How to (not) apply for a Dutch drivings licence?

We all have these things that sit in the back of your mind and just annoy you as you know you need to do them... For some people, it is cleaning up that highest cupboard, for others a divorce, an unfinished high school degree. For me, it was exchanging my foreign drivings license for a Dutch one. I've lived in the NL for 8 years and as my official place of residence is here now, I can't apply for a new foreign one anymore. Plus, it is good to have a Dutch one for many reasons (like having a document with a BSN on it).

In this post, I will describe chronologically what a struggle it was to get one in the end AND will give you tips on how to do it better :-)

- 8 Aug - I make an appointment at the gemeente to exchange the licence (one can do it online!)

- 12 Aug - The first possible appointment time, I bring a new photo (a professional one done at the Pasfotoshop) and my licence. I fill in an application, they take my licence away and tell me I can't drive until I have a new Dutch one. That can take 2-4 weeks, they say. There are no temporary licences provided in between (yes, I checked). I drive 60 km per day so that means a lot of carpooling and a lot of inconveniences later when I am at a location where I couldn't carpool.

- 26 Aug - I receive a letter saying that extra information is needed from Estonia and until then, no licence... I will be informed by a letter if no information is provided within 3 weeks. I call the RDW to ask what is needed, but they refuse to tell me what and start talking v-e-r-y slowly as I wouldn't be able to understand Dutch. I call the Estonian bureau and they tell me that, yes, there has been a request for information, but it is not answered yet. And they have a maximum of 30 days to answer it.

- 9 Aug - It has been almost a month and I call the RDW to ask for the status of my licence. A very pleasant gentleman explains that my licence wasn't found in a European database and that they want to know if it is real (yes, it is, I have used it for the past 8 years to drive here!). The Estonian counterpart hasn't answered the request yet, he tells me, and they have submitted another request.

- 16 Aug - I am getting impatient and I call the RDW again. This time, they tell me that they can't say anything about the status of the licence and I need to wait my 6 (?) weeks as it said in the letter. "Every 6 weeks we will inform you by letter, miss," is said. I feel upset and very sad at the same time. I call the Estonian counterpart again and they tell me to send an official inquiry on the governmental secured website. I send it.

- 20 Aug - I get a reply from Estonia. They have sent the information to the NL on the 16th, it says.

- 22 Aug - I am down with a fever and I have no energy to call anyone. I send the RDW a Facebook message with the inquiry. The same afternoon, I get a polite reply that they have received the information on the 21st (did the Estonians sent it by mail?) and my licence will be made. I feel exhilarated but I don't dare to believe it yet.

- 24 Aug - I get a mail that my licence is at the gemeente from 13:00. I am there 13:01 and I´m finally holding this precious little card!

- 25 Aug - I get a letter that the licence is sent and it will be at the gemeente within 5 working days.

My tips:

- check if you can exchange your licence in the NL here. Don't wait too long, EU citizens can exchange an expired licence, but this is not true for (some) other countries!

- change the licence over a holiday or over a (long) period when you don't need to drive. For example, I could have driven in Estonia with my ID-card and should have therefore started the process already before our holiday.

- in this case, maybe expecting that it will take long, won't be the worst thing...

- and if you do end up waiting, look at the bright side of life - the less you drive, the better it is for the environment!