Recognition of foreign driving licences

We distinguish between a European national driving license and a non-European national driving license. Depending on the conditions, you can exchange your license. Below you will find the lists of countries with European or non-European national driving licenses that can be exchanged in Belgium:

• List of countries of the European Union and European Economic Area issuing driving licenses
• List of countries outside the European Union or European Economic Area issuing recognized driving licenses

European national driving licence

What is a European national driving license

A European national driving license is a license issued by a member state of the European Union or the European Economic Area (European Union plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein).
You may drive on public roads in Belgium if you hold a valid European national driving license. When you move to Belgium, you usually do not need to exchange your license immediately. You may continue to drive with it as long as it is valid.

Important: You may only hold one European national driving license.

When to exchange for a Belgian driving license?

You can apply for the exchange from three months before the expiry date of your European license.
The exchange is mandatory before the end of those three months:

• in case of loss, theft, or damage to your European license
• within two years after your registration in Belgium, if your license has no administrative expiry date
• if you commit a traffic offense in Belgium and a temporary Belgian license is issued

In case of loss or theft, you must present a certificate of loss or theft.
This certificate can be issued by:

• the police
• your municipality
• an embassy or consulate of the country that issued your license

Exchange conditions

The application for exchange is made at the driving license service of the municipality where you are registered.
For each application, the municipality checks:

• Normal residence: you must have your normal residence in Belgium (at least 185 days registered during the last 12 months)
• Check in the European database: your license is checked to ensure it is valid and not restricted, suspended, or withdrawn

Cost

The fee for the Belgian driving license is set at 20 euros + municipal tax (varies by municipality).

 

Non-European national driving licence

What is a non-European national driving licence?

What is a non-European national driving license?

A non-European national driving license is a license issued by a country outside the EU or EEA.

Driving with a non-European license

During the first 185 days of registration in Belgium
If you have not yet been registered in Belgium for 185 days, you may drive with:

• a valid recognized international driving license (Vienna or Geneva Conventions)
• a valid recognized non-European national driving license

“Recognized license” refers to licenses recognized under the Vienna or Geneva Conventions, or based on a bilateral agreement.
Some of these licenses are recognized but not exchangeable, for example, because Belgium has not received an official specimen of this foreign license.

After 185 days of registration in Belgium
After your registration in Belgium, you must wait 185 days before you can receive a Belgian license.
During this period, you may continue to drive with your recognized non-European license.
The exchange procedure can already be started during this period, but the Belgian license may only be issued after 185 days.
The foreign license will not be returned in that case.

Exchange conditions

The application for exchange is made at the driving license service of your municipality.
The municipality will check whether the following conditions are met:

1. Recognition
Your license model must be recognized.
The list of recognized models per country can be found on our website.
 

2. Validity
Your license and the mentioned categories must be valid at the time the exchange procedure starts.
 

3. Authenticity and condition
Only the original national license is eligible (no provisional or international license).
The license must be in good condition.
Additional or replacement certificates are not accepted and cannot confirm the authenticity or validity of the license.
 

4. Residence conditions
The non-European license must have been issued during a period when you were not registered in Belgium for at least 185 days.
Only the date of issue, replacement, renewal, or first issue counts as a reference.
Categories obtained after the issue date cannot be validated on your Belgian license.
 

5. Proof of residence
If you have the same nationality as the country that issued the license, you do not need to provide proof of residence.
If you have a different nationality, you must prove that you stayed in the issuing country for at least 185 days during the year of issue.

Proof documents can be:

• a residence certificate (with start and end date)
• utility bills, rental contracts, employment contracts, or payslips covering the 185-day period (including the date of issue of the license)

Certificates from embassies are not accepted.
The documents must bear a stamp or seal, a date, and the name and signature of the issuer.
Scans or copies are accepted, but in case of doubt, the municipality may request the original documents.

6. Authenticity check
Each non-European license is checked for authenticity by the Federal Police.
This check may take several weeks.

7. Sworn translation
A sworn translation of your license may be requested by the municipality.
The translation must then be done by a sworn translator in Belgium.
Embassies can sometimes help with this, but corrections on sworn statements or embassy certificates are not allowed; a new document must then be drawn up.

Cost

The fee for the Belgian driving license is set at 20 euros + municipal tax (varies by municipality).

What if your license cannot be exchanged?

In that case, you must pass the theoretical and practical driving test to obtain a Belgian license.
See also the information on the websites of the Flemish Region, Walloon Region, and Brussels-Capital Region.