Code 95 for professional drivers

Are you a professional truck or bus driver? You need a code 95 indication on your driving licence. 

What is a code 95 indication? 

Code 95 is a Certificate of Professional Competence (Verklaring van Vakbekwaamheid, in Dutch). It is proof you meet the requirements for professional drivers. All professional truck and bus drivers in the EU must have this indication on their driving licence. If you do not have this code you are not allowed to drive professionally for more than 12 hours per week. 

How to get code 95 

You can get the code 95 indication on your licence if you pass the initial qualification for professional drivers (basiskwalificatie, in Dutch). The initial qualification exists for all categories of C-licences (trucks, in Dutch) and D-licences (busses, in Dutch). As a resident of the Netherlands, you will be tested by the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, CBR, in Dutch). 

CBR will test your knowledge of, among others, administrative procedures, traffic rules, and your driving skills over the course of 6 exams. You must successfully complete all exams within a 2-year period. You have to meet the following conditions to take the exams: 

• You have a valid driving licence (category B) 
• You are at least 18 years old
• You must have a Certificate of medical fitness (Verklaring van Geschiktheid, VvG, in Dutch). To get this certificate, you need to complete a Health Declaration Form (Gezondheidsverklaring) and undergo a medical examination. 

After you complete your exams, you can apply for the code 95 indication on your licence to your municipal authority (in Dutch). It is valid for 5 years. 

Code 95 for European licences 

Do you have a European C or D licence with a code 95 indication? You may drive a truck or bus professionally in the Netherlands. If you want to renew your code 95 indication (in Dutch) you need to complete your refresher training in the country the licence was issued. You may exchange your licence from any EU and EFTA country for a Dutch driving licence. 

If you have a European licence but you completed your refresher training in the Netherlands, you can request a Qualification Card with RDW. This lets you register your refresher training on your European licence. 

Code 95 for non-European licences 

Do you have a truck or bus driving licence from a non-EU or EFTA country? This licence is not recognised in the Netherlands. You need to follow the Dutch procedure to get a code 95 indication to drive a truck or bus in the Netherlands professionally (in Dutch).

How to renew code 95 

To keep your code 95 indication, you have to follow at least 35 hours of refresher training (nascholing, in Dutch) before it expires. You can only do so in the country where you live or work. You can find a course for refresher training with CBR's refresher training finder (in Dutch). 

When you have completed 35 hours of refresher training, the CBR sends a Certificate of refresher training (Verklaring van Nascholing, VvN, in Dutch) to RDW. You will receive an e-mail about this. You can then renew the code 95 on your driving licence with your municipality. It is then valid for 5 more years. 

If you do not meet the requirements for renewal before your code 95 indication expires, you are not allowed to drive a truck or bus professionally for more than 12 hours a week. 

Register training from other EU countries 

Did you receive refresher training in another EU country while living or working that country? You can register this training in the Netherlands by notifying the CBR (in Dutch). For this, you must include: 

• a training certificate from the training institute, or from the country’s competent authority 
• proof the received training follows the criteria set by the professional competence directive (Richtlijn vakbekwaamheid, in Dutch) 
• proof you were living or working there at the time you received the training