If you start a transport company, you need a Euro licence. The same applies if you start a courier company or work as a self-employed driver and drive a vehicle with a payload capacity of 500 kilos or more. You need to apply for this licence through the Nationale en Internationale Wegvervoer Organisatie (NIWO). But how much does a Euro licence actually cost? And what do the NIWO licence costs consist of?
Obtaining a NIWO licence: the costs
Of course, obtaining the NIWO licence involves costs. Nothing in life is free. These costs can mainly be divided into three parts: the exam, the application/issue of the licence and an annual levy. Here are all the rates for this year (2026):
1. NIWO exam costs
To obtain your NIWO licence, you need to take no fewer than 6 theory exams at the CBR. Each exam comes with its own costs:
- Business management: €153,05
- Goods calculation: €178,65
- Financial Management: €178,65
- Goods personnel management: €153,05
- Road haulage of goods, part 1: €153,05
- Road transport of goods part 2: €153,05
The total cost of the NIWO exam therefore comes to €969,50. Almost 1,000 euros!
2. Application
Have you passed the NIWO exams? Great. You can then apply for your Euro licence for the commercial road transport of goods. The current processing fee for the Euro licence application is €255,00. In addition, every vehicle must have a licence certificate. So if you have a larger fleet, you will need to apply for additional licence certificates. The current cost is €27,00 per licence certificate.
3. Annual levy
Unfortunately, the NIWO licence costs and the application fee aren't the only expenses. You also have to pay a levy for your Euro licence and for each additional licence certificate. The levy is currently €12,90 per half year (as of 1 January and 1 July). So you pay €25,80 per licence certificate in levies each year.
Tip: pay attention to the financial capacity requirement!
When applying for a Euro Licence, you need proof of professional competence. That is what you take those exams for. But you also need to have a genuine establishment, provide a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) and have sufficient financial standing. These may not be direct costs, but, for example, you need at least €9.000 in risk-bearing capital for the first vehicle. You need an additional €5.000 for each vehicle after that!
Costs of renewing the NIWO permit
The Euro Licence is valid for a maximum of 5 years. After that, you have to renew it. Renewing the NIWO licence also involves costs. The processing of an application to renew the Euro Licence currently costs €130,00. After the application has been processed, you pay an additional €27,00 for each licence certificate issued. After that, you can get back on the road throughout the European Union with all your vehicles.
Find out more: See all current rates here.
NIWO course costs
You therefore pay most of the NIWO licence costs for the exam. That makes it especially important to do well in the exams and pass them as soon as possible—ideally on your first attempt. To help you prepare, you can take a NIWO course at NuVrachtwagen.nl. You take a separate course for each of the 6 modules and sit the exam on the same day. The cost of our NIWO course? Just €371 per day course (excluding the exam)!
What you can expect from the course:
- An all-in-1 package, from the course materials to exam registration
- Personal attention for everyone
- Simple, clear and effective teaching method
- Coffee and treats
- Professional guidance at the CBR
- Pass guarantee
