With a heavy vehicle licence (C1, C, C1E or CE), you can drive a truck. But after a while, your licence expires and you have to renew it. So when do you need to renew your heavy vehicle licence? What does the process involve? And what does it cost? We’ll explain it all in detail below.
When do I need to renew my heavy vehicle driving licence?
You must renew your heavy vehicle licence every five years at the municipality where you live. But you can’t just pop into the town hall. You also have to undergo a medical examination, and the CBR then has to assess your fitness to drive. It’s a good idea to make an appointment at least two months in advance. That way, you’ll avoid your licence expiring in the meantime and being unable to drive. You don’t want that!
Renewing Your Heavy Vehicle Driving Licence in 3 Steps
Renewing your heavy vehicle licence isn’t that difficult, but it can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. Especially because you have to undergo a medical examination. These days, the rest can be arranged online.
Here’s how the process works:
- Complete the health declaration
Before you can renew your heavy vehicle licence, you must complete a Health Declaration. You can get a paper copy from the town hall and then send it to the CBR, but doing it online is often much easier and faster. Simply log in to My CBR, click ‘Complete Health Declaration’ and answer the questions. You’ll usually receive the forms you need for the medical examination straight away.
- Medical examination
After completing the health declaration, you can make an appointment with an approved examining doctor. This is often an occupational physician. They will carry out a medical examination that includes:
- Preliminary discussion
The doctor will discuss your medical history with you. - Blood pressure measurement
The examining doctor checks whether your blood pressure is too high or too low. - Eye test
Your eyesight will be assessed. Do you wear glasses? If so, bring the prescription strengths with you too (on paper). - Urine test
Your medical examiner will test your urine for substances that may indicate certain medical conditions. - Physical examination
Your doctor will check how well your muscles and joints are functioning.
After the medical examination for renewing your heavy vehicle driving licence, the examining doctor fills in all the necessary forms and sends all the documents to the CBR. You’ll usually be back outside in 20 minutes or half an hour. Quick and easy!
- Waiting for the CBR’s decision
With the Health Declaration and the medical examination report, the CBR makes a decision about your fitness to drive. You’ll usually hear within a few weeks whether you can continue driving. You may also be referred for a driving test, asked to take certain measures, or deemed unfit to drive. If you are still fit to drive, you can finally renew your heavy vehicle driving licence at the town hall.
Don’t forget to bring your old driving licence and a recent passport photo!
Costs
Unfortunately, there are some extra costs involved in renewing your heavy vehicle licence. The Health Declaration currently costs €45,25 (2025). The medical examination also incurs a fee. Depending on where you have it done, you will usually pay between 75 and 90 euros. On top of that, there is the cost of your new driving licence. This also varies by municipality.
Please note: If you have a NIWO permit, you must also renew it every five years. Read more here about all the costs involved in obtaining and renewing your NIWO permit.
