Check exchange or Dutch exams
Plan your Dutch licence route early
For a valid licence issued outside the EU/EFTA, the ordinary resident driving period is the first 185 days after relocation. That period is not extended by a pending exchange application.
This issuing country is not on the ordinary RDW exchange list. Check whether an exception applies, such as an approved Expat Scheme decision or a qualifying former Dutch licence. Working in the Netherlands alone does not establish eligibility. If you cannot exchange, both Dutch theory and practical tests are required.
Your experience and your licence are two different questions
An Indian passport, an Indian driving licence and previous driving experience each describe something different. Tell a school where your licence was issued and whether you want a first Dutch licence or help adapting your existing skills. Do not book a complete exam package before clarifying that distinction.
If you think the Expat Scheme may apply to you, check the official exchange conditions before choosing an exam route. An instructor can assess your driving, but a school's informal advice cannot replace the decision about your licence. Keep your current licence and the relevant official information together.
Practise the switch to driving on the right
If you learned to drive on the left in India, explain which situations feel unfamiliar on the right. Junction positioning, looking for approaching traffic and judging the passenger side can need deliberate practice. A useful assessment should identify those specific habits rather than simply count how long you have held a licence.
Also ask to practise interactions with cyclists and pedestrians on the routes you expect to use. Agree on how the instructor will describe priority, observation and lane choices in English. You should be able to explain a decision yourself, not just follow a remembered sequence of turns.
- Which side or junction situations need the most attention?
- Can the instructor explain the reason behind each correction?
- What should you practise before the next assessment?
Choose the car and the lesson plan together
Your choice of manual or automatic lessons should fit both your learning goals and the licence route you establish. Mention what you have driven before and what you expect to drive here. Ask the school to explain any implications of its proposed exam vehicle before you commit.
Request a written plan after the first assessment. It should describe your starting point, the skills being taught and when progress will be reviewed. When comparing quotes, use the actual lesson duration and included services. A familiar package name or a low headline amount does not tell you the full cost.
Understand every step
Learning in English, with clarity.
Feeling comfortable asking questions matters. Confirm lesson language with the school before you book, including how your instructor will explain road situations and give feedback.
Explore driving schoolsYour lessons
Ask for an instructor who can teach in English. Discuss your experience and learning goals, rather than assuming a school offers your preferred language.
Your theory test
The CBR car theory test is available in English. Check the current booking and language options on the CBR website.
Your practical test
Agree language arrangements with your school in advance. Do not assume an English-speaking examiner; a practical-test interpreter must meet the CBR conditions.
A fair comparison
Look beyond the lesson price
A lower advertised price is only useful when you know what it covers. Ask each school for a written quote you can compare on the same basis.
- 01Time behind the wheel
- Check the lesson duration and whether it includes pick-up or travel time. Compare an equal number of minutes, rather than the word “lesson”.
- 02What the quote includes
- Ask about assessment lessons, learning materials, exam booking and use of the car during a test. Check which charges are separate.
- 03Flexibility and your car
- Confirm manual or automatic, lesson cancellation terms, package expiry and refunds. Choose a realistic schedule before committing to a package.
Before you get started
A few useful answers
Does previous driving in India reduce the lessons I need?
It can change what you need to practise, but it does not establish a fixed lesson count. An assessment can distinguish vehicle control from unfamiliar road positioning, observation and Dutch traffic situations.
Can I assume every listed school teaches in English?
No. Ask the particular school to confirm English instruction, including who would teach you and whether explanations, feedback and scheduling can all be handled in English.
Should I book lessons before checking an exchange exception?
Clarify your licence route first. You may still choose useful refresher lessons, but that is a different decision from paying for a full programme intended to lead to a Dutch driving test.
Can I arrange English lessons through every school on Rijmaatje?
Language availability is set by each school. Contact the school before booking and confirm that your instructor can explain lessons and feedback in English. Also agree how language will be handled during test preparation and the practical test.
Go straight to the source
Official rules. A clearer next step.
RDW sets the foreign-licence and exchange conditions; CBR explains the tests. Check the full rules for your own document and situation.
Official guidance reviewed .