How can I exchange my Dutch driving licence in Slovakia?

Exchanging your driving licence

You can exchange your Dutch driving licence for a Slovakian one at the police station in your place of residence. This must be done according to the European rules. You can only have 1 European driving licence. Exchanging your driving licence is only possible if you have been permanently resident in Slovakia for at least 185 days. You don’t need to retake your driving test. Read more about driving licence on the website of the Slovakian Ministry of the Interior (in Slovakian).

What do I need?

If you want to apply for a Slovakian driving licence, you will need the following documents:

• your Slovakian residence permit
• your current (or expired) Dutch driving licence
• a Slovakian translation of your driving licence, provided by a sworn translator

Exchanged driving licence?

If your original driving licence was issued by a country that is not part of the European Union (EU) and you exchanged it for a Dutch driving licence, you may not always be able to exchange your Dutch driving licence in another EU country. The Slovakian Ministry of the Interior can tell you whether you can exchange your Dutch driving licence for a Slovakian licence in this case. If this is not possible, you will need to take your driving test again.

Lost your driving licence?

Have you lost your driving licence? Then you will need a certificate of authenticity (echtheidsverklaring) from the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) (information in Dutch) if you wish to apply for a Slovakian driving licence. This shows whether your driving licence is listed in the Central Driving Licences Register. Visit the website of the RDW for information on how to apply for a certificate of authenticity. There is a fee for this service. Once you have paid you will receive the certificate of authenticity by post at your address. The certificate is in English. You will need to have it translated into Slovakian by a sworn translator.

If the translations were not provided by an accredited translator in Slovakia, you will need to have them legalised as well. Legalising documents allows you to use them in another country.

Read more about having documents translated and legalised​​​​​​​