Getting the Dutch driver’s license
I had heard from other expats that one of the things to do soon after you arrive is get your Dutch driver’s license. If you do it within six months of arriving, it’s a relatively simple matter of paperwork. If you miss that deadline, or eeeeek, let your U.S. license expire, you are going to be with the teenagers taking the driving test. Feeling 16 again sounds great, but I decided to go with Door #1 and get my license right away.
Essentially, the deal is that you can do a license swap (turn in your U.S. one and receive a Dutch one) if you (1) have been here six months or less, (2) qualify for the 30% ruling, (3) and have an unexpired license from your country. Disclaimer OF COURSE: Your mileage may vary, based on your country of origin and unique circumstances; please double-check whether this option applies to you. The main source of information for me was this page on the municipality’s website.
Here are some notes on navigating the process.
Try to make an appointment: You may need an appointment at the municipality (depending in part on current COVID procedures). Appointments were quite hard to come by, so you should be prepared to wait a few weeks. I ended up going all the way to the Noord office because that was the only appointment I could get. Buuuuuut once I got there, the appointment seemed to matter not at all, because they have a take-a-number system. Also, when you pick an office, keep in mind that you need to return to the same office to pick up your license later.
Take a quiz: You may need a health or “fitness” certificate from the CBR that says you’re good to drive. This is a bit of a process, so start it a couple weeks ahead of the time you expect to go in for the paperwork. You fill out a straightforward questionnaire (I’m not sure if it was available in English; I just used the camera function on Google Translate to navigate it), and pay a fee. Then you wait to receive a notification that your certificate has been issued, and you can download it off the site. Bring a printed copy to your appointment.
Get your immigration documentation: You must bring a letter that explicitly states you have the 30% ruling. For me, this was different than the letter I used to get through passport control when I landed in the Netherlands. This 30% letter is on immigration department letterhead, has your company’s payroll tax number on it, and says something in Dutch to the effect of “this person qualifies for the 30% ruling.”
Say cheese: You have to bring your own passport-style photo for the license. (I told the passport-photo guy that in the United States the government takes the picture for your license — you don’t have to bring your own. He thought that was funny.) I got my photo on my way to the appointment. Only cost €12,50 and was done in a snap.
Don’t forget your IDs: I brought my passport, Dutch ID and U.S. license. They needed all three.
Once you get to the government office, you take a number, wait your turn, and then hand over all your documents. It took maybe 15 minutes for them to get through everything and send me on my way. If you are partial to your U.S. driver’s license picture, take a long look before you hand it over, because you will never see it again. They keep your U.S. license (along with your immigration letter copy, your passport photo and your fitness certificate). Then they give you two things:
A letter stating that you’re destined to have a Dutch driver’s license, with a photocopy of your U.S. license attached. While you wait for your license to be created, I think this is what you should use as a “license” if you need to show one.
A receipt that allows you to pick up your new license.
Now we wait! I expect to receive a letter in the mail in the next few weeks instructing me to come pick up my new license.