mikelincs

The person alluded to in the OP has, probably, been driving somewhat illegally in the Netherlands for some years as EU countries have REQUIRED a photocard license for many years. I had to get one at least 15 years ago before moving to Spain as it was a legal requirement. a UK photocard license can only be sent to a UK address, so the person should have got a Netherlands one, which is just a switch, no need for a test, the person only has to fulfill the requirements that a Netherlands citizen would, this may mean regular eye tests etc, but NOT a new driving test

Gozit

Yes, except it definitely won't involve a test to exchange (EU law) as long as her UK license is still considered valid. She may encounter a hiccup of Dutch authorities wanting a UK photocard to exchange, in which case she may have to return to UK to get a photocard, hopefully s/he still has a UK address to use for this, or can use a friends place or something on those lines.

And if she didn't want a Dutch license she could go back to UK and renew the UK one for a photocard and use that as it is valid in all EU countries, though if you've lived in NL for umpteen years I can't see why you would want a UK license over a Dutch one.

old wanderer

Living in Holland for 30 years and still driving on a British driving licence? Seems rather strange but there again another expat with a foot in two countries. I certainly would not like to be involved in an insurance claim, driving on a British licence, after living there for so many years

SushiFan

Checking the text from the English RDW pages with the Dutch version I see that they are largely in agreement. However, I found a statement in the Dutch version which I didn't see in the English version:

"Rijbewijs afgegeven in EU/EVA en ingeschreven in Nederland
Als u een rijbewijs heeft dat is afgegeven in een de landen van de Europese Unie (EU) of Europese Vrijhandelsassociatie (EVA) terwijl u al stond ingeschreven bij een Nederlandse gemeente (in de BRP), dan mag u niet met het buitenlandse rijbewijs in Nederland rijden. U moet dit rijbewijs omwisselen bij de gemeente."

This states that if you received your non-Dutch driving license while you were already registered as a resident in the Netherlands you are not allowed to use it for driving in the Netherlands. You need to exchange it for a Dutch license.

Gozit

Yep, thats the letter of the law. In the OPs case, they may have to go back to the UK to get a valid photocard license then return to NL and immediately exchange it. I don't know if NL will exchange based purely on the old paper license that is now invalid for use there.

GeniB

This is absolutely correct. We had to exchange our UK licence for a Dutch one after we registered at the Gemeente .It is highly unlikely that this lady didn't know this during her 30 yr stay in NL.
We have just had to exchange again for a Portuguese one which states that after the age of 70 yrs an application for renewal will be required every two yrs.This can however be done online but with a doctors signature to say medical tests have been carried out.

SushiFan

There is a similar system in the Netherlands: people over the age of 70 get a license which is valid for 5 years. They need a medical examination before it is being renewed/extended.

Red_Wine_Fairy

Where does it say that she received the British licence while already registered as a resident here? It's already established that that doesn't happen, that the DVLA won't send a driving licence abroad, so it's a fair assumption that she received it while still living in Britain, surely?

Gozit

It could have been sent to a friend or relative's home or a home that they still own in the UK.

Pulaski

That is perfectly possible, but at best rather pointless, and likely dangerous because the license would have no validity.

Gozit

Agreed. The post in question was asking how she could possibly get a British license living outside the UK, and that would be how.

The ironic thing here is I don't think the OP has responded at all

Red_Wine_Fairy

Indeed. Unless we know for sure the date of issue of the licence, and the date of her GBA registration, it's all pretty pointless.

Pulaski

Not really. If she is/has been living long term in the Netherlands she needs a Dutch license. Full stop.

Cynic

When we registered with the Gemeente in Holland back in 1994, we were told we had to exchange our UK licences for the Dutch equivalent. I had a UK paper licence for car, bike and HGV Class 1; I got the Dutch equivalent back the same day. 5 years later when we moved back to the UK with my job, at first DVLA advised us to carry on with our Dutch licences until they expired, but said they would check something and get back to me; a few days later they called me back and advised me to exchange my Dutch licence for the UK version (because I would need a medical to renew my HGV).

Red_Wine_Fairy

Point me to that full stop - that absolute, ironclad clause in the documentation/website - which everyone else, including those able to read dutch, has failed to find.

Because without that, all you have is an opinion: one shared by everyone else, but an opinion nonetheless. Passing off opinions as facts is not helpful.

The full stop is this: without the OP giving more detailed information, we cannot find a definite answer for their 'friend'.