Foreign driving license seized in the Netherlands

The origin of the driving license does not make recovery impossible

The Public Prosecution Service instruction expressly states that a foreign driver's license will also be confiscated if there are grounds for seizure. The document is then sent to the Public Prosecution Service. There is therefore no general rule that a foreign driver only receives a fine and can immediately continue the journey. The circumstances of the inspection remain decisive.

Check on the receipt which information about you and the document is noted. Pay attention to the spelling of names, issuing country, number and categories. An error needs to be cleared up; it does not automatically make driving permissible. The Dutch first phase is explained in driving license recovered.

Original validity and seizure are two different questions

Whether you were allowed to drive in the Netherlands with the foreign driving license before the inspection depends, among other things, on the issuing country, the validity, categories and your residence situation. The RDW describes various rules for, among other things, EU/EVA documents and other foreign driving licenses. Nationality alone does not provide a complete answer; a document and the living situation must be viewed together.

Therefore, collect the date of issue, category data and the moment at which you came to live in the Netherlands. After seizure, you cannot continue to drive with the argument that the document is normally recognized in the Netherlands. The recognition rules and the consequences of the specific seizure must be assessed separately.

Arrange transport and make yourself accessible for Dutch mail

Plan a safe trip without driving a motor vehicle yourself. This also applies if you have to leave a hotel or start a work shift. Agree who will pick up a vehicle and which pieces that person needs. An airline ticket or appointment with a client does not change the seizure into permission for a final journey.

When contacted about the case, please provide a reliable correspondence address and usable contact details. Ask how to report a change of address and how you will receive the decision if you leave the Netherlands. Check the mail at all agreed addresses. A booking address that is no longer yours tomorrow does not form a workable basis for the future.

Make sure you understand the decision before responding

Save all pages of a letter, including explanatory notes and back cover. Have unclear Dutch terms explained and distinguish between seizure, withholding, denial and invalidation. An automatic translation can help to recognize a topic, but is not a reliable basis for calculating deadlines or making a decision about driving.

When first contacting legal aid, ask what language support is available and what documents need to be translated. This is especially useful for a foreign employer's statement. For a translation, also provide the original. This makes it possible to check whether the date, position and factual description correspond with what the employer has stated.

Prepare a request within the Dutch route

In the case of criminal seizure, the Public Prosecution Service will in principle decide on withholding or restitution within ten days. You also have to check what decision there is in the case of a foreign document. Request status information with the case number. The absence of a letter at a foreign address does not mean that no decision has been made or that you can drive again.

An interest in return must be explained with appropriate documents. For example, describe which activities are canceled and why alternative transport is insufficient. The Dutch complaint procedure can lead to a provisional judgment and does not require a lawyer. The driving license recovery guide helps distinguish the routes.

• Full proof of collection with date and location.
• Issuing country, driving license number, categories and validity dates.
• OM letter, call, case number and any CBR post.
• Current correspondence address and planned departure date.
• Substantiation of work or care interests, with understandable explanation.

Departure does not end the case or arrange the return automatically

If you return to your country of residence, the Dutch criminal case and correspondence can continue. Therefore, ask in advance where the document is located and how any return will be carried out. Have us confirm which address is being used and what actions may be required. Do not assume an automatic transfer to an embassy, ​​employer or foreign driving license authority.

Local rules and the status of your driving license may be relevant to the question of whether you are allowed to drive in another country. This Dutch guide does not determine these foreign consequences. Submit the Dutch decision to the competent authority of that country and ask specifically about the consequences. Travel by other means of transport as long as jurisdiction is unclear.

A copy, international document or new application is not a solution

A photo of the driver's license shows what information was on it, but does not cancel a seizure. An international driving license is also not an independent exception to Dutch measures. Keep copies for the file, not to pretend to an audit that the original document can still be used without restriction.

Report honestly to an appropriate issuing authority what happened to the document before inquiring about replacement or exchange. An incorrect missing person report does not solve the legal problem. Also have it checked whether a current measure has consequences for a Dutch application. The physical card and the registered authority are different things.

Check follow-up actions by agency and category

A criminal case can be followed by a driving ban. Whether a Dutch administrative law measure is also possible or applicable must be assessed on the basis of, among other things, the residence and document status and the specific decision. So take a received CBR letter seriously and have its authority and consequences investigated.

Ask a lawyer in advance whether the assignment also includes this concurrence and communication about the foreign document. Discuss any translation and additional costs. For a specific work interest, will help. Driver's license required for work; in case of an imposed penalty, the guide about driving ban. Keep the file even after the card has been returned.