Exchange a driving licence from Caribbean Netherlands

A driving licence which was issued in Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustatius is valid for only a short period in the Netherlands. When you come to live in the Netherlands, you may use your foreign driving licence for a maximum of 185 days. After that, you will need to have a Dutch driving licence. You can exchange your valid foreign driving licence for a Duch driving licence at the municipality.

Conditions

• The driving licence must have been issued during a stay of at least 185 days in the country which issued the driving licence.
• You must be registered in the Municipality of The Hague.

How does it work?

• A municipal official will take your foreign driving licence. You will get a copy and a receipt.
• The municipal official will forward your application and foreign driving licence to the Dutch Road Transport Directorate (RDW).
• The RDW will review your application and send you a notification when you can collect the licence at the municipality.
• You pick up your driving licence in person at the City Hall Spui or the Leyweg City Office (depending on where you applied for it). You must collect it within 3 months after you apply for it. After that the document will be invalidated and the municipality will be obliged to destroy it. Do you still want a driving licence after this 3-month period? Then you have to fill in a new application and pay for it again.
• You will not get your old driving licence back. The RDW will send it to the authorities in the country which issued it.

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.

• The driving licence you want to exchange. You will not get it back.
• A Statement of Health.
• Has your foreign driving licence been lost or stolen? Then you first need to fill in a declaration of loss with the police. Make sure to bring the police report as well as a declaration from the authority which issued the driving licence.

Fees

Exchanging a driving licence costs € 48.15.
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 Dutch Road Transport Directorate (RDW) will notify you when you can pick up your driving licence at the municipality. Your Dutch driving licence is valid for a maximum of 10 years.

Make an appointment

To exchange your driving licence you must visit a counter of the Department of Public Service in person.

You can make an appointment to do this.

Make an appointment (in Dutch)