Are you temporarily abroad for holidays or work? No longer than 8 months? In that case, you can continue to drive with your Dutch driving licence. Are you in a country outside the European Union (EU)? Then you sometimes need an international driving licence. This is a driving licence translated in several languages. Check if you need an international licence with the embassy of the country where you are going to. You can get an international driving licence from ANWB.

Read more about the validity of your driving licence abroad on the Netherlands Worldwide.

I live in a EU/EFTA country

You can still drive with your Dutch driving licence for a while. Check in the country where you live how long you can drive there with your Dutch driving licence. Do you want to renew you driving licence? You cannot renew with us (unless you are a student). Exchange your driving licence in the country where you live. For more information, go to the website the Netherlands worldwide.

I live in a country outside the EU/EFTA

Check in the country where you live if you can still drive there with your Dutch driving licence. Do you want to renew you driving licence? Apply for renewal to us. For more information, see 'Renewing your driving licence from abroad'.

Do you live in an EU/EFTA country? You cannot renew your Dutch driving licence form abroad (unless you are a student). Exchange your driving licence in the country where you live.

Requirements for renewing

• You live in a country outside the EU/EFTA and you are not registered at an address in the Netherlands.
• You have the nationality of an EU/EFTA country.
• You must provide us with a Dutch correspondence address. We do not send mail to an address abroad.

How to renew your driving licence

1. Ask us for an application form through the button 'Renew driving licence' (only available in Dutch).
2. We will send you the application form. Fill in the form and send it back to us, together with a colour passport photo (check photo matrix for the requirements), a copy of a valid passport or ID and your Dutch driving licence.
3. Are you a student? In that case, you must also send us:
   • proof of registered address abroad
   • proof of enrolment at the foreign school
   • proof of personal connection with the Netherlands
4. In some situations you need a health certificate from CBR. For example, if you have a truck driving licence or if you are over a certain age. For more information, go to the website of CBR.
5. Pay the fees. You can find more information under 'Fees'.
6. We will process your application and assess it within 10 working days. Application approved? Then we will send the driving licence to the correspondence address in the Netherlands you have given us. 

Pay the fees for a new driving licence by direct debit or by transferring the amount to account number NL25ABNA0477256600 in the name of RDW. State the payment reference (you can find this reference on the application form).

Do you pay the fees from abroad? Specify in your payment the BIC code ABNANL2A and the International Banking Code NL25ABNA0477256600.

Do you want to renew your driving licence from abroad and do you have a category C or D licence? Then you need to get a medical exam done by a doctor from CBR. This is not always easy to arrange from abroad. Ask CBR for advice.