Belgium - Exchange Foreign Driving License for Driving License

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Procedure

1. You can apply for an exchange of driver's license to their local authorities at the Town Hall (Maison Communale/Stadhuis).
2. You need to provide the required documents listed below.
3. No theoretical or practical examination is required for EEC license holders. Authorities must, however, check that the licence they are exchanging is valid.
4. Drivers holding licences issued by a non-EU member state without an exchange agreement with Belgium may legally drive on their licence for the first year of legal residency. After that, their licence becomes invalid and must be surrendered to the local authorities. When the licence may not be exchanged, a full Belgian theory and practical driving exam must be passed and a Belgian licence will be issued. (Non-EU citizens should check the validity of their driving licence with their embassy before departure.)

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Required Documents

• Identity card drawn up in Belgium
• Passport
• 2 recent photos (identity card format)
• A photocopy of the front and back of the foreign driving licence
• If the foreign driving licence was issued outside the EEA, and is recognised but is printed in an alphabet other than the Latin alphabet, a full translation of the licence must be provided, drawn up by a sworn translator accredited with the court of first instance
• In the case of American nationals only: a certificate of authenticity of the driving licence issued by the American Embassy in Brussels quoting equivalences between the Belgian and American categories.

Office Locations & Contacts

Location

Anyone wishing to exchange a licence must apply to their local authorities at the Town Hall (Maison Communale/Stadhuis).

Contact

Postal address: rue Franois Libert, 28

Tel: 02/352.98.98 - 02/352.98.92

Fax: 02/354.76.61

Eligibility

The minimum age for driving in Belgium is 18 years, so, if you are 17 you will not be permitted to drive in Belgium, even if you can do so legally in your home country.

Fees

A fee of 16 (cash or Bancontact) is required.

Validity

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e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

Processing times for Belgian driving licences tend to be around two weeks, so at the point of exchanging licences you will be given a temporary issue licence.

Related Videos

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Instructions

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e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

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e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Need for the Document

Exchanging a foreign license to a Belgium license allows the foreign national to drive in Belgium.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Others

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