Driving schools in the Netherlands come in all shapes and sizes. From large driving schools with 120 driving instructors to smaller driving schools with only one driving instructor. In the Netherlands, there are no less than 9000 driving schools. But why? Why are there so many driving schools? How does getting a driving license in the Netherlands actually work? In this article, we explain everything about it.
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Why get a driving license?
If you want to drive a car on the public highway you will have to get a driver’s license. In the Netherlands, you do that at a certified driving school. These driving schools must meet certain strict requirements and are all affiliated with CBR Nederland, the Dutch authority when it comes to getting a license for vehicles for which this is mandatory.
Did you get your driver’s license from the CBR? Then you are allowed to drive a car on your own. You are now able to go anywhere you want. You can go on vacation to countries all over the world and drive there as well. Or take the car from the Netherlands to Spain, for example.
Different driving schools in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, there are approximately 9000 driving schools. A lot for such a small country. Most of these driving schools are located in South Holland. Here you will find cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam, Leiden and Delft. One of the driving schools in Delft is Rijschool Delfin. A driving school where you can get both your car license, scooter license and motorcycle license. Besides this driving school, there are a few thousand other driving schools in South Holland. Some of these driving schools specialize in, for example, motorcycling only. Others in only driving a car.
Costs of driving lessons
In the Netherlands, the prices of a driving lesson are fairly close to each other. Some driving schools are more expensive than others. Some are slightly cheaper. But in general, the prices for a driving lesson in the Netherlands are around 45 euros per lesson. If you compare this with other countries, this is quite expensive. This is partly due to the high quality requirements, expensive instructor training and mandatory refresher courses. In the Netherlands they are very strict about getting your driving license. Therefore, the quality of driving lessons should be as high as possible.
How many driving lessons do you need to get your license in the Netherlands?
Because of the strict rules for driving in the Netherlands, you need a lot of practice to be as good as possible before you start driving. This is the reason why many people need as many as about 45 driving lessons. Some need more than others, but the average is actually at 45 lessons. The cost of getting your driver’s license can add up quickly in this way. If we make the calculation for getting your license we come to the following.
45 euros per lesson x 45 lessons = 2.025 euros. Quite an amount.
Besides the costs of the driving lessons themselves, you will also have to pass your theory and practical exam. A theory exam costs 37 euros and a practical exam costs 122.50 euros. This brings your total to about 2200 euros. More about the theoretical and practical exams later.
In the rest of Europe the average costs are about 1300 Euros. Getting a driving license in the Netherlands is therefore considerably more expensive.
Car theory exam in the Netherlands
As we mentioned earlier, taking a theory test costs 37 Euros each time. Because the Netherlands is very strict when it comes to obtaining your driving license the theory tests are also very difficult. This means that you cannot be 100% certain that you will pass your exam in one go. The success rate for this theory test in the Netherlands is just 44%. This means that less than half of them pass their theory test in one go. This is a big problem among young people who want to get their driver’s license.
Car Practical Exam Netherlands
In addition to the theory exam, you must also take a practical exam in the Netherlands for your car license. You can only do this practical exam after you have passed your theory exam. Have you passed your practical exam for the car? Then you have your driving license in the pocket! But this is also more difficult than you might think. The success rate for practical exams in the Netherlands is also very low. Unfortunately, only 52% of exam candidates pass their practical exam on the first try. The cost of a practical exam is 122.50 euros. So not passing this exam in one go is an expensive mistake.
Conclusion
Getting your driving license in the Netherlands is done with the help of driving schools. In the Netherlands, there are very many driving schools and so there is a lot of choice. At these driving schools you can often go for getting different driving licenses like the scooter driving license, car driving license and motorcycle driving license.
The costs of obtaining a driving license are very high. The average cost in the Netherlands is about 2300 euros. This is very high compared to surrounding European countries, where the average cost is about 1300 euros for obtaining a driving license.
