Importing Your Car Into the Netherlands 2026: BPM, Registration, Insurance

Bringing your own car to the Netherlands sounds like the simple option. You already own it, you know its history, and shipping or driving it here feels cheaper than buying something unfamiliar in a market you do not understand yet. Sometimes that is true. Often it is not, and the reason is a single tax with an unforgiving structure: BPM.

This guide walks through the whole sequence in the order you will actually meet it — the decision of whether to import at all, the removal-goods exemption that makes it viable for many new residents, the RDW inspection, the BPM declaration, plates, road tax, and insurance. Figures and rules change annually, so treat every number here as an indication and verify with the RDW and the Belastingdienst for your specific vehicle before you commit.

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💡 Related: car insurance in the Netherlands for expats, exchanging your driving licence, car leasing options for expats.

Quick answer: To import a car you book an RDW inspection, attend in person with the original foreign registration certificate, and file a BPM declaration with the Belastingdienst — always, even if you are exempt. BPM is CO2-based with a fixed base amount plus rising per-gram brackets and a diesel surcharge, reduced by depreciation for used cars. New residents can claim the removal-goods exemption if they owned and used the car for at least six months before moving and keep it for twelve months after. Registration takes days, not weeks; Dutch third-party insurance and road tax start from the registration date.

First Decide Whether Importing Makes Sense

Before any paperwork, run the numbers. There are three costs that determine whether importing is sensible:

1. BPM — the Dutch purchase tax on passenger cars and motorcycles. On a large petrol or diesel car this can run into thousands of euros, and it is charged on top of what you already paid for the vehicle in your home country.
2. Transport and compliance — shipping or the drive itself, plus any modifications, headlight adjustments or documentation the RDW requires for non-EU vehicles.
3. Running costs here — motorrijtuigenbelasting (road tax) is weight- and fuel-based and is significantly higher for diesel and LPG vehicles than for petrol. Dutch fuel prices are among the higher ones in Europe. A car that was cheap to run at home can be expensive to run here.

The removal-goods exemption removes the first of those three, which is why it usually decides the question. If you qualify, importing your own car is frequently the cheapest way to have a car in the Netherlands. If you do not qualify — for example you bought the car two months before moving — the BPM bill can easily exceed the price difference against simply buying a used car locally.

If you land on the “buy here instead” side, see best second-hand car platforms in the Netherlands and car leasing options for expats for the alternatives.

The Removal-Goods Exemption (Verhuisboedelvrijstelling)

This is the provision most new arrivals should investigate first. It treats your car as part of the household goods you are moving, and waives BPM on that basis.

The conditions, in the form they are normally applied:

• You are transferring your normal place of residence to the Netherlands — a genuine relocation, not a second home or a temporary stay.
• You owned and used the vehicle for a minimum period before the move — six months is the figure generally cited.
• The vehicle arrives as part of the relocation, within the window allowed around the move date.
• You do not sell, give away, lend, rent out or pledge the vehicle for twelve months after the import. Breaching this triggers the BPM you were exempted from.
• The vehicle was properly registered and, where applicable, taxed in the country you are leaving.

Two practical warnings. First, the exemption is claimed inside a BPM declaration — the declaration itself is mandatory regardless of exemption, and skipping it is the most common way people turn a zero-euro liability into a problem. Second, keep the evidence: registration documents in your name, insurance certificates covering the six-month period, maintenance invoices, and proof of your deregistration abroad and registration here. If the exemption is queried, the paper trail is what settles it.

The exact conditions and the application route are published by the Belastingdienst, and cross-border cases (leased cars, company cars, cars registered in a spouse’s name) get complicated fast. If yours is not a plain case of “my own car, owned for years, moving with me”, get written confirmation before shipping.

How BPM Is Actually Calculated

BPM (belasting van personenauto’s en motorrijwielen) is emissions-based. The structure in 2026:

• A fixed base amount charged on every passenger car, including fully electric ones. For 2026 this sits just under €700, and the exact figure is published in the annual tariff table.
• A per-gram CO2 charge on the vehicle’s WLTP emissions figure, rising through successive brackets — the higher the emissions, the steeper the rate on each additional gram.
• A diesel surcharge per gram above a threshold (lowered to 69 g/km for 2026), which is why diesel imports are disproportionately expensive.

Both the bracket boundaries and the rates are adjusted every year — the boundaries tighten and the rates rise slightly, a deliberate mechanism to keep revenue stable as new cars get cleaner. That means a calculation you did last year is not valid this year.

Depreciation on used cars

You do not pay the full BPM on a used vehicle. BPM is treated as attached to the car and written down over its life, so you owe only the residual amount. Three methods are permitted:

• The standard depreciation table (forfaitaire tabel) — fixed percentages by age. Simple, no cost, but often unfavourable for cars that have held their value poorly.
• A recognised price list (koerslijst) — DAT, Eurotax or comparable, based on the actual Dutch market value of your model, mileage and condition. Usually the best outcome for ordinary cars.
• An independent valuation report (taxatierapport) — for damaged, unusual or collectible vehicles where neither of the above reflects reality. Costs a few hundred euros but can save far more.

You choose the method in your declaration and must be able to substantiate it. For anything other than a standard, undamaged, mainstream model it is worth paying an import specialist to run all three and file the most favourable one — the fee is frequently less than the difference.

Do the sums with the Belastingdienst’s own BPM calculation tool using your car’s exact WLTP figure from its registration certificate. Third-party calculators are useful for a rough sense of scale, but the declaration is filed against the official tariff table.

Step by Step: From Foreign Plates to Dutch Plates

Step 1: Register yourself first

You need to be registered with your gemeente and hold a BSN before the vehicle side works properly — the registration is tied to you as a resident. If you have not done this yet, start with registering with the gemeente and getting your BSN.

Step 2: Gather the vehicle documents

At minimum:

• The complete original foreign registration certificate — all parts of it. A copy is not accepted, and a missing part will stop the appointment.
• Valid photo ID and your driving licence.
• The Certificate of Conformity (CoC) if you have it. It is not mandatory for EU imports, but it makes the technical data check straightforward and can help establish the WLTP CO2 figure used for BPM.
• Any valid roadworthiness certificate from the country you are leaving. If you are moving from an EU country and the car has a valid periodic inspection certificate, the RDW can record its expiry date so you are not immediately due a Dutch APK — mention this at the appointment.
• Purchase invoice or proof of ownership, plus the evidence set for the removal-goods exemption if you are claiming it.

Step 3: Book the RDW inspection

Inspections happen at RDW test stations around the country; you book an appointment for your nearest one. Key points that catch people out:

• You must attend in person as the owner. You cannot send a friend, a partner or the shipping company in your place.
• Arrive early — around fifteen minutes before the slot.
• For a car from an EU or EFTA country, the appointment is largely identification and document verification, and it is comparatively quick. For a car from outside the EU, expect a fuller technical inspection and, potentially, modifications before it will pass.
• The fee depends on the vehicle’s origin, type and age; the RDW can quote it before you book.

Getting the car to the test station legally, on foreign plates, without insurance problems is the fiddly part. Options include a transit registration, temporary trade plates arranged through an importer, or transporting it on a trailer. Confirm your route in advance rather than improvising on the day.

Step 4: The inspection itself

The RDW checks the vehicle identification number, the technical data and your documents. If everything matches and the vehicle meets requirements, the RDW enters it into the Dutch vehicle register there and then.

Step 5: File the BPM declaration

The declaration goes to the Belastingdienst. It is required in every case — full BPM, reduced BPM, or exempt. This is where you claim the removal-goods exemption and where you select and substantiate your depreciation method. The Dutch registration is not finalised for road use until the BPM position is settled.

Step 6: Registration certificate and plates

The RDW sends the vehicle registration certificate to the registered keeper’s address, normally within about five working days. With your registration number you order physical plates from a recognised plate supplier — a same-day job at most of them, for a modest fee.

Step 7: Insurance and road tax before you drive

Third-party liability insurance (WA) is mandatory from registration, not from first use. Motorrijtuigenbelasting starts running from registration too, and the Belastingdienst will send the assessment automatically once the vehicle is in your name.

Arrange the insurance to start on the registration date. Because you will have no Dutch claim-free years on record yet, quotes vary widely between insurers depending on how they treat foreign no-claims evidence — so compare rather than accepting the first quote. A Dutch comparison platform such as Independer or Geld.nl covers the main insurers in one place, and it is the fastest way to see who accepts a foreign claim-free statement and who does not.

Ask your previous insurer for a written claim-free years statement before you cancel the old policy. Some Dutch insurers accept EU no-claims history in full, some partially, some not at all — and the difference between “twelve years claim-free” and “new driver” on a premium is substantial. Univé, for example, states that no-claim years built up abroad are valid in the Netherlands in most cases, provided you can prove them with a statement from your foreign insurer (unive.nl, checked 30 September 2026).

For the wider picture on Dutch motor cover, deductibles and what WA versus WA-plus versus all-risk actually means here, see car insurance in the Netherlands for expats.

Cars From Outside the EU

If your car is coming from outside the EU customs territory, two extra layers apply before BPM even enters the picture:

• Import duty at the customs rate for passenger cars, and
• Import VAT on the customs value.

There are reliefs for genuine relocations here as well, and the household-goods logic can apply to duty and VAT alongside the BPM exemption — but they are separate reliefs under separate rules, assessed by Customs rather than only by the Belastingdienst. On top of that, non-EU vehicles more often need technical modifications (lighting, emissions documentation, safety equipment) to pass the RDW inspection.

For a US, UK, Japanese or other non-EU import, budget for a specialist. The combination of customs, VAT, BPM and technical compliance is where do-it-yourself imports go wrong most expensively.

Electric and Low-Emission Cars

Because BPM is emissions-based, a fully electric car pays only the fixed base amount — which is why importing an EV is comparatively cheap on the tax side. That does not automatically make it the right call: check that the charging connector and onboard charger suit Dutch infrastructure, and that the car supports the load-balancing and payment systems used here. See electric car charging in the Netherlands for how the public charging network and charge cards actually work.

Plug-in hybrids sit awkwardly: low official WLTP CO2 keeps BPM down, but road tax is weight-based and hybrids are heavy, so the annual cost can surprise you.

The Mistakes That Cost Real Money

Shipping before checking the exemption. If you bought the car three months before moving, you do not meet the ownership condition and the BPM is due in full. Establish this before the car is on a truck.

Skipping the BPM declaration because you are exempt. The declaration is the mechanism by which the exemption exists. No declaration means no exemption, plus a late-filing problem.

Selling within twelve months. The exemption is conditional on keeping the vehicle. Selling it inside the period claws the BPM back.

Accepting the standard depreciation table without checking a koerslijst. For an ordinary five-year-old family car, the difference between methods is regularly several hundred euros or more.

Letting insurance lapse between countries. Cancel the old policy from the date the Dutch one starts, not before. A gap in cover is both illegal while the car is registered and damaging to your claim-free record.

Forgetting the APK. If your foreign roadworthiness certificate has expired or was not recorded at the inspection, you need a Dutch APK before the car is road-legal. Book it as part of the import, not as an afterthought.

Assuming a grace period on foreign plates. Once you are a registered resident keeping a car here, the vehicle is expected to be on Dutch plates. Do not plan around an informal tolerance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay BPM if I bring my own car when I move to the Netherlands?

Not necessarily. The removal-goods exemption (verhuisboedelvrijstelling) waives BPM if the car is genuinely part of your household goods: you are transferring your normal residence here, you owned and used the car for at least six months before the move, and you do not dispose of it for twelve months afterwards. You must still file a BPM declaration and claim the exemption inside it.

How is BPM calculated on a used imported car in 2026?

From the WLTP CO2 figure: a fixed base amount plus rising per-gram brackets, with an additional per-gram surcharge for diesel above a threshold. For a used car you then deduct depreciation using either the standard table, a recognised price list, or an independent valuation. Use the Belastingdienst’s calculation tool with your car’s actual data.

How long can I drive on foreign plates in the Netherlands?

Treat the answer as “not long, and not safely”. Once you are registered as a resident and keeping the vehicle here, it is expected to be on Dutch plates. Arrange the inspection and declaration promptly, and check directly with the Belastingdienst if your case is unusual.

What does the RDW inspection involve?

For EU and EFTA imports, mainly identification and document verification against the original foreign registration certificate. You attend in person as owner, arrive early, and bring complete original documents. Non-EU vehicles face a fuller technical inspection.

The registration is created at the inspection, the certificate follows by post to the registered keeper — normally within about five working days — and you then order the physical plates from a recognised supplier using your new registration number.

Do I need Dutch car insurance for an imported car?

Yes, third-party liability cover is mandatory from registration. Arrange it to start on the registration date, and get a written claim-free years statement from your previous insurer first — Dutch insurers differ substantially in how much foreign no-claims history they recognise.

Final Thoughts

Importing a car into the Netherlands is a well-defined process with one genuinely decisive variable. If you qualify for the removal-goods exemption, the exercise is administrative: book the RDW inspection, bring complete original documents, file the declaration with the exemption claimed, order plates, insure it. If you do not qualify, do the BPM sum honestly before anything is shipped, because emissions-based tax on an older large-engine car can exceed what an equivalent car costs on the Dutch used market.

Whichever route you take, sort the insurance in parallel rather than at the end. Compare Dutch motor policies while the registration is in progress, so cover starts the day the car is legally yours here — and have your foreign claim-free statement in hand when you do.

One More Route Worth a Quote on an Import

Because an imported car with no Dutch history produces unusually wide quotes, it is worth collecting one from outside the comparison sites as well. UnitedConsumers is a Dutch consumer collective rather than an insurer: it buys as a group and mediates to a fixed panel — Allianz Direct, a.s.r., Avéro, Bovemij, Nationale-Nederlanden, ZERO and Rhion — across the three standard levels, WA, WA beperkt casco and WA casco (allrisk). Schadevrije jaren count towards the premium, and members get a free Pluspakket with an annual premium check, a verhaalservice and a fuel card. Its September 2026 promotion was 20% off the premium, running 1 to 30 September 2026, which is a temporary action rather than a standing price (unitedconsumers.com/autoverzekering, checked 18 September 2026).

Two caveats matter on an import specifically. The panel is seven insurers, not the whole market, so it is a second quote rather than a replacement for comparing — and the valuation basis for an unusual imported model is exactly the clause you need to read before buying casco cover. The site, the quote flow and the polisvoorwaarden are entirely in Dutch; we found no English-language information on it on 18 September 2026.

Check UnitedConsumers →

For the rest of the driving picture see exchanging your driving licence, car insurance for expats, and driving in the Netherlands.