Licence B: Theory & Practical Questions for Non-EU Licence Holders

[Manin22himan]

Hello everyone,
I trust all is well.
I’ve been living in Belgium for the past 2 years and I hold a valid Indian driving licence. I’m now going through the process of getting a Belgian driving licence B and I have a few questions that I hope someone can clarify:
1. Practical Lessons Requirement
Since I’ve been in Belgium for over 2 years and already have a driving licence from India, do I still need to take 12 hours of mandatory practical driving lessons before the practical exam?
2. Theory Exam Language Options
I took my theory exam in Alken (Flanders), and the system only displayed the questions in Dutch, with a robotic voice reading them out. I had difficulty understanding the questions.
• Is there any exam centre in Belgium (Flanders, Brussels, or Wallonia) where the written questions are displayed in English?
• Or atleast Can the questions be read by a real person instead of a robotic voice, (as in in Alken first it speak in dutch then English, enough time to loose the focus haha) especially for English-speaking candidates?
3. Negative Marking System Differences
In Flanders, 5 questions carry -5 penalty marks.
• Do other regions like Brussels or Wallonia have a less strict penalty system, e.g., only - 5 marks but just 2 or non ?
4. Theory and Practical Exam Locations
Do I need to take my practical exam in the same centre or region where I did my theory exam?
My current address is in Hasselt, but I’m wondering if I can take the theroy and practical test elsewhere (e.g., Brussels or Wallonia), where i have less minus marking questions. And centre which allow me to go for practical exam without taking the 12 lessons. Becus ei have the indian licence.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help! Your insights would be really appreciated.
Best regards,

[Noor]

Hi
I can't answer your questions completly but
2. In Flanders, this is the only option, but in Brussels/Wallonia in might be different
3. I'm pretty sure the grading system will be the same for whole Belgium, maybe even EU
4. it doen't matter where you take your exams as long as it's in Belgium

I hope it helped,
kind regards

[Vroom]

Hey there!
1. If you want to do a practical exam, you'll have to go through the progress of a new driver. You'll have to pass a theoretical exam before you can get a 'temporary driver's license'. You can choose to either follow 20 hours of practical lessons in order to get an M18 license, or you can choose a supervisor who will teach you in order to get an M36 license. That supervisor has to live in Belgium and has to be an owner of a European driver's license for at least 8 years. They also have to follow a course at a driving school of 3 hours at least 5 months before your exam. When you have got your license, you need to practice 5 months before you can do your practical exam to get your European driver's license.
2. If you want to do the exam in English, the way that you did in Alken is the only way. It's the same in every centre.
3. I believe It's the same everywhere.
4. You can do your exam wherever you want, except in Brussels, I think. I believe you can only do your practical exam there of you've passef the theoretical there, but I'm not sure.

Good luck!

[Inazuma]

4. it doen't matter where you take your exams as long as it's in Belgium

It DOES matter ...
It's become mighty complicated, and getting ever worse


In short: do the theory and practical exams in the same region

Wallonia (as of march 2025) & Brussels no longer accept theory exams from the other regions to do the practical exam ...

You also have to comply with the regional rules like first aid, driving logbook, risk perception tests (applied differently depending on region) ...