Before you start

BRP registration at a The Hague address and a BSN, before the exchange can be lodged
A currently valid foreign licence, not expired or suspended
For the test-free route: an active 30% ruling decision, yours or your household sponsor's
For most non-EU exchanges: a CBR Certificate of Fitness via the online Gezondheidsverklaring

Step-by-step

1
Note your registration date — that is when the 185 days start
Not your arrival, not your permit issue date, not your licence expiry. For a non-EU/EEA licence the grace period runs from the day the gemeente registers you in the BRP. People who spend two months in temporary housing before registering routinely miscount. The RDW cannot expedite an exchange and you may not drive while one is in progress, so lodge it with weeks in hand.
In personWho: You, at The Hague International CentreWeek 1Free
2
Check the RDW list for your country and, more importantly, your categories
The RDW publishes which countries are designated and which licence categories actually transfer. Several designated countries transfer category B only, so motorcycle or trailer entitlements are quietly lost. Read the category column, not just whether your country is listed.
OnlineWho: YouSame dayFree
3
Complete the CBR Gezondheidsverklaring early
Most non-EU exchanges, including the 30%-ruling route, require a Certificate of Fitness. Buy and complete the health declaration through Mijn CBR. A clean declaration clears quickly; declaring a condition can open a medical review that runs for months. Start it before booking the municipal appointment, because the certificate is what the counter needs.
OnlineWho: You, via Mijn CBRDays if clean, months if reviewedCBR fee, €46.90 in 2026
4
Lodge the exchange at a Den Haag stadsdeelkantoor
Take your foreign licence, ID or residence permit, a Dutch-standard passport photo, the CBR certificate and the 30% ruling decision if applicable. The gemeente forwards the file to the RDW and retains your foreign licence. The new card is collected roughly a week after the notification letter.
In personWho: You, at a Den Haag district office; decided by the RDWRDW needs at least 15 working days, then collectionGemeente issuing fee, capped nationally at €53.65 in 2026
5
Privileged staff: go through the ministry, not the gemeente
Holders of an MFA card exchange licences and register vehicles through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol route, and diplomatic and privileged vehicles carry CD or BN plates with their own tax and import treatment. Turning up at a municipal counter with an MFA card generally produces a polite redirection and a lost morning.
Via employerWho: You, via your mission or organisation's protocol officerVaries by missionHandled through the mission

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence, with a sworn translation if not in Latin script
Passport, residence permit or MFA card, plus BSN and BRP registration
Dutch photo-matrix passport photograph
CBR Certificate of Fitness, for most non-EU exchanges
30% ruling decision letter, for the test-free route

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Hague runs two different zones, and confusing them is how people buy the wrong car.

The milieuzone in the city centre bars diesel passenger cars and passenger buses without an exemption — that is the one that can catch a private older diesel. The zero-emission zone applies only to vans and lorries, and on 1 January 2026 it was extended from the centre out across parts of Haagse Hout, Loosduinen, Segbroek and Scheveningen to form a single coastal-and-centre zone, with warnings until May 2026 and fines from June. Scheveningen harbour sits outside it under its own milieuzone with an access corridor. If you are shipping a car in or buying second-hand, check which zone your address and your journeys fall in before you buy.

Source: Gemeente Den Haag

Scheveningen parking is a seasonal problem that shapes where people choose to live.

The coastal districts run paid parking with resident permits, and on hot weekends the beach draws the whole region into a small number of streets. Residents of Duindorp, Scheveningen and the Statenkwartier fringe find their own streets full of day visitors. If a car matters to you, ask about the permit zone and the summer situation specifically, because it is invisible on a winter viewing.

Source: community-reported

The 30% ruling converts a non-exchangeable licence into a form, and it covers the household.

US, Canadian, Australian, Indian, Chinese and Brazilian licences are normally not exchangeable and mean sitting the Dutch theory and practical exams. Holders of the 30% ruling, plus a partner and adult children registered at the same address, may exchange any valid foreign licence without a test. The privilege ends when the ruling does, and the resulting Dutch licence is permanent.

Source: RDW

Diplomatic and privileged vehicles run on a separate registration system entirely.

CD and BN plates are issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the RDW's ordinary channel, and bring their own arrangements for vehicle tax, import and insurance. Staff arriving with privileged status often waste time at a municipal counter that has no basis to process them. Ask your mission's protocol officer for the vehicle procedure in the same conversation as the MFA card.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs protocol guidance

Common mistakes to avoid

Counting the 185 days from arrival rather than from BRP registration, and being off the road before the Dutch licence arrives.
Surrendering a licence with motorcycle categories without checking which categories your country actually transfers.
Buying an older diesel and discovering it cannot enter the city-centre milieuzone without an exemption.
Assuming a residential address guarantees a parking permit in a coastal or central zone.
Privileged staff attempting a municipal licence exchange instead of the ministry route.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.