Applying for and renewing a driving licence

You can apply for a driving licence or renew your existing driving licence in person at the town hall. Make an appointment for this. Also for applying for a Health Declaration if you are 75 years or older and you want to renew your driving licence.

The Health Declaration can only be requested from the municipality for residents aged 75 or older. In all other cases you can request the Health Declaration from the CBR.

Make an appointment (in Dutch) Select option "Rijbewijs aanvragen en verlengen". 

Conditions

A new driving licence is valid for 10 years. A driving licence with category C, C1, D, D1, and E is valid for 5 years. 

Are you over 65 years old? Then your driving licence is valid for a shorter period. This is because you need to undergo a medical examination from the age of 75.

  • If you are between 65 and 70 years old at the time of applying for your driving licence, which is the day you go to the municipality, your renewed driving licence is valid until you turn 75. 
  • If you are between 70 and 75 years old at the time of applying for your driving licence, your driving licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years. 
  • If you are older than 75 years at the time of applying for your driving licence, you must undergo a medical examination, and your driving licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years thereafter. After a medical examination, the CBR may decide to shorten the normal validity of your driving licence, for example, to 1 year. You will receive a letter regarding this matter. 
Costs

Driving licence (rates 2024):

  • Driving licence €51.10
  • Expedited driving licence application €90.75
  • Driving licence replacement due to loss €79.65 unless you can provide a police report for robbery or theft. 
  • Health Declaration: €44.50
Processing time 

You can pick up the new driving licence at the municipality after 5 working days. You have 3 months to collect your driving licence.

Is 5 working days too long? Then you can apply for a driving licence through the expedited procedure. You will have to pay an additional fee. If you apply for the driving licence before 2 p.m., it will be ready within 2 working days.

If your driving licence is lost, the expedited procedure is not possible.

Procedure

What do you need to bring when applying for your driving licence:

  • Your valid proof of identity; 
  • 1 color passport photo that meets the photo requirements; 
  • Your old driving licence 

You pay for your driving licence upon application. Please pay with a debit card.

In case of loss, theft, misuse, or confiscation abroad

  • If your driving licence is lost, you must apply for a new driving licence at the municipality and fill out a declaration of loss. You will also have to pay additional loss-related costs. To prevent misuse, you can register the loss or theft of a Dutch driving licence online using your DigiD at www.rdw.nl/en/. This immediately invalidates the driving licence. 
  • If your driving licence is stolen and you have reported it to the police, you do not have to pay the loss-related costs if you provide the police report. 
  • If you suspect that your driving licence has been misused, you must report it to the police and apply for a new driving licence at the town hall. 
  • If your driving licence has been confiscated abroad due to a traffic offense, you must wait until it is returned to the Netherlands. 
  • If you commit a criminal offense abroad, the foreign authority may confiscate your Dutch driving licence and send it to the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW). In that case, the RDW will notify the municipality if you already have a new driving licence. 

The municipality may declare your driving licence invalid in certain cases. For example, if it is later discovered that you provided an incorrect reason for the loss of your driving licence*. If your driving licence is declared invalid, you will have to retake the driving test.

  • Article 124, paragraph 1, under a of the Road Traffic Act has a mandatory character for the municipality. This means that the municipality cannot deviate from it.
More information