English Driving School

Driving school for foreigners & expats

For foreigners and expats we have special English skilled teachers to obtain a drivers license or driving license in Amsterdam. We have automatic and manual cars available for driving lessons, also we give Dutch and English theory lessons in Amsterdam for driving licenses.

About CBR

CBR (the Driving Test Organisation) is the Dutch statutory body responsible for the administering of driving tests. Each year CBR holds around half a million theory tests and half a million practical driving tests. CBR operates almost 200 test centres throughout the country. It is only responsible for driving tests; driving instruction in the Netherlands is provided by private driving schools such as ourselves.

English driving lessons

The most professional and qualified driving instructors at Rij Centraal Amsterdam

Rij Centraal Amsterdam has Dutch and English skilled teachers to give you driving lessons.  The instructors are experienced and qualified.
They work with professionally prepared driving lessons, adapted to your skills and personal needs.
You and your driving instructor prepare your lesson goals together and evaluate them at the end of each driving lesson, to see if you achieved your goals and what you still need to work on.  Together you work on a successful learning trajectory to increase the chance of success.

 

The instructors at Rij Centraal Amsterdam live nearby you and therefore know the way like no other. It is no problem in which district you live, when you go to work or to school Rij Centraal Amsterdam picks you up where you want and drops you off at pickup locations: Amstelstation, Zuid WTC station, Sloterdijk station.

It is also possible to take driving lessons when you live outside or in the Amsterdam area. 

Safety and customer-friendliness are very important to us. Our driving instructors are not only very friendly but also very driven to properly and carefully practice their profession as driving instructor so that you will certainly and successfully pass your practical exam. Our driving instructors are required to periodically retake the instructor exam, so they stay up to date with the latest developments and adjustments 

with regard to theory and practice. In this way, we at Rij Centraal Amsterdam can continue to guarantee safety and a 100% chance of success. 

After a first trial lesson, we look at which driving instructor suits you best. A driving instructor with whom you have a good connection with, has a positive influence on your driving lessons. Following the first test lesson, the instructor can make an estimate of the level of your driving ability and the approximate number of driving lessons you need until the practical exam.

Rij Centraal Amsterdam also has instructors within the team of driving instructors who have experience with students with ADHD, fear of failure or autism. They adjust the curriculum and participation in traffic according to the needs and the ability of the student and not the other way around, which Rij Centraal Amsterdam is able to deliver custom work. Allowing Rij Centraal Amsterdam to give tailor-made lessons. 

Professional driving instructors

In addition to administering driving tests to the general public, CBR is also responsible for testing professional driving instructors through its special professional driver exams, CCV. This division administers basic driving tests as well as advanced tests for experienced driver instructors. These tests are structured in accordance with European guidelines and enable driving instructors to maintain and improve their driving lessons and skills.

Theory certificate and theory lessons

Before you can participate in the practical exam you must first have your auto theory certificate. By obtaining your car theory you can safely start your driving lessons. You now know the rules in traffic and you have insight into traffic and are therefore able to safely participate in traffic yourself.
You can follow a  one day English CBR training here.

 

The regular theory exam takes approximately 30 minutes. It is also possible to request extra time if you have dyslexia, fear of failure or ADHD.

 

The theory exam consists of three different parts;

  • Hazard recognition, consists of 25 questions, 13 of which you must answer correctly. (students with dyslexia, fear of failure or ADHD are not given extra time here)
  • Knowledge, consists of 12 questions, 10 of which you must answer correctly.
  • Insight, consists of 28 questions, 25 of which you must answer correctly.

With the components insight and knowledge you also get two test questions.

If you have passed the category A theory exam, the theory certificate is valid for 1.5 years. You must therefore also pass the AVD practical exam within 1.5 years after passing your theory exam.

 

Checklist in order to get a driving license in the Netherlands.

 

  • You need to be registered at the Municipal Authority as a proof of residence (Gemeentelijke Basisadministratie/ GBA is a personal records database).  This proof is essential for many formalities.
  • Are you an EU citizen? You don’t need a visa and/or residence permit and you can sign up for driver’s lessons.
  •  If you don’t have the above, than you need a residence permit, like:

Type I: regular non-temporary

Type II: regular temporary

Type III: temporary asylum residence permit

Type IV: permanent asylum residence permit

 

The moment you apply for driver’s license, you need to live in the Netherlands – when you lived 185 days in the past year or you are a student at a Dutch university for 6 months, than you are able to apply.

If you are using a foreign driving license, you can exchange in certain cases the driving license that you received outside the Netherlands for a Dutch driving license. You don’t have to exchange directly, you can still make use of your foreign driving license for a certain period.  If you meet following conditions, you can exchange a foreign driving license for a Dutch driving license. Conditions to exchange are: 

 

  • Valid identity papers and you need to be registered at Municipal Authority (GBA). 
  • Your driving license is issued in the EU/ EFTA. If your driving license is expired, you need a declaration from the agency where the driving license was issued, in which they say they have no objection against the issuing of a Dutch driving license. Conditions to exchange driving license issued outside the EU: 
  • Valid identity papers and you need to be registered at Municipal Authority (GBA). 
  • The driving license must be valid at the time of application. 
  • A driving licence must have been issued in a particular year in which the applicant was resident in the country of issue for at last 185 days. As evidence you can send f.e. copies from your passport, employer’s certificate with salary- or tax documents.

 

Disqualification procedures

The CBR Driver Assessment Division is responsible for the ‘disqualification procedures’. Such a procedure can be initiated against people whose driving ability is suspected to be insufficient by the police, the public prosecutions department, or CBR. Around ten thousand driver assessments are initiated every year. Their main purpose is to improve road safety.

Service provision

CBR aims to be a highly customer-oriented organisation. The implementation of the online test reservation system, TOP Internet, is one successful contribution. Most driving schools in the Netherlands are connected to this system, and this helps keep the reservation terms for candidates to a minimum. CBR operates throughout the country, working as closely as possible to the customer.

International

CBR is increasingly advising other European countries on driving tests. In addition, CBR works with other CIECA members on the harmonisation of traffic regulations and road safety in the EU.

Passing your test

Apart from the existing tests in Dutch, CBR also administers theory tests in English. These are held with a group of candidates in one session. In addition, candidates have the possibility of taking an individual oral test with the assistance of an interpreter, which has to be provided by the candidate.

 

The CBR charges an additional fee for a car license theory test, as well as for the individual test, in a language other than Dutch.

Tolkennet

Documents required

In order to be admitted to the theory test you will need to provide the following documents:

  1. legally recognized, valid form of identification.

If you obtained your driver’s license outside of the Netherlands, it may under certain conditions be valid within the Netherlands. This depends on the country in which the license was issued.

European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland

If your driver’s license was issued in a Member State of the European Union or in Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland, you can use this license in the following countries:

  • the Netherlands.
  • Austria.
  • Aruba.
  • Belgium.
  • Bulgaria.
  • Cyprus.
  • Denmark.
  • Dutch Antilles.
  • Germany.
  • Estonia.
  • Finland.
  • France.
  • Greece.
  • Great Britain
  • Northern Ireland.
  • Hungary.
  • Ireland.
  • Iceland.
  • Italy.
  • Jersey (States of).
  • Latvia.
  • Liechtenstein.
  • Lithuania.
  • Luxembourg.
  • Isle of Man.
  • Malta.
  • Monaco.
  • Norway.
  • Poland.
  • Portugal.
  • Romania.
  • Spain.
  • Slovenia.
  • Slovakia.
  • Czech Republic.
  • Sweden.
  • Switzerland.

Other Countries

Are you from another country than the ones mentioned above, than you may continue to use your license for a maximum of 185 days after making residence in the Netherlands, after which you must pass the regular CBR theory and driving tests.

Exchange

Licenses from the following countries can be exchanged, though only if they are valid in the categories mentioned:

  1. Taiwan – B – passenger car – Dutch driver’s license category B.
  2. Israël – B – passenger car – Dutch driver’s license category B.
  3. Japan IB – passenger car en motorcycle with more than 400 cm³ – Dutch driver’s license categories A and B.
  4. Singapore – Class 2 – motorcycle with more than 400 cm³ and Class 3 – passenger car – Dutch driver’s license categories A and B.
  5. Andorra – passenger car – Dutch driver’s license category B.
  6. South-Korea – second class ordinary licence – Dutch driver’s license category B.
  7. Canadian province Québec – Class 5 – Dutch driver’s license category B.

International driving licences

A driver in international traffic is someone who does not live in the Netherlands but does drive a vehicle there. Examples are tourists, representatives and drivers of trucks or coaches. International driving licences are only legalised translations of a national driving licence. It is not possible to exchange an international driving licence for a Dutch driving licence. One condition that applies to exchanging a driving licence issued outside the Netherlands is that the driving licence must be valid at the time you make the application. A driving licence issued in a not EU/EES country must also have been issued in a particular year in which the applicant was resident in the country of issue for at least 185 days.

If your driving licence cannot be exchanged, you must take a regular theory and practical test at the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (CBR).

Procedure at the Municipality

To obtain a Dutch driving licence, you must submit your application at your local district council office (Stadsdeelkantoor). To be eligible to exchange your licence, the following conditions apply:

  • You must be registered with your local municipality
  • You must have a residence permit unless you are a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland
  • Your driving licence must be valid at the moment of application
  • Your driving licence, if issued in a country outside the -EU or EEA , was issued after being a resident of that country for at least 185 days.

You will also need to submit the following:

  1. Colour passport photograph, which meets the criteria specified in the Passport Regulation
  2. Your foreign driving licence
  3. Your residence permit unless you are a citizen of the EU/EEA or Switzerland
  4. Certificate of fitness, if necessary. (See Exceptions)

An application for a Dutch driving licence cost € 38,80 (2018 rates) and must be paid in advance. The Government Road Transport Agency (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer, RDW) will issue a receipt that your application is being processed. The process takes two weeks. When your Dutch driving licence is ready to be collected, you will receive a letter from the RDW that your licence can be collected. This can only be done in person.

Note: when you apply for a Dutch driving licence, you hand in your current one. While your application is being processed, you are not permitted to drive.

Applications cannot be processed more quickly than two weeks.

30% tax ruling for Dutch Driving Licence

The 30% reimbursement ruling (the 30% ruling) is a tax advantage for foreign employees working in the Netherlands. When a number of conditions are met, the employer can grant a tax free allowance amounting to 30% times 100/70 of the gross salary subject to Dutch payroll tax. This results in a maximum (effective) tax rate of approximately 36.4%. This tax free allowance is considered compensation for expenses a foreign employee experiences when working outside their home country.

Other benefits of the 30% ruling are that If you have a foreign driving licence, in most cases you will have to redo your test in order to obtain a Dutch licence. However, if you benefit from the 30% ruling, you can switch your foreign driving licence without retaking the test. More information about this subject you can find here

To sign up directly for a test driving class you can contact with us

We will respond within a few hours. For a telephone conversation we are available 6 days from 08:30 to 20:00