Driving in the Netherlands on a licence from India (buitenlands rijbewijs)
The Dutch CBR exams. Unless you hold a 30% ruling (expat scheme) decision, which allows an exchange from any country.
From the RDW rules, verified 2 September 2026. The details, sources and costs are below.
The facts for a licence from India
- How long you may drive on it: 185 days from the date you register at a Dutch address (BRP registration). After that, you need a Dutch licence to drive here.
- Exchange: Not directly. India is not on the RDW agreement list, so the standard route is the Dutch exams: CBR theory (available in English) and a practical exam. Exception: holders of a 30%-ruling (expat scheme) decision can exchange a licence from any country.
- The 30% ruling (expat scheme): a valid decision lets you exchange a licence from any country, with all its categories, if the licence is still valid and you hold a residence permit.
- Translation: Partly in another script: if your licence contains characters not used in the Netherlands, the gemeente needs a certified translation for an exchange.
- International Driving Permit: recommended by the RDW when the categories on your licence are not labelled A, B, C, D, E; never required for the 185 days.
- Health declaration: needed before an exchange or the practical exam (Gezondheidsverklaring, €47 via Mijn CBR).
Sources: RDW exchange checklist, RDW, driving with a foreign licence, RDW, exchanging a foreign licence; verified 2 September 2026.
Which International Driving Permit can India issue, and do I need one?
- The RDW never requires an International Driving Permit for your 185 days; it advises one when the categories on your licence are not labelled A, B, C, D, E, so that they can be read.
- The permit is a translation of your licence, obtained in the issuing country, and it never extends the 185 days.
- India is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (since 9 March 1962).
- It is not a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
- Its permit follows the 1949 model and is valid for one year from the date of issue.
- The Netherlands is a party to both conventions, so the 1949 permit is recognised here.
Sources: RDW, driving with a foreign driving licence (read 7 September 2026), UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic: status (read 7 September 2026), 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, Annex 10 (validity of the permit) (read 7 September 2026).
What the categories on a India licence mean here
Indian classes are abbreviations (MCWG, LMV), not the letters A, B, C, D, E. That is the case in which the RDW advises an International Driving Permit, so that the classes can be read.
| On your licence | What it covers at home | Closest Dutch category |
|---|---|---|
| MC50CC | Motor vehicle with an engine under 50 cc. | AM |
| MCWOG | Motor cycle without gear: scooters and other gearless two-wheelers, any engine size. | AA1 if the scooter is 125 cc or less. |
| MCWG | Motor cycle with gear: any motorcycle. | A |
| LMV (NTV) | Light motor vehicle, non-transport: a car, jeep or van for personal use, up to 7,500 kg. | BDutch B stops at 3,500 kg; heavier vans fall under Dutch C1. |
| LMV (TV) | Light motor vehicle, transport: taxis, goods carriages and other commercial vehicles up to 7,500 kg. | BThe Netherlands has no taxi class on the licence. |
| Medium or heavy goods or passenger vehicle | Trucks and buses above 7,500 kg, as transport vehicles. | C or DC for goods, D for passengers. |
| E-Rickshaw, E-Cart | Battery-powered three-wheelers for passengers or goods. | none |
- Dutch code 78: If you take the Dutch practical exam in an automatic, the Dutch licence gets code 78: automatic only. Removing it means a new practical exam in a manual car.
- Your licence document: How long an Indian non-transport licence runs depends on your age when it was issued or renewed: under 30, until your 40th birthday; 30 to 49, ten years; 50 to 54, until your 60th birthday; 55 and over, five years.
The Dutch column is the closest Dutch category, not an official equivalence: the RDW decides on exchange what a category becomes, and via the 30% ruling only the categories on the licence come across. During your 185 days, your own licence and its own categories are what count.
What is our judgement here, and what may be out of date
- The Dutch column is our judgement: MCWOG (gearless, any engine size) to A, MC50CC to AM, and E-Rickshaw or E-Cart to none. Parivahan notes that the vehicle categories follow the state's own rules, so your licence may show other class names.
- No automatic-only restriction is listed by Parivahan; we state none rather than assume one.
Sources: Parivahan Sewa, frequently asked questions (read 8 September 2026); Parivahan, Form 2 (Central Motor Vehicles Rules): classes of vehicle (read 8 September 2026); RDW, rijbewijscategorieën (read 8 September 2026); CBR, wat betekent code 78 (read 8 September 2026).
Specific to licences from India
- Indian licences label categories LMV, MCWG and similar rather than A or B. The RDW advises an International Driving Permit when the categories on your licence are not the European A, B, C, D, E. source
- Many Indian licences are bilingual, with a regional script next to English. For an exchange (only via the 30% ruling) the RDW asks for a translation by a certified translator, the embassy or the consulate when the licence contains characters not used in the Netherlands. source
A worked example
Registered at a Dutch address on 1 September 2026: you may drive here until 4 March 2027 (185 days). After that you need a Dutch licence.
Computed by the same rules engine as the checker; your own dates give your own deadline. Get yours →
What it costs: the CBR exams route
about €1,408(€947–€1,917)
| Item | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Health declaration (Gezondheidsverklaring) | €47 | |
| Theory course (English, online or one-day class)estimate | €50 | €30–€129 |
| Theory exam B (English), budgeted for 1.6 attempts on average | €91 | €57–€114 |
| Driving lessons (10–20 × €67.00)estimate | €1,005 | €670–€1,340 |
| Practical exam B, budgeted for 1.5 attempts on average | €215 | €144–€287 |
CBR fees: CBR tariff table 2026; estimates are labelled. Adjust lessons, city and attempts in the checker. Compare the routes →
Timeline
About 8–16 weeks (estimate), in 6 steps:
- Mijn CBR account + health declaration(~4 weeks (CBR processing))
- Book and pass the theory exam
- Prepare with a theory course
- Choose a driving school
- Lessons, then the practical exam(lessons over several weeks; theory certificate stays valid 18 months, estimate)
- Experienced? Plan fewer lessons
Common mistakes with non-EU licences
- Thinking the 185 days start when you arrive. They run from the day you register at a Dutch address (BRP), and after them a Dutch licence is required. source
- Expecting an International Driving Permit to extend the 185 days. It does not; the RDW advises one only so that the categories on your licence can be read. source
- Waiting for the 30% ruling before doing anything. The ruling lets you exchange from any country, but only while the foreign licence is still valid and you hold a residence permit, and the 185 days keep running meanwhile. source
- Letting the licence expire at home. An expired non-EU licence cannot be exchanged on any route; you would take the exams from scratch. source
Why this is confusing
A India licence is not "invalid" here. It is valid for exactly 185 days from your registration and then not at all, unless a 30%-ruling decision opens the exchange door. Many people only find out after day 185.
Exams in your language
The CBR car theory exam exists in English; every other language uses an interpreter, booked 14 days ahead. The practical exam allows a sworn interpreter or your own instructor to translate.
Which exams do I need? · Theory exam in English · Theory exam with an interpreter · Interpreter at the practical exam · Do you need Dutch?
Rules version 1.2.2, verified 2 September 2026. Source: RDW. This is guidance, not legal advice. Confirm with the official RDW checklist. Municipal licence fee: at most €54 in 2026. This page as data: JSON; all rules: rules index.