Getting a Dutch driving license with my UK license

You can't.  When you apply for a Dutch licence at the Gemeente, they will take your UK licence from you and return it to DVLA.

Do you know how I get the application form? I can't find one to download, do I have to physically pick one up from somewhere?

I don't remember, I changed mine years ago, I just went to the Gemeentehuis in Enschede, handed over my old licence, signed a form and I got a new Dutch one in the post a few days later; the only thing I remember was my HGV licence got upgraded to Class 1 in the process, which was rather exciting as I'd never driven one before!

I'll ask my daughter tonight, she changed hers last year, so hopefully will remember something about it.

Cynic wrote:

You can't.  When you apply for a Dutch licence at the Gemeente, they will take your UK licence from you and return it to DVLA.

Can you get a replacement of the UK licence after it is converted to an NL one?

If you live in the UK, yes, you hand in your Dutch licence and will get the UK equivalent.

I want to keep entitlements on my UK licence which are no longer automatically added (such as minibus driving which may be useful in my support work).  When I asked the gemeente they advised I find out what happens to my UK license while applying as the process includes a medical examination and takes a number of weeks. I was pointed to the RDW who couldnt help but recommended that I ask the Belastingdienst. They sent a response but its about road tax not driving licence.

Anyone got any pointers?

Are you exchanging your UK licence for a Dutch one?

Hi, Yes exchanging it. Wanted to start now to allow for any delay as still working in the UK so can go without a licence if needs must. I have a BSN and home address plus work to go to in the autumn.

Hi again.

When I exchanged my licence at the Gemeente, I got the NL version of my UK licence with all the valid classes on it (so, car, bus & HGV); the dates of expiry for each class were linked to the appropriate date to when I would need a medical (so bus and HGV) and had I wished to retain those classes, I would have needed to undergo the medical in the Netherlands at renewal (I didn't), so I don't know the process for undergoing the medical in the Netherlands but I've just asked the question from a family friend who will know and will come back to you.

There is a bit of general confusion with regards to how the requirements for driving licence administration is interpreted across the EU.  The UK national rules are that you should notify the DVLA on every change of address (in the process you get a new UK licence), yet EU rules permit you to continue driving on your UK licence anywhere in the EU until it expires; but if you complied with the rules for your UK licence and notified DVLA of your change to an address in the Netherlands, then they would not issue you with a new Dutch licence, nor can they issue you with a UK licence with a Dutch address.

I don't particularly want to get into the details about working in the UK while registered in the Netherlands in this thread; suffice to say that unless you're commuting daily, if you're working in the UK, then you should have written yourself out at the Gemeente, so you're not really entitled to a Dutch licence at the moment.  My advice would be to retain your current UK licence until it comes up for expiry, then change it to a Dutch one when you finally make the move.

I will come back to you shortly regarding the medical when you do renew.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Hi again.

Jeez - it was a lot easier when I did this, anyway, Regarding the medical.

Hope you can read Dutch because all the info you need is in Dutch with no English option, although Google translate may help you out.  To try and help you a bit further.  The Dutch Government department responsible for all Transport related stuff is the RDW; this link will take you to their website where they explain the medical requirements for driving licences.  The actual licencing and testing administration is operated by an organisation called the CBR (they are the Dutch equivalent of the DVLA); this link will take you to their website.

To help you out, I've just checked the RDW website myself; you may need a physical medical exam, but you first have to go and buy a "Gezondheidsverklaring", you can maybe get this from your Gemeente (cost € 37,80), but apparently, not all Gemeente's offer the service, if they don't, then you have to contact the CBR directly and buy one from them; you fill this in and send it to the CBR;  CBR will then check your form and let you know if you need an actual medical examination and advise you further.

You will need your Dutch DigiD log-in to do any of this; if you've got your BSN, then it would have been issued at the same time, but you need to have activated it for it to work.

I'd be grateful if you can let us know how you get on.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

That's all really helpful. Thank you. It sounds like there are some grey areas, but:
I have made an apt with the gemeente for Monday and will buy that form which must be what she showed me when I enquired last time. Am also due at the RDW to get my motorbike registered so will ask there too re timescale. Will let you know how it all goes. Hartelijk bedankt voor je hulp.

Geen probleem.

Hi,

Thanks for the info on this post. Does anybody knows if it is possible to exchange an expired UK driving license for a Dutch one? (UK license expired 3 months before requesting the Dutch one).

On the RDW website it states that if you go to the Netherlands for work then you can exchange your driving license only if it is still valid, so I guess I cannot.

But I was wondering in which other cases it would be possible to do so? Like if you move to the Netherlands for studying, then you can exchange your license even if it is expired?

Hi,
Thanks for the info on this post. Does anybody knows if it is possible to exchange an expired UK driving license for a Dutch one? (UK license expired 3 months before requesting the Dutch one).

On the RDW website it states that if you go to the Netherlands for work then you can exchange your driving license only if it is still valid, so I guess I cannot.
But I was wondering in which other cases it would be possible to do so? Like if you move to the Netherlands for studying, then you can exchange your license even if it is expired?
-@piscopoalessio

No, you can only exchange a valid driving license. The only way would be, to go back to the UK to renew it. Once you have your renewed license then you can exchange it for the country that you live in for their driving license.

Thaks for you reply. As I ll move to Italy before coming to tee Netherlands, I think i will convert it to an italian driving license and then once in NL to a Dutch one.

Thaks for you reply. As I ll move to Italy before coming to tee Netherlands, I think i will convert it to an italian driving license and then once in NL to a Dutch one.
-@piscopoalessio

But if it's not valid it doesn't matter which country you can not exchange it. But if you have a valid EU driving license you don't need to exchange it for another EU country driving license.