Getting a Driving License in Netherlands

This post to touch the details about the driving license process in Netherlands. It covers both the normal process and the expats/foreigners coming to Netherlands with the International driving license. First we will look in to the expats who already poses an License from there motherland.
People from International community holds an valid driving license from there country can exchange to the Netherlands driving license based on some criteria.

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 Netherlands.
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:

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

You can get more info about this on http://www.cbr.nl/317.pp
and http://www.rijbewijs.nl/index.asp?id=6 pages.

For other country poeple can exchange there driving license if they are eligible/got there 30% ruling (See more about 30% ruling here http://www.expatax.nl/30ruling.htm )


Now comes for those not eligible for 30% ruling and don't have the license from there homeland (I am under this category). Getting a driving license in Netherlands is tough process involves lot of time and money. Netherlands is one of the toughest and costliest country to get the driving license. Ministry for Transport and Communication (Ministrie van verkeer en waterstaat), RDW and CBR are responsible for controlling and providing license for the Road users. The process follow like this
1. Theory test
2. Practical test

Theory Test
For this you have to read the rules and regulations of the road and traffic. There will be an exam for 1 hour where you have to answer yes or No or filling the answer to of questions. you have to register for the theory exam and you have to write the exam in designated centers. for this you have to pay €35,80. You can register using the driving school or can be done by individual. Theory test available in 3 languages. by default Netherlands and English and Turkish are two other optional languages. if you want to take test in English then you have to schedule it in advance as it is available only once in a week also only in less number of exam centers. You can register online in this site https://theoriereservering.cbr.nl/index.php .
While Going for the theory test you have carry the valid identification card(valid Passport/Resident permit) and a passport size photo.
CBR changed the theory test pattern lately(starting from 1st of March 2009), which consists
25 questions on awareness
30 questions on traffic
10 questions on traffic and understanding risk.
Once the Test is over you will get the results with in few minutes. You are passed the Exam the Theory certificate is valid for one year. Otherwise it will say the area's you need to concentrate for the next exam.
Practical Test
You can apply for the Practical test only through the registered driving school, the driving school will decide whether you can go ahead with the practical test or you need lessons. Once the Lesson over you can go ahead with the practical exam registration, This will be done by the driving school. the Practical Test consists of 35-45 mins. You have to carry your valid Theory certificate and identification card with you for the practical test. Initially the examiner will ask you read the registration number of the car from 25 meters distance to check your eye sight. He will sit next to you while you are driving and ask you to drive the direction as he suggests. He will note all your responses to the traffic situation and how you are able control the situation and how good you are reading the sign on the road. If you are not making any serious error you will get passed the exam. He will say the results once the exam is over. You can ask your driving school instructor to accompany you, so that he will also note down the strength and points to improve on your driving. If you are passed you can apply for the driving license from the Town Hall and you will get that with in 5 working days. If you are not passed the examiner will give the feedback to you and to your instructor, Also you will get this in your email.

Some points to find a driving school

> Check the pass percentage of the driving school from CBR site.( Slagging Percentage it's in dutch)
> Compare the price of the driving lessons with the other driving school
> Check the English proficiency of the instructor before you go for it.
> Check in the Internet or with the friends or colleagues about the driving school before joining.

I covered most of the part. you can get this details in other site also.

Best of Luck for the driving license.

Finding an apartment in NL

This post is to help the people who are in search of an apartment in any of the place in Netherlands.

Netherlands is the mostly congested country in the world and finding an apartment in the country is one of the tedious , time consuming and eat your wallet.
So let see the Process of finding the apartment and avoiding the pitfalls in that.

before going for the apartment decide on the following items.

1. How many months/years you are going to stay in Netherlands?
2. What kind of apartment( studio, apartment, independent) u r expecting?
3. What type of contract apartment you want?(
* Fully furnished - everything included in the rent and u don't have to worry abt anything.
* Semi furnished - Part of the apartment is furnished and u have to arrange/pay ur self if u want extra facilities.)
* Only Apartment is rented to you and you have to take care of everything like from energy connection to carpeting the floor.)
4. How much amount you can spend on rent?
5. How much amount you can spend on commission to the Agent? (In most cases you have to pay one month rent of the house plus 19% tax you have to pay to agent.)
6. what location you want the apartment?( In the city, near to the city mostly expensive, but choosing a apartment in a small village or town near by to the city always cheaper.But depends on how you want to travel.)
6. How many members you are going to stay in the apartment?( In Netherlands the apartment can be rented to maximum members derived by the Municipality of the town/City. Once you rented the apartment you have to register with the Municipality in ur place, that is mandatory for everything from opening an bank a/c to your visa/resident permit, so It's not possible to stay four persons in the three persons apartment)

Once you found out the answers for the above questions you can go ahead with the internet search, rental agency and by other means..

I will list out the number of rental agencies and internet sites where you can search for your apartments at the end of my post.

There are two ways you can get the apartment, one is going through the process of Rental agency, the second one is going by the colleagues and friends to find out an apartment near by there places( direct contact with the owner).

By the first method you have less risk, but you have to pay the commission.
The risk in the sense the rental agency is responsible for everything abt the apartment rental, say for example once you are renting an apartment from an agency, but after that you found out any problems then you can contact the agency and they have to solve that and they will do it in most cases.
Here is one such example that I faced during my house search. myself and my friend are searching for a two bed room apartment and went to an agency. We found a match and signed the contract and shifted to the new apartment. After shifting there we went to the Town Hall to register ourself to the new address. In the town hall we came to know that the person sign the contract is not the actual owner and she is actually a renter like us and she wanted to sub rent the apartment to us. It's illegal to do that way in Netherlands with out the permission form the apartment owner. So we went to the agency and they took care of the problem and we were able to find an apartment shortly.

In the other case you won't pay any commission to any one, but you have to face all the risk by yourself.

I wanted to shade some lights in some bit falls in renting the apartments that need to be checked.

* Check the owner of the apartment and availability of the address for the registration in the town hall before singing the contract.
* Check on the contract period, different contract agreements are there, like 6 months contract and then you have to vacate the apartment, otherwise 6 months contract and extend the contract once the period over. so you have to be careful while choosing that otherwise you will end up in paying commission for every 6 months.
* If you are going for a unfurnished apartment( It will be more cheaper), but you have to consider the contracts (you have make arrangement for everything in this case) for the energy(Electricity, water, Gas), Television and internet connections, these connections always comes with minimum one year contract and if you are leaving the apartment before the contract period then you have to pay the remaining time amount to them.

So consider these thing before signing the contract for your apartment.

Here is some list of Rental agencies and Internet site to look for the Apartments.


* funda.nl
* marktplaats.nl
* expatica.nl
* PerfectHousing.nl
* Actys.nl Non profit agency
* pararius.com
* apartmentservices.nl
* RotsVast Group

these are some of the agencies available in Netherlands and you can find out more in Internet. Also check out the expatica.nl for more housing and other issues related to the expats in Netherlands.

Hope this will atleast will help you in understanding the apartment searching process and avoid some unpleasant situations. Happy House hunting and Good Luck!!!