Directive 91/439/EEC was incorporated into the EEA Agreement through Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 7/94 of 21 March 1994,[2] and specified driving licence in the European Union and the European Economic Area until its repeal on 19 January 2013. In addition, the vehicle being driven must be insured by a policy that includes third-party liability coverage. Read more about when you need to renew your driving licence (in Dutch). State. If you have 2 or more penalty points, you lose your licence. After that period, you must exchange the driving licence via your municipality. To legally drive in the Netherlands, you must be at least 18 years old and have a full valid driving license, which is known as rijbewijs. You can choose from a variety of car rental agencies in the Netherlands, including: In the Netherlands, you can sell your car to a local car dealership, an online RDW-licensed site, or privately to an individual. space reserved for the possible entry by the Member State which issues the licence of information essential for administering the licence or related to road safety (optional). The main objective of the licence is to reduce the risk of fraud. You can also look up your BSN in other ways. You can pay for parking using a bank card, cash, or a mobile app. More stats. They must be submitted to the municipality for inspection: Expats from outside of the EU and the EEA must bring all the above documentation, as well as their: If your drivers license cannot be traded in, you will have to take a driving theory test and a road test at the CBR. After this, it needs to be tested every two years, then annually.If your car fails the PTI, you must carry out the necessary repairs and take it back to a test center for re-inspection. Help with this would be appreciated. In certain cases, expats who bring their vehicle to the Netherlands may be eligible for exemption from import duties and BPM. Just ask for an exchange form for your foreign drivers license at your local municipal office. If you require access to a wheelchair or need to have accessibility modifications made to your car, you can apply for support from the Social Support Act, which is known as Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning (WMO), from your local gemeente. Read on to find out which rules apply to you. ", "You can drive any type of vehicle listed on your full and valid licence Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence GOV.UK", "Exchanging your foreign driving licence", "Driving in the EU from 1 January 2021: UK licence holders living in the EU", "Brexit: What are the rules on driving in the EU after transition? If you arrange to have your car shipped as part of your removal goods (verhuisgoederen), you can apply for exemption from registration tax and import duties. The minimum age to take a driving exam for a car is 17 years. Dutch or European driving licences are not considered as valid proof of identity for people starting a new job. Dutch Gemeente | Municipalities & City Councils in the Netherlands A municipality, town hall or city council is known in Dutch as a gemeente. There is no maximum age for operating a vehicle as long as the driver holds a valid license. It is up to each member state to accept foreign licenses with younger ages than the local minimum age of acquisition. You can find your citizen service number (BSN) in the upper left-hand corner on the back of your Dutch driving licence. Vehicles with more than 8 + 1 seats (buses). Vehicle registration. [8] Many car dealerships offer electric and hybrid vehicles. This is because international drivers licenses are merely considered to be a translation of a national drivers license. In the Netherlands it's allowed to drive from the age of at least 18, and if you had your driving licence B before 19 January 2013. They can also be exchanged for a UK driving licence. If you are caught driving without a license, you can be fined between 100 and 370 depending on your particular circumstances. Once you have paid the BPM, the RDW will send you a vehicle registration card within five working days. The directive stipulated that all 31 EEA members states must have adopted laws implementing the directive no later than 19 January 2011. M= month of birth year. WebAt the start of 2021, 81.8% of adults in the Netherlands held a Class B (automobile) driving license. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. As of December 2021, the number of battery electric vehicles in the Netherlands increased to 243,664, while the number of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles increased to 137,663. Should the student fail, the instructor then has an understanding of the area that requires additional training. You pay your online application with iDeal. After passing the exam, you are only allowed to drive with a guardian, until you are 18. Read more, Moving to the Netherlands and taking your vehicle with you, Importing a car from a EU or EFTA country, Online RDW-services accessible to European citizens, From 3 October 2022, you first need to log in to make an online inspection appointment, Online import process entirely through VIA service, Driving with a Ukrainian driving licence in the Netherlands, RDW makes vehicle report available online, From 1 July 2022, agricultural vehicles need to have a registration certificate. Customer ID number (license number) DOE8. Replaced class "A" on 19 January 2013 in Malta. However, there is one exception: Many different types of drivers license, from many different countries, are submitted for exchange in the Netherlands. A unified driving licence format helps in reducing the forgery of the document and introduces a layer of security. The directive required EU Member States to adopt laws implementing the directive before 1 July 1994, which took effect on 1 July 1996. You can learn more about applying for this card here. In that case, you are allowed to drive for a while in the Netherlands with the foreign driving licence. For drivers who have held their license for less than five years, the blood alcohol limit is 0.02%. Online import process entirely through VIA So to help you get on the road, this article about driving in the Netherlands explains the following: Driving in the Netherlands? If your driving license was issued in an EU/EFT country, you can continue using your foreign license for 15 years. According to data from Smart Traffic Accident Reporting (STAR), there were 17,842 traffic accidents involving the injury of at least one person and 478 deaths caused by traffic accidents in 2021. For this to be done, you must submit a copy of the statement issued by the relevant authority abroad, explaining that they hold no objection to your exchanging the license, Proof of registration with an institute of education, if you are, The exchange form, which must have been partially filled in by you, and partially by a civil servant from the municipal office, Residence permit, if you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, Certificate of fitness, stating that they are physically and mentally capable of driving, As soon as the municipal fees have been paid, the municipal office will issue you a certified copy and proof of receipt, Then, your entire application will be sent to the RDW, along with your original drivers license and papers, If your request is granted they will send you a notice, stating that you can pick up your Dutch drivers license at the municipal offices, If you wish to keep your original license, you must provide the municipality with some form of proof that you will need it, If you do not request to keep it, your old license will be returned to your embassy, or to the country from whence it came, Depending on the legislation of the country that issued you with the drivers license, you may be able to have it returned to you from there, The test takes one hour, and consists of 65 multiple choice questions, 40 of these questions test your knowledge of, You are allowed a maximum of 5 mistakes on these questions, 25 of of the questions test your recognition of, and response to, dangerous situations in traffic, You are allowed a maximum of 12 mistakes on these questions, When you reach the age of 16-and-a-half, you can, If you pass your driving test before you reach the age of 18, you will be allowed to drive with your accompanier. Here are a few facts about the drivers exam in the Netherlands: Sign up now to receive English-language information on the Netherlands in your inbox. Once the theory exam has been successfully passed, the student has up to 18 months to pass the practical exam. The Netherlands has plenty of auto repair shops and body shops around the country. You are a considered to be a Dutch resident if you spend at least 185 days per calendar year in the Netherlands. Combinations of vehicles where the tractor vehicle is in category D and its trailer has a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kilograms (1,650lb). However, none of the EEA countries currently require IDPs for visitors staying shorter than 12 months. This includes driving with a license that has exceeded its expiration period by over a year, or driving with the wrong category license. For Japanese, Taiwanese and Chinese licenses, this is obligatory, You live in the Netherlands and possess valid residential status: If this applies to you, you may trade in a valid drivers license, issued by the countries listed above, for a Dutch drivers license, Your license was issued in: Aruba, Monaco, the Isle of Man, Netherlands Antilles, and the State of Jersey for a Dutch drivers license: this can be traded in for a Dutch equivalent, For at least 185 days of the year that your license was issued to you, you have resided in the foreign country that issued your license, You are required to request and pay for a health form called the, Based on the information you provide on this form, the CBR will decide whether or not to issue you with a, If you are granted one, they will inform the license registry and notify you when they have done so, Once you have received this notice, go back to your local municipal office, Bring all the documents, that are listed in the paragraph below, with you, One recent color passport photograph. 01. The various types of driving licences are divided into categories. it is not implemented by all countries. Once your car has been registered, you will receive a vehicle registration certificate (kentekenbewijs) in credit card form along with a certificate of car ownership (tenaamstellingsbewijs). You must apply to renew your driving licence in person at your municipality and collect it from there as well. If you still have a paper driving licence, this number can be found in field 5. [12][13], UK driving licences can be used when visiting EU/EEA countries with some exceptions. You should then call your breakdown assistance provider. If youre an expat living and looking for work in the Netherlands then there are some vital differences you should know about in regards to your job applications. Driven must be insured by a policy that includes third-party liability coverage found in field 5 Class... 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