In an interview a few weeks ago, Aditya Mehendale complained how complicated it is to get a Dutch driver's license. Just what makes it so difficult? Cost, language barrier, cost, cultural confusion, and cost.
Before you read further, keep in mind that if you have a license from any member of the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland, your license is valid. Thus this article is of little use to you.
To get a Dutch driver's license, you must first find a driving school. Ask a friend or colleague, or consult the telephone book. When you call the school, you need to determine if your home country's license is recognized in the Netherlands (in most cases it is). Chances are you will need a few lessons - anywhere from five to fifteen is the norm. This seems to reflect the driving instructor's desire to take a luxury vacation more than your actual driving skills. But, seriously, lessons are useful to help you dodge those ubiquitous bicycles.
Ask the price per hour. This should be 32-26 euros, which seems like an exorbitant price - because it is. Be warned that if you skimp on lessons and consequently fail the special driving test for international drivers holding licenses from their home countries, it's back to square one.
When selecting a driving school and instructor, consider in what language you wish to take lessons and ultimately the exam. If you're still a novice in Dutch, don't let foolish pride stand in your way and accept a driving instructor who has no knowledge of your native language or at least of English. Furthermore, do not be afraid to reject an instructor after a lesson or two if the two of you fail to communicate properly. Case in point: 'Behind the shield, turn left, links, left, links,' commanded Imke the instructor. 'What the #$%?' thought the Fanny the foreigner. The instructor meant, 'After the sign, turn left.' Another time, Imke ordered 'Put it in free.' Fanny interpreted this as her instructor's inability to properly pronounce the 'th' in 'three' and promptly put the car into third gear. But, no, the instructor meant 'Put the gearshift into neutral.' This might seem obvious after the fact, but at the time, such miscommunication frazzles the foreigner to the point of begging for more lessons because her confidence is so depleted.
You can opt for a practice test before the official road exam. But this will cost you about 120 euros. Instead, push your instructor to be as precise as possible about your driving errors. In order to take the road exam, you will need to sign up four to eight weeks in advance, complete with the fee of150-190 euros, depending on your driving school.
Having survived the excruciating driving lessons, the road test will be a breeze. From Fanny the foreigner's experience, take your instructor along with you to distract the examiner. In that case, it will matter little if you go through a stop sign or run a stale yellow light.
If, however, you fail this exam, brace yourself for countless driving lessons, a theory exam (58 euros) and another more discriminating road exam (120-180 euros).
Isn't that seven-speed bike looking more and more attractive?
For more details, consult CBR, the central driving test organization:
http://www.cbr.nl/
