Translating a Foreign Driving Licence in Louvain: KU Leuven Students and DIV Exchange

Foreign student at KU Leuven or resident in Leuven (Louvain) with a driving licence from your home country? To drive legally in Belgium or exchange your licence for a Belgian one, a sworn translation into Dutch is often essential. This guide explains the procedure in Leuven and the steps to follow with the Dienst Burgerzaken and the DIV.

See also: driving licence translation in Belgium · translation agency in Leuven

Foreign students at KU Leuven: is your licence valid?

KU Leuven is the most international university in Belgium, with more than 7,000 foreign students from over 130 countries. Many arrive with a driving licence from their home country and want to know whether they can drive in Belgium during their studies, then exchange their licence if they decide to stay after graduation.

In Belgium, a valid foreign driving licence is recognised for a maximum of 12 months from the date of registration with the municipality - in this case, the City of Leuven. After this period you must either retake the Belgian tests or apply for an exchange if your country appears on the DIV list.

A sworn translation into Dutch is mandatory if your licence is in Arabic, Cyrillic, Asian characters, or any language that the staff of the Dienst Burgerzaken in Leuven cannot read.

Licence exchange procedure in Leuven: practical steps

To exchange your foreign licence in Leuven, follow these steps:

• 1. Check whether your country is eligible for exchange: the list of countries whose licences can be exchanged without retaking the tests is available on mobilit.belgium.be. Countries not on the list require passing the Belgian theory and practical tests.
• 2. Have your licence translated: send a front-and-back scan of your licence. The translation must be into Dutch by a sworn translator certified by a Belgian Court of Appeal.
• 3. Compile your file: original licence, sworn translation, valid residence permit (E card or residence permit), recent identity photo.
• 4. Submit the file to the Dienst Burgerzaken: go to the City Hall in Leuven (Stadhuis, Grote Markt 3). The municipality verifies the file and forwards it to the DIV, which issues the Belgian licence in 4 to 6 weeks.

Leuven specifics: KU Leuven student mobility

KU Leuven runs many international mobility programmes (Erasmus+, partnerships with Asian, African and American universities). Students on short exchanges (less than one year) can generally keep their home licence. Those enrolling for a full master's or doctorate should plan the exchange before the end of their first year of residence.

Visiting researchers and professors at KU Leuven are in the same situation: their licence remains valid for 12 months after registration with the municipality, after which the exchange procedure applies.