In this guide
Whether to lease or buy depends on your time horizon, your income, your appetite for admin and your employer’s benefits.
💡 Considering buying instead? Read best Dutch second-hand car platforms for expats 2026 — covers Marktplaats, AutoTrack, and what to inspect.
How car leasing works in the Netherlands
Private lease (privélease): You sign a contract for a set period and pay a fixed monthly amount that typically includes the car, road tax, insurance, maintenance and breakdown assistance, within an agreed yearly mileage. You return the car at the end. This is what most expats mean by “leasing”.
Business lease (zakelijk leasen): The same type of product, contracted through a company. If your employer gives you a lease car that you also use privately, a taxable addition to your income (bijtelling) applies; see the Belastingdienst page on bijtelling. It is available only if your employer or your own business arranges it.
Subscription: Some providers offer car subscriptions with shorter commitments than a standard lease. Terms and prices differ per provider, so compare the cancellation rules.
For most expat employees on a regular payroll, the realistic choice is between a private lease, a subscription and buying.
What to check in a private lease
- What is included: road tax, insurance, maintenance, tyres (winter tyres), breakdown assistance and the yearly mileage. Fuel or charging is normally not included.
- Mileage and damage rules: check the price per excess kilometre and how damage at return is assessed. Photograph the car at delivery and at return.
- Early termination: under the general terms of the Keurmerk Private Lease you can terminate after 12 months with at least one month’s notice and a fee. The lessor must tell you the fee or its calculation before you sign. Without the Keurmerk, the contract decides, so read it.
- Price changes: under the Keurmerk terms the monthly amount may only change for tax increases such as road tax, VAT or insurance tax.
- Quality mark: the Consumentenbond advises choosing a lessor that has joined the Keurmerk Private Lease, comparing several providers on monthly price and conditions, and comparing leasing with buying, because private lease has become more expensive in recent years.
We do not rank or recommend lease providers and we do not publish indicative monthly prices, because prices differ per car, contract length and mileage. Request quotes for the same car, term and mileage from several providers.
For a detailed look at contract terms, see private lease explained for expats.
BKR registration
A private lease is registered with BKR, the Dutch credit register. The lessor reports the lease and the financial obligation; since 1 April 2022 the full sum of the monthly instalments is registered. This can reduce how much you can borrow, for example for a mortgage. Arrears of more than two months are also reported to BKR (Keurmerk Private Lease). Moving to the Netherlands means you start without a Dutch credit history; each lessor decides what it requires.
Leasing vs buying
Leasing suits people who stay for several years and want a fixed monthly amount without maintenance admin. Buying second-hand can be cheaper if you can pay up front and handle maintenance. If you are unsure how long you will stay, check the termination rules first and compare a lease quote with a purchase budget over the same period, including the BKR effect. For the buying route, see how to buy a car in the Netherlands and leasing vs buying a car as an expat.
Special expat considerations
Time horizon
The biggest decision factor is how long you will stay. Early termination before 12 months is generally not possible under the Keurmerk terms, and every termination involves a fee. If your residence permit or contract is short, consider the shortest term available.
Payment
Lessors typically collect payments by direct debit. Ask the provider whether it accepts a foreign IBAN before you sign. Our banking guide covers setting up a Dutch account.
Driving licence
You need a valid driving licence. An EU/EFTA licence may be used in the Netherlands for another 15 years from the date of issue (categories AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE; five years for C and D), as long as it remains valid; a licence issued more than 15 years ago may be used for another 2 years after you move here (RDW). A non-EU licence may be used for the first 185 days after you move here — see Dutch driving licence exchange 2026 for the full process.
Electric cars
Taxes and incentives for electric cars change regularly, so check the current rules for road tax and bijtelling on the Belastingdienst website before you decide. For running costs, compare your charging options (home, work, public) because charging prices differ widely. See electric driving in the Netherlands for more.
For the broader first-year setup, see first year in the Netherlands as an expat and Amsterdam vs Rotterdam cost of living.
Frequently Asked Questions
Private lease vs business lease: what is the difference?
With a private lease (privélease) you sign a consumer contract and pay a fixed monthly amount for a car for a set period. A business lease is contracted through a company, for example your employer or your own business; if you drive an employer-provided car privately, a taxable addition (bijtelling) applies to your salary (Belastingdienst). Business lease is only available if your employer or your business arranges it.
Can I get a private lease as a newly arrived expat?
It depends on the provider. Lessors check your credit through BKR and usually look at your income, your contract and your address registration; their own conditions say what they require. Compare the conditions of several providers.
What is included in a private lease in the Netherlands?
The monthly amount typically covers the car, road tax, insurance, maintenance and breakdown assistance, within an agreed yearly mileage. Fuel or charging is normally not included. What exactly is included differs per provider, so check the contract.
What is the Keurmerk Private Lease?
A quality mark whose general terms were drawn up with the Consumentenbond and are used by lessors that joined it. Under those terms the lessor may only raise the monthly amount for tax increases, and early termination is possible after 12 months with at least one month's notice and a fee (Keurmerk Private Lease).
What happens to my lease if I leave the Netherlands early?
Under the Keurmerk terms you can terminate after 12 months with at least one month's notice and pay a termination fee. The lessor must tell you the amount or the calculation method before you sign, and your lessor's supplementary terms may allow earlier termination. Read the early-termination clause carefully before signing.
Is a private lease registered with BKR?
Yes. Lessors under the Keurmerk report the lease and the financial obligation to BKR; since 1 April 2022 the full sum of the monthly instalments is registered. This can reduce how much you can borrow, for example for a mortgage (Keurmerk Private Lease).