I have an Indian driving license issued in 1999. I need to know the procedure to get a dutch driving license.

Do I have to give a test?
What are the documents that would be required?
Would they keep my Indian drivers license (coz I would like it back)?

It would be really nice if someone could give me detailed info and a step by step procedure on what I'm supposed to do.

Hi Phataka!

You need your 30% tax approval document and your Indian DL.

The Dutch DL can be applied in your City Hall, (There is a special rule that there is no driving test required for knowledge immigrants, and the tax approval document is the proof)

Although they assume that since knowledge immigrants are knowledgable about driving in holland, it is advisable to get some driving lessons, you need to get used to driving on the left side, and also the zillion rules that you have to adhere to, which don't exist in our dear country.

Then again, you can choose not to go for the driving lessons, no big deal, as long as you are happy paying hefty fines and having your dutch DL revoked once in a while <img src="../images/emoticons/ybigrin.gif">

When you apply for the dutch DL, you have to specifically mention that you would like to have the Indian DL returned to you. Else it would be send to the Indian Consulate in Den Haag and once it goes there you can consider it lost for eternity!

I think it costs about 50-60 Euros, and takes about 2 to 3 weeks.

Sucess!

Yes as the previous poster said you really need to take few lessons, i took about 10 lessons just to make sure i know all the rules and also to get used to driving here.

One thing is for sure the rules are clear and the most easiest compare to India, the difference is you really have to follow the rules and there is no escape like in India. As long as you follow the driving rules and the speed limit it is the best you can have and easy.

I have a link below to familiarize the driving signs it is in english, see may be it is useful but don't fail to get some lessons and it is important to save you and others from troubles.

RVV_UK-versie_tcm195-163061.pdf



Good Luck.

story_id=1672


Apparently, there is some bureaucracy involved even with exchanging licenses. And it is also VERY recommended to get some driving lessons as the conditions are very different. Basically, after driving in The Netherlands and now in France, I get my BP up by quite a few notches when I drive in India.

I got my Dutch License after taking the test in The Netherlands. It was expensive but was highly worth it.

The best instructor in Amsterdam is Michael Davidson of the International Driving School. driveright.nl. He was my instructor and I can recommend him to anyone.

If you are not a Knowledge migrant, it will be a whole another process.

You would need to first clear the Theory exam. This exam is valid for a year. Within this year you have to clear a Practical exam. You can only do a practical exam through a registered driving school. If this is the first time you are driving in EU. It will be essential to take good no of lesson to actually pass the exam. Also it is a very very expensive procedure. Each lesson costs about 40 E. And exam costs like 250 E. Theory exam in English costs about 60 E.

You would need to visit a school and get a advice as to how many lessons do you need. On an average I would say 25 lessons.

Thanks a ton guys - beach boy, Teru, gani999 and welliamin for all the inputs…

I am here under the knowledge migrant scheme, so thankfully I don’t have to go thru a test. What kind of bureaucracy for exchange of driving license if you have ur documents in order?

I may not want to take driving lessons… will figure that out once I start the application process… Gani, how much does Michael charge?

How bad can it get if I read up the regulations, figure out road signs and speed limits and do alil bit of practice in my own area before I venture far. The only thing I'm worried about is that in India we drive on the 'right' side of the road, so what if I go wrong ;-)

Quote:




I may not want to take driving lessons… will figure that out once I start the application process… Gani, how much does Michael charge?

How bad can it get if I read up the regulations, figure out road signs and speed limits and do alil bit of practice in my own area before I venture far. The only thing I'm worried about is that in India we drive on the 'right' side of the road, so what if I go wrong ;-)



************************************
Michael is not more expensive than the others, but believe me, he is very good.
He used to charge me around 42 Euros per lesson. His website lists the latest rates. driveright.nl

and yes, the left vs right thing requires getting used to, which is why it is a good thing for you to go through a few lessons first.

Well, getting a DL is Holland is probably the most difficult in EU.

I will suggest the same. Do take atleast 10-15 lessons, before you hit the road. People here drive by rules. So if you donot have advantage they will just drive through and esp if you take a wrong turn (which is highly likely to happen) it can get messy.
And you might definitely want to practise how to change lanes on the highways, and letting the people on foot go first and cycle go first (That does take some practise)

And trust me you do not want to deal with fines of overspeeding or breaking some other rules and definitely not something worse. And if your fine is above a certain amount. You cannot drive anymore and you have to give your license back. May be it sounds overdone, but it happens here all the time. And then there is no way but to do the whole exam thing again.

If you are in Holland for 6 months. You can just use your indian license.

But like i said before, if you have ONLY driven in india before..lessons are must. But if u drove around other Westeren EU countries( other than France). It would be wise to go for lessons.

Guys,
Anyone else has experience in getting the Indian Driving license from RDW. I surrenderred my License when I took the Dutch license under 30 % rule. Now when I approach RDW, they says they have forwarded it to Indian embassy in Den Haag and the great Indian bureaucrats don't have a procedure to keep track of it.

hi, i had exchanged my Indian driving license for a dutch one in April this year. i got a letter from the rdw that my indian one was sent to the Indian Consulate in den haag. i called them several times, each time they checked and found my name not in the list. then i think about july/aug, I got my license back. i went there with the letter from rdw, signed a paper n got back the license.
reg, lessons, i think its a must, atleast for a few hrs, especially on the highways...

That sounds frustruating... I sure know I want my Indian driving license back coz u need it when u go to India for a visit and ofcourse when u go back for good (dunno how long I'm going to be here)..

Anyways keep us posted on the process and experiences so we know how to handle it better.

I'm still waiting for confirmation of being granted 30% ruling..

Is it possible to drive on an Indian license here? I just arrived here from Denmark and I need to move some of my stuff. I heard that I can use the Indian license for six months after entry to the NL. Comments?

V.

For those who have taken the written driving test,
could you point out the difference between the Klassic test and Individual test ?
Apart from the fees is there any major difference ?

Well i collected my Dutch Driving licence last friday valid till 2019!!

All I did was went to the townhall to get the application papers for the license. Filled the same, attached my 30% ruling and sent it to the address mentioned. After 3-4 weeks got a letter for that my licence application is approved and i need to go to the townhall with the letter and a photograph.

I went gave my photo, paid another fee (dont remember the amount), had to deposit my Indian Licence there and got an copy which they said could be used if any cop asks for the licence.

Another 3 weeks down the line, another letter stating licence is ready, please collect from the townhall and i got the licence last friday.

So...no tests, nothing, what is needed is the 30% ruling + Indian Driving licence,

Cheers

Hello,
I got my Dutch license and the procedure was the same.
Should we first call the Indian consulate and take an appointment before going there in person to collect the Indian Driving license ?
Please reply.
Thanks and regards
Anand

Its not necessary to get an appointment. Just go to the consulate and ask for your license. You'll get a box full of it from where you will need to find yours!!!

why do they send it to the consulate anyway?
I was told they'd mail it back to me, next thing I know is that I get the dutch license and I am told they sent my other license back to the embassy?

Hi Vikidesi,
Thanks for your reply.
I got my Dutch licence only last friday. So should I wait for a few days before I go to the Indian consulate. Or will that be sent there already. I am travelling to India very soon and would love to have the Indian licence with me. What was your experience ?
Please let me know
Thanks and regards

I collected mine after 4-5 months. I "guess" you can try after about a week.

Hii Everybody,

We got our Dutch driving license a couple of weeks back. We have got it exchanged for our Indian Driving License. So I thought of quickly writing down the steps one needs to follow to do so..Hope it proves useful.

1. The first and the foremost thing is to have the 30% tax ruling document. This wll be given to you from your ofice HR department in case you have come to netherlands as a knowledge migrant. If you arent a knowledge migrant, this process does not apply to you and you need to take a test for the Dutch driver's license.

2. After you have the tax document, go to Gemeente(town hall) taking this document and residence permit. There you need to purchase a form called "Eigen Verklaring" which is the health form. It costs around 20 euros. You need to fill up this form(it asks some basic health questions) and post it to CBR. The address is mentioned on the envelope. In case you answer "yes" to any of the questions, you need your doctor's certificate for it.

3. Within 3 weeks you will recieve your confirmation from CBR that you are qualified to drive in Netherlands physically and do not have any health issues.

4. Once you get this letter, again go to the gemeente. This time take along all the docs ie your identity proof, 30% tax document, CBR letter, the indian driving license, 2 passport photos and 50 euros as the fees. need to explicitly mention this to the person at the gemeente. They may ask you to give it to them in writing. Write a letter addressed to RDW that you want your indian license also back. Once you complete this process, your work is over.

Note : Remember to keep a copy of your Indian licence until the processing is complete.

5. If all goes positve, you get a letter from the RDW stating that your application has been approved and you can ollect your dutch license from the gemmente. It will also state that your Indian driving license has been sent to the Indian Embassy in Den Hague.

6. Collect your ducth license ffrom the Gemeente. The Indian License can be collected from the Embassy. It generally is kept in a big box there and when you go there, they wll ask you to search your license from the box your self :-)

Note :
They are very specific about the passport photos. The face must be in the center, not showing teeth and with a mid grey background. Dimensions: length (crown to chin) 26-30mm, Width 16-20mm. Must not exceed these dimenions.

All in all, its not such a tough process. It takes a little while long but then its much better than taking tests to get the dutch license.

Hi Everybody

thanks for detailed info on Dutch Driving Lic. I hv one query

Can I drive with my Indian DL , till I get Dutch DL ? Pl be informed that it is not an Intl DL.

tks

Use the search button.

If you see the point 4. from above post it says that you have to submit your original Indian DL with the application, then how come you still have the Indian DL with you assuming you applied for Dutch DL already.

You can however use your Indian DL upto first 90 days of your landing here after that it is invalid and yes I am not talking about Internation DL.

If you are talking about using the copy of your Indian DL to drive then I am afraid it is illegal.

I hope I covered all possible scenarios .

Good luck!!!

Hi,

I got my Indian DL exchanged for a Dutch DL close to 2 months back. Went to Indian embassy last week, but could not find my Indian license in the "big box". Has anyone had similar experience? I would definitely like to get my Indian license back. Ther person there just said that they haven't received any licenses for a while, though looking at the way they manage it I woudn't be surprized if they put it in a dust bin instead of their box of licenses.

And, btw Wellamin, I saw lot of duplicate DLs or just color photocopy of DLs in the box, so I guess there r many ppl who do not apply with original DL and still get the duth DL. Only if I had realized this before.

uhsa

Hi

Couple of weeks back I have received Dutch Driving Licence exchanging my Indian Licence. Last week I went to Indian Embassy, The Hague for collecting my Indian Licence. The officer has shown me 2 boxes to check. But I could not find my licence. How much time it will take normally to find the licence there? Will it be in weeks or months? What is your expreience on this issue? I have seen lot of licences are still available in the box and th owners did not collect it. Any info please on duration?

New to Holland..