This info comes straight from the European Community Web Site.
I am a foreign resident in the Netherlands. I am from the EU.
Since I got in The Netherland, I got all sort of requests from the governement/police
(Politie) that not always were correct.
I found out that the Police does not know all the time how the LAW changes and they
request documents that are not needed for a EU member.
The bigger example I run into at least once a month since a while is the request to
CHANGE MY DRIVE LICENSE!!!!
And everytime I have to be very diplomatic and have them thinking they are right and I
will do that as they like!
The fact is WELL AN OTHER!!!
This is what the EU LAW says:
If holders of driving licences changed residence or place of work from one Member State to
another they used to have to exchange their licence within one year (Directive
80/1263/EEC). This obligation was abolished on 1 July 1996 and exchanging of driving
licences has been voluntary since then.
-did you read??? 1996!!!!! What year is this now???? 2005!! mmm....
and it continue:
In the event of voluntary exchange, loss or theft, the Member State in which holders
have taken up their normal residence will issue the person concerned with a Community
model driving licence for the corresponding category or categories without requiring that
person to take a theoretical or practical test.
Ok, now what?
Well... do like me; print a copy of it, in English AND in Dutch so that next time you get
stopped, you will show them what the LAW says.
This is the English link:
http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/factsheets/eu/drivinglicence/exchanging/en.html
And this is the Dutch link:
http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/factsheets/eu/drivinglicence/exchanging/nl.html
For the DUTCH peaple that are reading, from here you can do the same process and the web site is all in Dutch (in case 'someone' is interested to stay up to date): http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/nl/citizens/home.html
Oops... there is more:
General rule
Driving licences issued by the Member States are mutually recognised.
- interesting, it really seems we (EU members) do not need to change our drive licens!
I wonder how many other things we do not need to do!!!
-Check this out:
Any driving licence issued by a Member State must be recognised by the other Member
States, even if the licence is old and does not correspond to the Community model,
provided it is still valid. This is why the Directive provides equivalence tables for
licences issued before 1 July 1996, subject to the Commission's agreement (an agreement
concluded in the legal form of a Decision, and adopted on 21 March 2000 by the
Commission).
Important: You no longer have to exchange your original licence if you go to live in
another Member State but you can apply to do so if you wish.
(http://europa.eu.int/youreurope/nav/en/citizens/factsheets/eu/drivinglicence/overview/en.html)
This should be a local Dutch link where you should be able to find the same info http://www.postbus51.nl/
I have no idea what it says.
If you see some inconsistency with the EU site, I apreciate
your feedback.
So, I think all this is enough to let know who should know, that things have changed
since a few years.
Should we write a letter to somebody to let them knowing it?
Your feedback its apreciated.
Doei
SECOND PART following this article is at:
http://blogger.xs4all.nl/bacco/archive/2005/05/11/38659.aspx
