Apply for a driving licence for the first time

A driving licence is proof that you are permitted to operate a motor vehicle or motorbike. Your driving licence is also a valid proof of identification. In many cases you can use it to identify yourself. A driving licence is valid for a maximum of 10 years.

Conditions

General conditions

You are registered at an address in The Hague.
You need to be registered in a Dutch municipality for at least 185 days.

Conditions for citizenship

To obtain a driving licence, you need to meet 1 of the following conditions:

You have the citizenship (nationality) of one of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland.
You have a valid residence permit.

Driving under the age of 18

As of the age of 17 you may take your practical exam for Category B (car driving licence). If you pass, you may apply for your driving licence but until you are 18 you are only allowed to drive under the supervision of a coach. For more about the possibilities and conditions go to www.rdw.nl.

CBR certificates

Once you pass your practical exam, the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen) will register 2 certificates under your name in the driving licence register:

a certificate of driving proficiency
a Certificate of Fitness

The CBR usually registers these certificates on the first working day after you have passed your driving test. You will then be able to apply for your driving licence at the municipality.

Are you only applying for a category AM (moped) licence? Then you do not need a Certificate of Fitness.

The Statement of Health is a form with questions about your health. You will need this form when you take your driving test. You can purchase this declaration at the CBR and usually at your driving school.

Needed for the application

a passport photo: strict rules apply to the passport photo. Read these requirements on the website of the Dutch government.
a valid form of identification
if you are a foreign student: proof of enrolment from your educational institute

Are you not yet 18 years? You must first have applied for the begeleiderspas (supervising driver's pass) at the RDW (go to the website of the RDW) before you can apply for a driving licence at the municipality. You are not required to bring the begeleiderspas with you to the municipality. The staff member at the municipal counter will be able to see in the computer system whether you have a begeleiderspas. If it appears that you do not have a begeleiderspas, you will not be able to apply for a driving licence.

It is not necessary for parents do not need to be present or to show a copy of the parent’s ID.

Read more about picking up the driving licence on the website of the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (CBR).

Apply

The application process is as follows:

You need to appear in person at the Department of Public Service counter. Make an appointment for this online.

Make an appointment

Are you unable to attend the appointment at the suggested time? New possibilities for appointment times could appear later in the day. For example, if people cancel their appointment. By refreshing the appointment page you will see if any new appointment times have become available.

You apply for your driving licence at the Department of Public Service counter.

Pick up your driving licence yourself. You can do this without an appointment at City Hall Spui or the Leyweg City Office. Your driving licence will be ready for you at the location where you submitted the application.

Driving licence fees

In 2023:

Application for a driving licence: € 44.65
Application for a driving licence (expedited): € 44.65 + € 34.10 = € 78.75

These fees must be paid upfront when you submit your application. You can pay in cash or use a bank card at City Hall Spui. You can only use a bank card at the Leyweg City Office. Unfortunately it is not possible to pay with a credit card.

How long does it take?

The application procedure takes 5 working days. The pick-up receipt will state the date as of when you can collect your driving licence. You must collect it within 3 months after you apply for it. After that the document will no longer be valid and the municipality is obliged to destroy it. Would you still like a driving licence after these 3 months? Then you will have to apply and pay for it again.

Expedited procedure

For an urgent appointment, you will be given an appointment earlier.
Would you like your application to be processed more quickly? You can request a faster procedure for various products. This is called an expedited procedure. An expedited procedure is not free.
Read more about an urgent appointment.