expired, you need a non-objection statement from the issuing authority. Licences from outside the EU/EEA are valid for 185 days after you settle, and exchange is only possible for certain countries on the RDW list. Otherwise you must pass exams.
If your licence is nearly 15 years old, was issued in a different country from the one you come from, or you are not sure which category you may still drive, Moovy can check the official rules for your case and tell you what the municipality will ask. It cannot apply for you or book your appointment.
What happens to your car?
Once you are registered in the population register, or should be (a stay of more than four months), you cannot drive on foreign plates any more. The exceptions are narrow: a company car from a foreign employer or business, or use for two weeks at most with an exemption asked from the tax administration before you drive. Non-residents without registration may use foreign plates up to six months a year (three months if they carry people or goods for payment). For your car, the sequence is:
- Ask the tax administration for the BPM exemption (a tax on cars and motorcycles) before the inspection, within 12 months of your move. When you move from another EU country, you qualify if you owned and used the car for at least six months before moving and had a normal residence of at least 12 months in the old country. If you sell, rent out or lend the car within 12 months, the BPM becomes due.
- Book an inspection at an RDW test station (you need a DigiD and must be registered in the BRP; see DigiD in the Netherlands) and come in person. Ask for a one-day plate if you can no longer drive on the foreign one: it is free with DigiD and valid only on the day of the appointment, with liability insurance for that day.
- Bring the original foreign registration certificate, which the RDW keeps, your ID and the tax office's document. You can ask the RDW to accept a valid technical inspection from another EU or EFTA country.
- Send your BPM declaration on paper after the inspection if your vehicle is subject to BPM, even if you are exempt.
- Take out third-party insurance (WA-verzekering) using the declaration code (the last four digits of the chassis number) and have your plates made by an approved manufacturer. The annual road tax is billed automatically.
The new registration certificate is sent within five working days of approval by the RDW and the tax administration.
How much does it cost?
RDW rates, as shown on its page in October 2026: €110 for the inspection, €58.50 for vehicle identification up to 3,500 kg, €50 for the registration certificate, €13.10 to register it in your name and €22.50 recycling contribution. The RDW updates these amounts, so check them before your appointment. The BPM exemption, if you qualify, saves you the tax itself. Licence exchange costs depend on your municipality.
What are the traps to avoid?
- Driving on foreign plates after registering in the BRP. It is not allowed.
- Selling the car too soon after the BPM exemption.
- Letting an old licence run out. After 15 years, exchange it within two years of settling.
- A licence issued while you already lived here: exchange at once.
- Cars from outside the EU (the UK, Switzerland…): an import declaration at customs comes first, and you show the RDW a customs import document less than 12 months old. The BPM exemption described above is the one for moves within the EU, so ask the tax administration what applies to a car from outside it.
- Waiting to register the address. The deadlines run from registration; see residence in the Netherlands for EU citizens.
How does the driving licence in the Netherlands work for a family with two cars?
The rules apply per person and per vehicle, so a household needs a small plan. Each adult checks the issue date of their own licence: 15 years from issue for car and motorcycle, five years for lorries and buses. Each car follows its own path through the BPM exemption, the RDW inspection and registration. The exemption is tied to a car you owned and used for at least six months before the move, so a car bought just before you left may not qualify. If you sell, rent out or lend a car within 12 months of the exemption, the tax becomes due.
Plan the order: ask for the exemption first, because the tax office's document is one of the things you bring to the inspection. Then book the inspection, ask for a one-day plate if you cannot drive on the foreign one any more, and only then insure and plate the car.
What documents do you need for a driving licence in the Netherlands exchange?
For the licence you need a colour photo that meets the requirements, your foreign licence, any former Dutch licence and, in some cases, a health declaration from the CBR. If your licence uses characters that are not used in the Netherlands, a translation by a sworn translator, the embassy or the consulate is required. For the car you need the original foreign registration certificate, which the RDW keeps, your ID, the tax office's decision on the exemption and, if you want it accepted, proof of a technical inspection from another EU or EFTA country that is still valid.
Keep copies of everything. The municipality keeps your foreign licence and does not give it back, so you will not have it as a souvenir.
Where does the Netherlands stand on driving without a car?
Not every newcomer needs to import a car. In towns the bike is the main way to get around. If you do keep one, expect to pay the annual road tax, which is billed automatically once the car is registered, plus insurance. Think through the costs before you decide; our cost of living in the Netherlands article shows where the fixed costs are.
When should you start the driving licence Netherlands process?
Early. The RDW needs about 15 working days to answer an exchange, and you collect the new licence from your municipality about five working days after that. For the car, the BPM exemption request comes before the inspection, and the whole chain of steps takes weeks. Ask your municipality for its exact procedure at your registration appointment, and if your car's situation is unusual (bought shortly before the move, used for work, or coming from outside the EU), confirm the BPM question with the tax administration or an adviser before you book the inspection.
What if you are British?
A licence from outside the EU/EFTA is valid for 185 days after you settle. Exchange is only possible in certain cases, depending on the country that issued it; check the RDW checklist for a British licence, and otherwise plan for the CBR's theory and practical exams. See moving to the Netherlands from the UK. In town the bike is the main way to get around; see daily life in the Netherlands.