Driving lessons in Maastricht in 2026: what students and expats should know before their first lesson
Are you planning to take driving lessons in Maastricht? You probably want clear answers first: when can you start, what happens during the CBR tests, which rules apply to a foreign driving licence, and how do you choose a driving school that suits you?
Maastricht is not a city where memorising a few routes is enough. Learners encounter cyclists, narrow streets, busy junctions, hills and regional roads towards the Heuvelland. Learning to drive well therefore means understanding situations and making safe decisions independently.
This guide covers the most important current information for students and expats who want to learn to drive in Maastricht or elsewhere in South Limburg.
1. Learning to drive in Maastricht involves more than controlling the car
Driving lessons naturally cover steering, gears, braking and parking. In Maastricht, however, building a complete traffic picture is especially important. You need to notice cyclists and pedestrians early, share limited space in narrow streets and look well ahead on hilly or winding roads outside the city.
This is why memorising test routes is not enough. Roadworks, events and temporary closures can change familiar routes. Maastricht Bereikbaar provides current information about traffic and roadworks, but your lessons should mainly teach you why a particular decision is safe and appropriate.
That understanding remains useful when you later drive in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, another city or outside South Limburg.
2. Expat? Check what your foreign licence allows you to do
If you already have a foreign driving licence, check what you may do with it in the Netherlands before booking lessons. The rules depend on factors such as the issuing country, licence category, issue date, validity and when you became resident in the Netherlands.
Licences issued in the EU or EFTA are treated differently from many licences issued outside the EU/EFTA. After becoming resident, holders of a valid non-EU/EFTA licence may in many cases drive in the Netherlands for no more than 185 days. After that, a Dutch licence is required. Always check your own situation on the official RDW page Driving with a foreign driving licence.
Whether an exchange is possible depends on the country and your personal circumstances. A valid decision under the Dutch expat scheme may also be relevant. The RDW explains the conditions on Exchanging a foreign driving licence. If your licence cannot be exchanged, you must pass the Dutch theory and practical tests to obtain a Dutch licence.
That does not mean an experienced driver starts from zero. You do, however, need to adapt your existing habits to Dutch traffic rules, the intensive interaction with cyclists and the behaviour expected by the CBR. English-language instruction helps, but the main goal is to understand how to drive safely, clearly and predictably in the Netherlands.
3. At what age can you start lessons and take the test?
You may take the car theory test from age 16, start driving lessons at 16½ and take the practical test from age 17. If you obtain your licence before turning 18, you may drive only with a registered coach listed on your companion pass until your eighteenth birthday. The current conditions are published by the Dutch government.
This supervised period is intended to help new drivers gain experience. That matters because SWOV reports that young novice drivers have a substantially higher crash risk than more experienced drivers. The purpose of training is therefore not merely to pass one test drive, but to build a foundation for safe learning afterwards.
4. What does the Dutch car theory test look like?
Since 7 April 2025, the category B theory test has been one continuous examination. It contains 50 scored questions and 2 additional test questions that do not count. You need at least 44 correct answers out of the 50 scored questions. The standard test lasts 30 minutes.
The CBR may use short silent animations to present realistic traffic situations. Knowledge, insight and hazard perception are no longer assessed as three separate sections. The current format is described on Hoe gaat het theorie-examen auto?, while the change introduced on 7 April 2025 is explained in the CBR announcement about the redesigned test.
A theory app can help you practise, but recognising familiar questions is not the same as understanding traffic. Connect theory to what you see during lessons. After a mistake, ask not only for the correct answer but also which observation, rule or decision was involved. Les-by-Mel discusses this principle in the Dutch article Wanneer kennis geen vaardigheid wordt.
5. What happens during the practical driving test?
According to the CBR, the practical test takes about 55 minutes in total. The drive itself lasts roughly 35 minutes. You drive partly independently using navigation and mainly on the examiner’s instructions. Assessment includes vehicle control, observation, giving way, junctions, merging, leaving a motorway, changing lanes and special manoeuvres. See the official explanation at Hoe gaat het praktijkexamen auto?.
The examiner does not simply count every minor imperfection. The current Rijprocedure B states that the nature, seriousness and frequency of deviations determine whether a candidate is declared competent. Safe, independent and predictable behaviour therefore matters more than making every movement look technically perfect.
The interim test is a CBR practice test that lasts as long as the practical test. You receive feedback from an examiner. If you perform the special manoeuvres correctly, smoothly and safely, you may receive an exemption for them during your next practical test.
The examination location in South Limburg
The practical-test locations in South Limburg are still changing. The CBR has decided to leave Maastricht in the longer term and intends to concentrate practical tests from Maastricht, Urmond and Kerkrade at one location in Sittard-Geleen. A permit application for the proposed site at Hofkamp 31 was submitted in February 2026. The CBR stated that, if everything proceeds as planned, the location could open in mid-2027. The latest official explanation is CBR en gemeente onderzoeken nieuwe examenlocatie in Sittard-Geleen.
For learners from Maastricht, this is another reason not to depend on one familiar area or a few memorised routes. Strong training combines experience in relevant test areas with the ability to solve unfamiliar traffic situations independently.
6. ADAS: the car can assist you, but you remain responsible
Modern cars contain driver-assistance systems, usually called ADAS. Examples include cruise control, speed warnings, parking sensors, lane support and systems that warn or intervene when a collision may occur.
The CBR states that driver-assistance systems have been permitted during practical tests since 2016. During the preparation and vehicle checks, the examiner may ask questions about the systems, such as why clean sensors matter. An automatic parking system may not be used for the special-manoeuvres part of the test. See Driver-assistance systems during the practical test.
Since 1 April 2026, ADAS must also be assessed in the theory test. The CBR stressed that no additional study material was introduced on that date because questions about systems such as cruise control, ABS, dashboard symbols and sustainable driving already existed. Read the current CBR explanation of ADAS in the theory test.
The central rule is simple: with current driver-assistance systems, the driver remains responsible for the driving task. You should understand what a system does, where its limits are and when you need to intervene. Both the RDW and the current CBR driving procedure emphasise this responsibility.
7. A personalised lesson plan still needs to be clear
Learners do not all begin at the same level. A complete beginner needs to combine vehicle control, observation and decision-making step by step. An experienced expat may control the car confidently but still need to replace habits that do not fit Dutch traffic. Test anxiety, learning pace and the choice between a manual and an automatic car can also affect the plan.
Personal instruction is valuable only when progress remains concrete. You should know what you are practising, what is already satisfactory, what still needs work and why taking the test is or is not yet sensible.
According to its website, Les-by-Mel uses focused lesson blocks and live demonstrations that students can review on their phones. It also offers a Mindset Reset and additional driving skills, including sessions in a parking garage, a car wash, a large city and after dark. These sessions may also be useful after you have passed if a specific situation still feels unfamiliar.
8. How do you choose a good driving school in Maastricht?
When looking for a driving school in Maastricht, compare more than the hourly rate. A cheap lesson is poor value if there is no clear plan or if the same mistakes are repeated without useful feedback.
Ask how the intake and package recommendation are determined.
Check whether you will have a consistent instructor and consistent feedback.
Ask how progress is recorded and how the school decides that you are ready for the test.
As an expat, choose explanations in a language you understand without skipping Dutch traffic logic.
Check whether you practise in busy, realistic traffic and in different areas.
Confirm exactly what a package includes, such as theory, the interim test and the practical test.
At Les-by-Mel, you can view the current lesson packages and prices, read about the teaching method and additional sessions, or discuss your situation through the contact page.
Ready for your first driving lesson in Maastricht?
Good driving instruction prepares you for more than the CBR test. It teaches you to understand what is happening around you, why you make a particular decision and how to continue safely without an instructor beside you.
Do you live in Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen or the Heuvelland and want to know which lesson plan fits your experience and goals? Start with an intake and discuss honestly what you can already do, where you feel uncertain and what you want to handle independently after obtaining your licence.