Drivers licenses in the Netherlands - Useful Info

[Karen Gilbert]

On driving licences. We moved to the Netherlands about 9 years ago. Before we came, I did my homework. Both London and Bruxells told me that all driving licences issued in an EU country were valid in all other Eu countries until the expiry date. Fine.

So we moved.

Two years late I was talking to a Dutch Traffic Policeman I've known for 25 years ( I used to be one as well in Thames Valley) and he was very shocked when we were talking about licences. He insisted that it did not apply to the NL, and that I should have changed my UK licence for a Dutch licence within six months of moving here. I checked with our local council office, and they confirmed it. Apparently the NL was the only EU country not to implement that EU regulation. So at a vast cost and inconvenience, we had to exchange our UK licences for new Dutch licences. In doping so I lost the 7 1/2 ton category.

I queried this with our local Dutch MEP, Barto Pronk. He said that he would look into it. I heard no more for some time until our local Friesland Radio telephoned one evening and said did I know that I had won in Strasbourg? Well - uh - no. What were they talking about? It transpired that Barto Pronk had taken the Dutch Government to the highest EU court in Strasbourg - in my name. And they had ruled that the Dutch government had no choice. They had to implement the driving licence regulation. So I had won. But they refused.

Before we could do anything more, a German woman living in Rotterdam (in a similar situation to ourselves) took the Dutch government to the highest Dutch court - and won. So the Dutch Government had to back-down. But the EU then introduced a sub-clause, saying that, whilst all EU countries must accept other licences, they could impose their own sub-regulations on them. Which they did. The main one being that, as with Dutch licences, a 'foreign' licence can only run for ten years before re-newal (under conditions). My last UK licence was re-issued to me back in 1972, running until my 70th birthday in 2010. Under this Dutch rule, I couldn't have used it anyway, as according to this new rule, it would have expired in 1982. What a load of nonsense.

But before they insisted on this ten year thing, we tried to get out UK licences back. The local council said that they sent them on to the Dutch Min. of Transport. The Dutch Min. of Transport said that they sent them on to Swansea. The man I spoke to at Swansea was not the most helpful person that I've encountered, and seemed to have difficulty in understanding what I was asking. Which was - where are our UK driving licences. He eventually said that they had never been sent to them from The Hague.

But in any case, he said, even if they did have them there, we could not have them back. They were the old green paper type. They are not allowed to "issue" paper licences any more. They can only issue the new credit card-type licences. We could apply for those - at a cost of £15 each. But they never e-mail applications forms. They only ever fax them or send them by post. But for security reasons he could send neither to us in the NL. He can only send either to addresses in the UK.

Chris B