My experience exchange Drive license in Belgium

I had a similar Experince when converting my Australian drivers license. As for them keeping the license my commune told me that if I needed to take my license back if I was going back to Australia I'd have to return my Belgium one and they would give me back my Australian one.

Hello,

Your post is interesting, but I will add some info.

Here is the hyperlink for the list of foreign driving licenses that Belgium accepts to recognize.
https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/circulati … europeenne

All persons with driving licenses who are not part of this list will not be allowed to drive in Belgium. They will have to follow the complete process with the theoretical and practical tests.

For all those who regularly travel outside Belgium and/or the European Union, you must go for an international driving license to the city hall where you live.

When you go to the municipality to apply for your international driving license, you need:
- a recent identity photo
- your belgian identity card
- the valid Belgian driving license

The international driving license is valid for a period of three years from the date of grant. If the national driving license is valid for a shorter period of time, the international driving license takes up that validity date.

When your international driving license expires, if you lose it, spoil it or if it is stolen, you must ask, on the same conditions, a new copy to the municipality. In addition, you must surrender your old international driving license or the declaration of loss or theft to the Belgian police.

In Belgium, you can only drive with an international driving license if you are not registered in Belgium. As a Belgian and / or official foreign resident in Belgium, you must be able to show your Belgian driving license if you are asked.

This is an additional driver's license that is given to you without loosing your Belgian driver's license.

phipiemar wrote:

Hello,

Your post is interesting, but I will add some info.

Here is the hyperlink for the list of foreign driving licenses that Belgium accepts to recognize.
https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/circulati … europeenne

All persons with driving licenses who are not part of this list will not be allowed to drive in Belgium. They will have to follow the complete process with the theoretical and practical tests.

For all those who regularly travel outside Belgium and/or the European Union, you must go for an international driving license to the city hall where you live.

When you go to the municipality to apply for your international driving license, you need:
- a recent identity photo
- your belgian identity card
- the valid Belgian driving license

The international driving license is valid for a period of three years from the date of grant. If the national driving license is valid for a shorter period of time, the international driving license takes up that validity date.

When your international driving license expires, if you lose it, spoil it or if it is stolen, you must ask, on the same conditions, a new copy to the municipality. In addition, you must surrender your old international driving license or the declaration of loss or theft to the Belgian police.

In Belgium, you can only drive with an international driving license if you are not registered in Belgium. As a Belgian and / or official foreign resident in Belgium, you must be able to show your Belgian driving license if you are asked.

This is an additional driver's license that is given to you without loosing your Belgian driver's license.

Dear phipiemar,

I have one of different situation that I couldn't find exactly answer,
I had Turkish Driving license I live another EEU country (BULGARIA) with residence permit, I changed my turkish driving license with Bulgarian Driving License, and soon im moving to Belgium(Flanders). Should I change my Bulgarian DL to Belgian, or because of Bulgaria in EEU, I dont need to change again ?
best regards,

Hi Familykan,

If you move to another EU country and your driving licence is lost, stolen, damaged or expired, you should renew, replace or exchange it in the country where you usually live.

Exchanging your licence

If you change your residence to another EU country, you don't usually have to change your driving licence. You can use your current licence as long as it remains valid.

If you wish, you can voluntarily exchange your licence for an equivalent one in your new country of residence.

You will have to prove that you are a resident of that country and that you meet the conditions for having a driving licence (e.g. you have reached the minimum age, your state of health permits you to drive, etc.).

Before the authorities exchange your driving licence, they will contact the authorities in your previous country of residence to check that your driving licence has not been restricted, suspended or withdrawn.

Obligatory exchange

When living abroad, you will have to exchange your driving licence for a local one:

if your licence is lost, stolen or damaged
after 2 years of usual residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life (only if required by the country where you live)
if you commit a traffic offence in the country where you live
Once you exchange your original driving licence for a local one, you will be subject to that country's rules (e.g. on validity periods and medical checks).

Renewing your licence

If you move to another EU country and your EU driving licence expires, you will have to renew your licence in the country where you usually live.

If your driving licence has been suspended, restricted, withdrawn or cancelled in the EU country which issued it, you will not be able to have it renewed.

phipiemar wrote:

Hi Familykan,

If you move to another EU country and your driving licence is lost, stolen, damaged or expired, you should renew, replace or exchange it in the country where you usually live.

Exchanging your licence

If you change your residence to another EU country, you don't usually have to change your driving licence. You can use your current licence as long as it remains valid.

If you wish, you can voluntarily exchange your licence for an equivalent one in your new country of residence.

You will have to prove that you are a resident of that country and that you meet the conditions for having a driving licence (e.g. you have reached the minimum age, your state of health permits you to drive, etc.).

Before the authorities exchange your driving licence, they will contact the authorities in your previous country of residence to check that your driving licence has not been restricted, suspended or withdrawn.

Obligatory exchange

When living abroad, you will have to exchange your driving licence for a local one:

if your licence is lost, stolen or damaged
after 2 years of usual residence, if you have a driving licence valid for life (only if required by the country where you live)
if you commit a traffic offence in the country where you live
Once you exchange your original driving licence for a local one, you will be subject to that country's rules (e.g. on validity periods and medical checks).

Renewing your licence

If you move to another EU country and your EU driving licence expires, you will have to renew your licence in the country where you usually live.

If your driving licence has been suspended, restricted, withdrawn or cancelled in the EU country which issued it, you will not be able to have it renewed.

Dear,

That's great explanation. Thank you very much, I'm sure also will help to another people.

Best regards,

Depending on your liability (if you have already had driving problems), the law provides for the following penalties:

A fine of € 320.00 to € 4,000.00

A compulsory deprivation of the right to drive from 8 days to 5 years

Here is more information:

I went to the city hall to exchange my US driver's license to Belgian. I am a citizen of India but lived in the US for 9 years. Unfortunately, they couldn't replace my DL because my nationality didn't match the DL issuing country.

I have been asked to provide proof of staying in the US for more than 100 days. I have to set up another appointment to give those documents to them which they will send to Brussels to decide if I can exchange my DL. I also have a valid Indian drivers license, but I'm not sure if I can exchange that.

sm20 wrote:

Here is more information:

I have been asked to provide proof of staying in the US for more than 100 days. I have to set up another appointment to give those documents to them which they will send to Brussels to decide if I can exchange my DL. I also have a valid Indian drivers license, but I'm not sure if I can exchange that.

1) For the US driving license exchange, they generally have to contact the DMV in the US (which ever state issued the driving license) and last I was told the lead time was approximately 3 months to get the whole exchange process done into a Belgian license.
(My information could very well be outdated as that was when I wanted to exchange my US license in 2014).

Indian license cannot be exchanged in Belgium.

Cheers.

I have missed the 185 day rule to exchange my US drivers license to a Belgium one.
So in theory I would have to take the tests now to get one.

I know I should not drive with an IDP when I am registered in Belgium. However will this be found out in an actual control, if I present my US passport and not the Belgium ID?
What would be the consequence / fine in that case if they would?
My girl friend said that controls are very rare, so I would like to take my chances. I want to keep my US license if anyway possible.

vultureann wrote:

I have missed the 185 day rule to exchange my US drivers license to a Belgium one.
So in theory I would have to take the tests now to get one.

I know I should not drive with an IDP when I am registered in Belgium. However will this be found out in an actual control, if I present my US passport and not the Belgium ID?
What would be the consequence / fine in that case if they would?
My girl friend said that controls are very rare, so I would like to take my chances. I want to keep my US license if anyway possible.

I don't think the trick will work since I guess there should be a stamp on your passport telling the date you entered Belgium.

And if you don't show your Belgium Id, you are overstaying.

Would anyone know what the fine could be if you keep driving with an IDP until you get caught?

You can go to city hall and exchange it, if it is eligible. It depends on the US state also. I waited for a year and they accepted the exchange. You just have to have an American passport to get it exchanged right at the city hall. Otherwise they will send it to Brussels.

Thank you, that is a good tip, I will just try that.

When you go back home to Australia for a visit just tell them there that you lost your AU license, pay the fee and they'll issue you with a replacement. Problem solved and now you have 2 drivers licenses! Shhhh🙊

Hi Sm20,

If you still can see the post, could you tell a bit more about your exchange experience? I had similar situation. I was working in US, but my nationality is China, so it does not mach the US driver license.

Thanks a lot.

utob wrote:

Hi Sm20,

If you still can see the post, could you tell a bit more about your exchange experience? I had similar situation. I was working in US, but my nationality is China, so it does not mach the US driver license.

Thanks a lot.

Hi,

I went to the city hall three times for this. The first two times, the people kept telling me it's much faster to take the exam, so I didn't start the process. But it was quite difficult to find a slot for theory exam in English and also driving exam. And by end of august there seemed to a rule change in Flanders which would have made it much longer to go the exam route, so I went back and told them I want it exchanged.

I needed to prove that I lived in the US for more than 100 days.  I submitted copies of my lease agreement, utility bills, the last payslips when I worked there, visa approval notices (i797) and finally my i94. A bit of an overkill, but really wanted this to work!

They said it would take upto 3 months. I was on vacation out of the country, so I don't know if they tried to contact me. But after 10 weeks we reached out to them and they said it's available for pickup. For this duration I couldn't drive.

I would say it's still worthwhile to read the Belgian road rules since some of it is different.

After registering in Belgium, I understand that you have to wait 185 days to exchange your license. What if you wait more than that? Can you still exchange it without exam after 1 year? Provided that you original license is still valid of course

Thank you for your information. That is very helpful. I will try to change my driver license in this summer. Hopefully it can work.