When do the 185 days start?
The period starts when you come to live in the Netherlands — in practice the date of your registration in the BRP (municipal personal records database). It is a little more than six months.
No grace period
After day 185 you may no longer drive on your foreign licence — not even if your exchange application is still being processed. Driving after that counts as driving without a valid licence, which can mean a fine and problems with your car insurance.
Plan backwards from your deadline
- Day 1: register at the municipality and apply for DigiD.
- Week 1: fill in the health declaration via Mijn CBR — CBR needs time to decide.
- Can you exchange? Apply at the municipality as soon as CBR has approved your health declaration.
- Can you not exchange? Start theory and driving lessons straight away; a practical exam often has a waiting list of several weeks.
Tourists and visitors
If you do not live in the Netherlands, you may drive here on your foreign licence. If the categories on your licence are not called A, B, C, D or E, it is wise to also carry an international driving permit.
EU, EEA and Swiss licences
Different rules apply to licences from the EU, EEA and Switzerland: they remain valid in the Netherlands for a much longer period. The exact period depends on the issue date and the category. We gladly check this for you.