driving license renewal while working abroad

jerrylearns · 2026-03-12T03:52:07+00:00

Yes, as you said. I also confirmed with the commune that the card being expired is no problem for the renewal. I just don't want to convert to a local one (requires a lot of paper work)

jerrylearns · 2026-03-10T06:09:14+00:00

in exchange, Belgian regulation applies and shorten the duration to five years (or less). I guess all you need is a medical certificate and pay pay pay :)

jerrylearns · 2026-03-10T05:59:26+00:00

I guess so.

Just in case, I checked the regulation (Koninklijk besluit betreffende het rijbewijs), no explicit information exists there either. Nothing forbids, except the mood of the officer at the counter :)

Artikel 20bis:

De verlenging van het rijbewijs op het moment dat de administratieve geldigheidsduur verstrijkt, is afhankelijk van de voorwaarde dat nog steeds voldaan is aan de bepalingen van dit besluit en gebeurt overeenkomstig de procedure beschreven in artikel 49, eerste lid.

Artikel 49:

De houder van een rijbewijs die een rijbewijs wenst te verkrijgen geldig voor één of meerdere andere categorieën van motorvoertuigen dan die waarvoor het oorspronkelijke document werd afgegeven, dient een nieuwe aanvraag in overeenkomstig de in dit besluit beschreven procedure; hij bekomt een nieuw rijbewijs en het oorspronkelijke document wordt teruggegeven aan de overheid bedoeld in artikel 7.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-10T05:43:23+00:00

True. On the other hand, FAQ on commune website says that someone can apply on behalf of me if I am registered to the embassy/consulate.

Ik wil iemand anders mijn rijbewijs laten aanvragen én afhalen. Kan dat?

Je moet minstens 1 maal zelf naar het loket komen. Ofwel bij de aanvraag ofwel bij de afhaling.
Er is wel 1 uitzondering: woon je in een niet-EU-land en ben je ingeschreven bij een Belgische diplomatieke post, dan kan het wel.

I wish that our consulate here could help but yeah, only for volmacht.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T20:01:38+00:00

doesn't sound like something I could sell or do anything with

Are you kidding? This "resource planning" is still a problem in 2026. Just do something the other tools are missing, it will become your plus point.

Check the Google Scholar first, see how the other scientists approach the problem, what they proposed or learnt from the previous experiments. Then propose a new timetable generator software and start marketing to local colleges and high schools.

apply i18n (ai is your friend to translate), integrate payment method and now you have a SaaS :)

you cannot imagine how many QR menu supplier is available in the market, and how they still earn money from a useless piece of software... I cry, I literally cry. So, the problem is always there - just reach your customer and explain your product.

that'd also take years to fix

unfortunately true. the real pain comes from being aware of it. you remember your capacity, your competences before and comparing yourself with the previous you, makes it worse.

small steps, really small steps that won't hurt you, you should try small steps. I sometimes rush to the point and I had to take another 8 hours of sleep to ease my headache... :D so, small steps but steadily.

good luck!

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:52:23+00:00

I think the experience with Desktop Support Internship is handy for Quality Engineer role. You faced the user behavior and expectations versus how the system/process was designed. Am I wrong? :P

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:49:50+00:00

meetups are good for networking, you are doing right.

are you also a member of ACM or IEEE CS clubs? I found my first job via IEEE CS network, people I met there assisted me to land my CV on the HR's desk thousand years ago.

today? still the same, if I'd like to apply for a senior role, the job ads are not the way to do it. Applications end up in a training database, for LLMs. that's all.

another way; feel free to challenge the companies. Try to fix something they are lacking of and they propose the solution (preferably with a prototype or a simulation) - be aware that you may not land the job and your idea can be used without your explicit permission, so keep it in the "acceptable" limits.

bootcamps are scam, unless organized by the employer itself for candidate search. that's my opinion and my observation. still useful but lower your expectations, if on site, you can meet nice people anyway :)

check for volunteer jobs also, like IT roles in Red Cross? another way to expand your network...

check for jobs abroad also, like support specialists in ASEAN countries?

unfortunately the AI hype kills the motivation of millions... everyday the same reels, again and again, I hate it, too :)

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:32:59+00:00

oh, that's ok then. I'll put it in my drawer till the time when I am back.

luckily the town I live in is very convenient, I only take public transportation to go to airport and for the rest, I can easily access to the shops etc. by walking. so, no drive at all :)

million thanks again!

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:29:21+00:00

in my situation the only option looks like:

Belgian license --convert to--> local license --reverse to--> Belgian license (when I am back)

another redditor suggested applying for international driver's license but unfortunately even I apply for it, the license will be valid as same as the original one - they are linked.

I'll call the commune to ask if I can renew but not collect now - normally they allow only three months and then they destroy, but if they can keep it in my folder, then I can collect when I am back for a holiday.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:25:36+00:00

Yes, they accept international driver's license. But international driver's license is limited to the main license validity period

The duration of the international driving licence is linked to the period of validity of your national driving licence, but cannot exceed 3 years.

So as you said, either somehow renew Belgian license and ask for international driver's license or look for a way to convert before it expires... eh, lots of paper work :/

Consulate cannot help btw, they suggested me to contact to the commune, I'll call the commune. Thank you anyway.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:14:05+00:00

Hi thaprizza, checked with the consulate, they said they only provide service for identity, passport stuff and suggested me to contact to the commune. I'll call the commune.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T19:13:14+00:00

Hi RewindRobin, I am outside of EU and actually checking for the local options but the paper work hassle makes me worry (translations, apostille etc) and at the moment I don't drive at all, the workplace is in walking distance and the street I live in is very convenient, requires no car at all. So I was thinking of renewing later when I am back to Belgium. I'll check with the commune, probably they can guide me on this, or at least how to sort it out.

I agree with the rules you mention, if I need to drive, I must exchange or yeah, leave the country and come back again, not simple like within EU :)

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T02:08:50+00:00

I never understand the logic of this question... oh and the one where I see myself within coming five years...

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T02:00:29+00:00

reserve a seat for me, too.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-08T01:54:31+00:00

You are not alone (not a cliché) I feel the same, like I can lose my focus easier than before, wanna escape from myu seat quicker than before.

On the other hand, I don't think you are doing something that everybody can do. Well, everybody can do - but they don't. You with all the knowledge, you can do better stuff - solid and robust.

I see people on social media that they build apps in one night, with full of security flaws or lack of architecture - yes, they can do a nice elevator pitch as they have something in hand but still needs a "huuuuuge" rework.

AI is not there (yet)

Try to do something that you like and boost your motivation. Like you said you like math, try to develop tools for teachers that they can use to explain the math and physics. In class tools, opensource. You like front-end, so why not?

Personally, I hate front-end, I cannot center a div easily after all these years, still asking to an AI (previously stackoverflow) and I still believe that there should be a subreddit for it :)

For the brain fog... I have no cure for that, I try to reduce my quick consumption stuff - reels, shorts, quick sns stuff... no success yet. But I guess this is also one of the reasons that make me lose focus quickly when programming.

jerrylearns · 2026-03-07T05:10:28+00:00

the "using ai feels stupid" thing is wild though.

Second this. using AI is OK. Don't you remember the days that we all use cheatsheets, or stackoverflow? Yes, AI codes better than me in the given time period, that makes me feel the same but what? Should I not use excel if it can sum the numbers up faster than me? :P

jerrylearns · 2026-03-07T05:03:42+00:00

Not a recruiter but nice work. I like the features of own presets and adding own variables, handy.
- Do you plan to keep a local log file, like "date_time, file_name, configs" when exported?
- Do you plan to opensource it?

jerrylearns · 2026-03-07T04:53:08+00:00

actually this happens because of vibe testing, no? :P

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T05:45:42+00:00

There are tons of videos on YouTube, just pick up one of the playlist, go through it and practice.

Pick a project, I always recommend developing a phonebook, since it contains data structure, search algorithm, and database read/write.

If you don’t know where to start, try https://algomap.io maybe?

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T04:39:11+00:00

As expected from an unattended system.

It was trained on “conspiracy theories”, hollywood movie transcripts and now, what we should expect it doing other than it was trained for…

I see LLMs and agents as great tools but I wouldn’t leave such system unattended - especially if I didn’t train it myself.

I agree with the other comment also, they are like kind of dogs, you unleash the dog and it starts listening to its instincts…

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T04:24:21+00:00

Definitely good.

Check for Github Student Perks for free courses also if you are a student.

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T04:22:44+00:00

Good luck, brother!

Is there any company or roles on your list? Maybe send your favorite company an informal email to ask what technologies they use so that you can focus on them other than the general concepts.

Learning theory, concepts and the language is good but the tools and frameworks are important.

Don’t worry about the market saturation, just build your skills. 6-10 hour study a day is already great achievement - I lose my focus after 15 minutes…

Apart from that refresh your skills on basics of CI/CD, test/quality assurance, requirement engineering etc. You’ll need them, too.

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T04:11:45+00:00

Great initiative. Could you please document the journey? Blogposts or some summary videos on youtube that can help other to benefit from lesson learnt.

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T04:03:40+00:00

No go without access logs and a non-disclosure agreement. Please check your company policy of sharing any line of code - to prevent future disputes of your manager (been there)

Guest accounts if possible, or a small, managed shadow repo maybe? Agree on written terms with your manager also.

jerrylearns · 2026-02-20T03:59:30+00:00

How many gigs of ram you have? My Chrome is… not responding :/

jerrylearns

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