Tim Challenger

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:55:20 +0200, Martin wrote:

    > you can swap a US driving licence for
    >>a European one without a test, whereas in Holland (or UK) you would
    >>need to pass a driving test.
    >
    > I didn't know that. I swapped an Oz license for a Dutch one. In fact
    > they returned the license and asked me to return it South Australia,
    > because they didn't know who to send it too.
    > Nowadays, they aren't allowed to keep the original license.
    > Are you sure they won't accept a US license?

I was investigating this for a post last year and it seems that it depends
on country, but on the whole the US driving license(sic) is acceptable for
holidays etc, but if you transfer then you'll need to take a test -
sometimes only a cut-down version of the full test. That certainly is the
official case in Germany anyway. Some states may implement the rules more
or less rigidly. I believe there is an EU "guidline" of some sorts, but
it's up to the individual countries to enforce it.


--
Tim C.

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:25:23 -0500, Anonymouse
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >>>>>>Fifteen Dutch choose Belgian nationality
    >>>>>>
    >>>>>>11 August 2005
    >>>>>>AMSTERDAM — Fifteen Dutch people were among the 5,258 foreigners who
    >>>>>>became Belgian citizens in 2004.
    >>>>>>Their applications were approved by a Belgian parliamentary
    >>>>>>commission, Flemish broadcaster VRT said on Thursday.
    >>>>>>It was unclear from the report why the Dutch applicants wanted a
    >>>>>>Belgian passport as both countries are in the European Union.
    >Hi,
    >I forget which way it goes...
    >but in the case of belgium and the netherlands aren't there a couple
    >of little "islands" of the other country completely surrounded by the
    >other... some remnant of feudal loyalty a few hundred years ago.
Enclave
Barle-Nassau/Barle Hertog
http://www.eurodan.co.uk/mtblogfiles...es/000110.html
--
Martin

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:39:23 +0200, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:55:20 +0200, Martin wrote:
    >> you can swap a US driving licence for
    >>>a European one without a test, whereas in Holland (or UK) you would
    >>>need to pass a driving test.
    >>
    >> I didn't know that. I swapped an Oz license for a Dutch one. In fact
    >> they returned the license and asked me to return it South Australia,
    >> because they didn't know who to send it too.
    >> Nowadays, they aren't allowed to keep the original license.
    >> Are you sure they won't accept a US license?
    >I was investigating this for a post last year and it seems that it depends
    >on country, but on the whole the US driving license(sic) is acceptable for
    >holidays etc, but if you transfer then you'll need to take a test -
    >sometimes only a cut-down version of the full test. That certainly is the
    >official case in Germany anyway. Some states may implement the rules more
    >or less rigidly. I believe there is an EU "guidline" of some sorts, but
    >it's up to the individual countries to enforce it.

The rules for car licenses in NL are even more confusing than the
rules for car importation. Take a hint Jeremy, no good will come of
this!

Did Jeremy chose NL, after Magda said she would never come here?
ITWSBT
--
Martin

EvelynVogtGamble

[email protected] wrote:

    > Martin a écrit :
    >
    >
    >>Fifteen Dutch choose Belgian nationality
    >
    >
    >>It was unclear from the report why the Dutch applicants wanted a
    >>Belgian passport as both countries are in the European Union.
    >>EU citizens are supposed to have largely the same rights as locals
    >>when living in another state in the union.
    >
    >
    > One difference is that in Belgium you can swap a US driving licence for
    > a European one without a test, whereas in Holland (or UK) you would
    > need to pass a driving test.

But why would a Nederlander CARE? (And why would he have a
US driving license, not a European one, already?)

    >
    > G;
    >

EvelynVogtGamble

[email protected] wrote:

    > Martin a écrit :
    >
    >
    >>Are you sure they won't accept a US license?
    >
    >
    > No, but this is Usenet, so who cares?
    >
    > The UK certainly don't accept a US license.

Even from visitors? (Obviously no country does, if you are
emigrating there.)

    >

Keith Anderson

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:25:23 -0500, Anonymouse
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >>>>>>Fifteen Dutch choose Belgian nationality
    >>>>>>
    >>>>>>11 August 2005
    >>>>>>AMSTERDAM — Fifteen Dutch people were among the 5,258 foreigners who
    >>>>>>became Belgian citizens in 2004.
    >>>>>>Their applications were approved by a Belgian parliamentary
    >>>>>>commission, Flemish broadcaster VRT said on Thursday.
    >>>>>>It was unclear from the report why the Dutch applicants wanted a
    >>>>>>Belgian passport as both countries are in the European Union.
    >Hi,
    >I forget which way it goes...
    >but in the case of belgium and the netherlands aren't there a couple
    >of little "islands" of the other country completely surrounded by the
    >other... some remnant of feudal loyalty a few hundred years ago.

Some pictures of the place here:

http://www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/BordersBaarle.htm

As well as the Belgian enclaves (Baarle-Hertog) in the Dutch town of
Baarle-Nassau, there are Dutch exclaves within those Belgian enclaves.
It's absolutely crazy, but wonderful all the same.


Keith, Bristol, UK

DE-MUNG for email replies

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 08:22:15 -0700, "EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >[email protected] wrote:
    >> Martin a écrit :
    >>
    >>
    >>>Fifteen Dutch choose Belgian nationality
    >>
    >>
    >>>It was unclear from the report why the Dutch applicants wanted a
    >>>Belgian passport as both countries are in the European Union.
    >>>EU citizens are supposed to have largely the same rights as locals
    >>>when living in another state in the union.
    >>
    >>
    >> One difference is that in Belgium you can swap a US driving licence for
    >> a European one without a test, whereas in Holland (or UK) you would
    >> need to pass a driving test.
    >But why would a Nederlander CARE? (And why would he have a
    >US driving license, not a European one, already?)

Tim has a US license and is planning to move NL. According to the
rules he can only use his foreign license for a limited time, unless
it is one issued by an EU country, after which he either has to
exchange it for a Dutch license or take a test. US licenses can't be
exchanged for Dutch licenses and the odds are that he will fail the
test the first time.
--
Martin

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:44:56 +0100, Keith Anderson
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:25:23 -0500, Anonymouse
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>>>>>Fifteen Dutch choose Belgian nationality
    >>>>>>>
    >>>>>>>11 August 2005
    >>>>>>>AMSTERDAM — Fifteen Dutch people were among the 5,258 foreigners who
    >>>>>>>became Belgian citizens in 2004.
    >>>>>>>Their applications were approved by a Belgian parliamentary
    >>>>>>>commission, Flemish broadcaster VRT said on Thursday.
    >>>>>>>It was unclear from the report why the Dutch applicants wanted a
    >>>>>>>Belgian passport as both countries are in the European Union.
    >>Hi,
    >>I forget which way it goes...
    >>but in the case of belgium and the netherlands aren't there a couple
    >>of little "islands" of the other country completely surrounded by the
    >>other... some remnant of feudal loyalty a few hundred years ago.
    >Some pictures of the place here:
    >http://www.vasa.abo.fi/users/rpalmber/BordersBaarle.htm

I haven't been there since 1966. At that time butter smuggling was
common. We were stopped at the border by the customs and asked if we
had any butter.

--
Martin

S Viemeister

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" wrote:
    >
    > [email protected] wrote:
    >
    > > Martin a écrit :
    > >
    > >
    > >>Are you sure they won't accept a US license?
    > >
    > >
    > > No, but this is Usenet, so who cares?
    > >
    > > The UK certainly don't accept a US license.
    >
    > Even from visitors? (Obviously no country does, if you are
    > emigrating there.)
    >
The UK will accept a US licence for up to 12 months - after that, you need
to have a UK one.

Sheila

B Vaughan

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:43:38 +0200, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:30:34 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:
    >>There's another thing that makes the Lega Nord see red. Genoa proposed
    >>to give legally resident foreigners the right to vote in municipal
    >>elections and the LN had several fits about it. Genoa has had to
    >>rescind the promise.
    >EU expatriates resident in the EU have the right to vote in local and
    >EU elections as a result of the Treaty of Maastricht.

I meant foreign to the EU. I thought you meant that any foreign
residents could vote in local elections.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:26:00 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:43:38 +0200, Martin <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:30:34 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>There's another thing that makes the Lega Nord see red. Genoa proposed
    >>>to give legally resident foreigners the right to vote in municipal
    >>>elections and the LN had several fits about it. Genoa has had to
    >>>rescind the promise.
    >>EU expatriates resident in the EU have the right to vote in local and
    >>EU elections as a result of the Treaty of Maastricht.
    >I meant foreign to the EU. I thought you meant that any foreign
    >residents could vote in local elections.

That's why I spelt it out for you :-)
--
Martin

Tim

"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:30:34 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:

    >>There's another thing that makes the Lega Nord see red. Genoa proposed
    >>to give legally resident foreigners the right to vote in municipal
    >>elections and the LN had several fits about it. Genoa has had to
    >>rescind the promise.
    > I assumed that expats being able to vote was the result of an EU
    > directive. I don't recall demonstrations by expats asking to be
    > enfranchised in NL.

I don't see how being able to vote for my town council enfranchises
me. No-one at that level makes a difference to my life in a foreign
country. I need to be able to vote for the person who decides how
much Tax I should pay to be enfranchised - and that I can't do!

tim

Martin

On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:03:11 +0200, "tim \(moved to sweden\)"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected].. .
    >> On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 15:30:34 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>There's another thing that makes the Lega Nord see red. Genoa proposed
    >>>to give legally resident foreigners the right to vote in municipal
    >>>elections and the LN had several fits about it. Genoa has had to
    >>>rescind the promise.
    >> I assumed that expats being able to vote was the result of an EU
    >> directive. I don't recall demonstrations by expats asking to be
    >> enfranchised in NL.
    >I don't see how being able to vote for my town council enfranchises
    >me. No-one at that level makes a difference to my life in a foreign
    >country.

They do in NL.

    > I need to be able to vote for the person who decides how
    >much Tax I should pay to be enfranchised - and that I can't do!

and you don't pay local taxes?

Have you organised demonstrations?
--
Martin

David Johnstone

    >> EU citizens are supposed to have largely the same rights as locals
    >> when living in another state in the union.

    > One difference is that in Belgium you can swap a US driving licence for
    > a European one without a test, whereas in Holland (or UK) you would
    > need to pass a driving test.

That's an issue that depends on country of residence though, not
citizenship.

Dutch and Belgian citizens with US licences would both be able to
swap these for local licences if they lived in Belgium, but not if they
lived in Holland.

David Johnstone

"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" <[email protected]> schrieb im
Newsbeitrag news:[email protected]...
    >> The UK certainly don't accept a US license.
    > Even from visitors? (Obviously no country does, if you are emigrating
    > there.)

Well, not "accept" in the sense of allowing you to use your foreign
licence indefinitely as an immigrant, but some do "accept" it in the
sense of giving you a local licence without making you do any test.
Which is almost the same from a pragmatic point of view.

David