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

Bringing your own car to the Netherlands can look like the simple option, but it comes with a tax that depends on the car: BPM, the purchase tax on cars and motorcycles. This guide follows the order in which you will meet the steps, based on RDW, the Belastingdienst, Rijksoverheid and NederlandWereldwijd: the exemption question, the RDW inspection, the BPM declaration, motor vehicle tax, insurance and plates.

Rules and tariffs change, and your own situation (company car, leased car, car from outside Europe) can change the answer. Check the official pages named below before you commit.

Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you sign up via them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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

Quick answer: Move your registration first (you must be at least 18 and registered in the BRP). Then book an RDW inspection, go in person with the complete original foreign registration certificate, and file a BPM declaration with the Belastingdienst. The order is RDW inspection first, BPM declaration second, plates last. Moving from another EU country, you can apply for a BPM exemption for household goods if you owned and used the car for at least 6 months before the move. Since 1 January 2025 even a fully electric car pays BPM, at the minimum tariff.

First Decide Whether Importing Makes Sense

Before any paperwork, think about three cost blocks:

1. BPM. Rijksoverheid: you pay it when you buy or import a car, and the amount depends on the CO2 emissions. Fully electric cars pay only the minimum tariff.
2. Transport and compliance. Shipping or the drive itself, plus anything the RDW requires for a car from outside Europe.
3. Running costs here. Motor vehicle tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting) and insurance. The Belastingdienst sends the motor vehicle tax bill automatically once the car is registered (RDW).

If you qualify for the exemption described below, the first block can fall away. If you do not, ask the Belastingdienst’s calculation tool what BPM would be on your car before you ship it, and compare that with buying locally. See best second-hand car platforms in the Netherlands and car leasing options for expats for alternatives.

BPM Exemption When You Move From Another EU Country

Moving within the EU, you can apply to the Belastingdienst for exemption from BPM. According to the Belastingdienst, you can get it if:

• you move from another EU country to the Netherlands and bring a motor vehicle (car, van or motorcycle);
• the vehicle is part of your household goods (your personal belongings that you bring when moving);
• you use the vehicle for the same purpose as before;
• you owned and used the vehicle for at least 6 months before moving to the Netherlands; and
• you had your normal residence in the other country for at least 12 months before moving.

You must apply within 12 months after you move. The application is a form that you fill in on a computer, print, sign and send by post. RDW asks you to request the exemption before the inspection. If you get the exemption, family members who live with you in the Netherlands may also drive the car.

If you sell, rent out or lend the car within 12 months after the exemption starts, you still have to pay BPM. Even with an exemption you must still file a BPM declaration (Belastingdienst). RDW adds that you bring the Belastingdienst’s document stating the car qualifies as household goods to the inspection.

Moving from a country outside the EU or EFTA? Then you file with Customs before the inspection, and RDW inspects the car against the permanent requirements (RDW). The conditions are different from the EU exemption, so check the Belastingdienst and Customs pages for your case.

How BPM Is Calculated

BPM depends on the car’s CO2 emissions (Rijksoverheid). The emissions of new and imported cars are measured with WLTP; cars registered before September 2018 were tested with NEDC. The calculation has a minimum tariff, which fully electric cars pay. Cars that emit CO2 pay a higher amount.

• Electric cars: the zero tariff (nihiltarief) no longer exists. The Belastingdienst states that since 1 January 2025 you must pay BPM on cars without CO2 emissions, at the minimum tariff described by Rijksoverheid.
• Yearly adjustments: for 2026 to 2028 the CO2 bracket limits go down and the tariff and the diesel surcharge for cars and plug-in hybrids go up. For 2026 these are 1.55% (limits down), 1.57% (tariff up) and 1.57% (diesel surcharge up) (Rijksoverheid). A calculation from last year is therefore not valid this year.
• Damaged cars: if a car is worth less because of damage, the BPM can be set lower. An appraiser must determine the repair costs, and 31% of the appraised repair costs may be claimed as loss of value, in some cases more (Rijksoverheid).

We do not quote a BPM amount here because it depends on the exact CO2 value, the age of the car and the year. Use the BPM calculation tool of the Belastingdienst with the data on your registration certificate. If your Certificate of Conformity states the CO2 value, that value determines the BPM (RDW).

Step by Step: From Foreign Plates to Dutch Plates

NederlandWereldwijd lists the eight steps in this order: check whether you need to make an import declaration, book the inspection, collect documents, go to the inspection, file the BPM declaration, pay motor vehicle tax, take out insurance and have plates made.

Step 1: Register with your municipality first

To import a car you must be at least 18 and registered in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). If you have not done this yet, start with registering with the gemeente and getting your BSN.

Step 2: Check the import declaration and book the RDW inspection

You book an appointment at an RDW inspection station and sign in with DigiD. If you can no longer drive on foreign plates, you can apply for a one-day registration right after booking. For a car from outside the EU and EFTA, check first whether you have to file an import declaration with Customs (NederlandWereldwijd step 1).

Step 3: Gather the documents

RDW asks for:

• the complete original foreign registration certificate (RDW collects it; make a copy for the BPM declaration);
• valid ID, driving licence, passport or other valid identification;
• the Certificate of Conformity (CoC), which is not mandatory but whose CO2 value determines the BPM;
• if you are exempt: the Belastingdienst’s document stating that the car qualifies as household goods.

If you drove from an EU or EFTA country and the foreign periodic inspection (PTI/APK) is still valid, you can ask RDW to accept it at the reception desk. Bring proof: the original certificate, a mention on the foreign registration certificate or a sticker on the foreign number plate.

Step 4: The inspection

Come in person (RDW: no one else can submit the application, unless an RDW-authorised company visits you for the inspection) and arrive 15 minutes early. For EU and EFTA cars RDW states an inspection duration of 25 to 55 minutes. RDW identifies the vehicle and assesses the documents. If everything is in order, the data go to the Dutch vehicle register. A car from a country where traffic drives on the left needs mirrors and lighting for right-hand traffic. Fees are listed on rdw.nl.

If you bring documents after the inspection, discuss that with the inspection station, because it counts as a control inspection (RDW).

Step 5: File the BPM declaration

Submit the BPM declaration to the Belastingdienst if your car is subject to BPM. The Belastingdienst lists buying a car abroad and registering it in the Dutch vehicle register as a situation in which you must file. This is the step after the RDW inspection, not before it.

Step 6: Registration certificate and plates

Once RDW and the Belastingdienst have approved, RDW sends the new vehicle registration certificate within 5 business days, and two business days later a letter with the full registration code. Keep the code safe, because you need it when you sell the car. With the registration certificate you go to an authorised plate manufacturer.

Step 7: Insurance and motor vehicle tax

NederlandWereldwijd lists motor vehicle tax (step 6) and insurance (step 7) before the plates (step 8). RDW says you insure the vehicle for third-party liability (WA) and that the Belastingdienst automatically sends you a bill for motor vehicle tax. Once all steps are done and the Dutch plates are on the car, you may drive on the road.

Ask your previous insurer for a written statement of your claim-free years before you cancel the old policy, because Dutch insurers handle foreign no-claim history differently. Univé has an FAQ on whether you can use claim-free years built up abroad in the Netherlands (unive.nl, checked 6 October 2026); ask the insurer for the exact conditions.

For the wider picture on Dutch motor cover, see car insurance in the Netherlands for expats.

Cars From Outside the EU

RDW inspects each car without type approval individually when you import it from outside the EU and EFTA. For private individuals RDW notes that in most cases you need to visit the test centre in Lelystad, that it takes a lot of time and money, and that you pay the inspection costs even if the car is rejected. If you move from outside Europe, you file with Customs before the inspection. Because customs duties, VAT and technical requirements come on top of BPM, check the RDW and Customs pages for your car before you ship it.

Electric Cars

BPM depends on CO2 emissions with a minimum tariff, and fully electric cars pay that minimum tariff (Rijksoverheid). Since 1 January 2025 the zero tariff no longer exists (Belastingdienst). See electric car charging in the Netherlands for charging.

Common Mistakes

Paying BPM before the inspection. The order is RDW inspection, then the BPM declaration (NederlandWereldwijd).

Skipping the BPM declaration because you are exempt. The Belastingdienst states that a move to the Netherlands still requires a BPM declaration.

Selling or renting out within 12 months of the exemption. Then you still have to pay BPM (Belastingdienst).

Assuming electric cars are exempt. The zero tariff ended on 1 January 2025.

Bringing an incomplete foreign registration certificate. RDW asks for the complete original.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Not necessarily. Moving from another EU country you can apply to the Belastingdienst for exemption if the car is part of your household goods, you owned and used it for at least 6 months before the move and you lived in the other country for at least 12 months. Apply before the RDW inspection. You must still file a BPM declaration when you move, and BPM becomes payable if you sell, rent out or lend the car within 12 months after the exemption starts.

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

From the CO2 emissions (WLTP for most cars), with a minimum tariff that electric cars pay. From 2026 to 2028 the brackets are lowered and the tariff and diesel surcharge go up. Use the calculation tool of the Belastingdienst for your car.

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

Only briefly. How long depends on where the car is registered and on your situation, so check NederlandWereldwijd. RDW notes that you can apply for a one-day registration if you may no longer drive on foreign plates.

What does the RDW inspection involve?

For EU and EFTA imports RDW identifies the vehicle and assesses your documents (25 to 55 minutes). You come in person and bring the complete original foreign registration certificate and valid ID. Cars from outside the EU and EFTA without type approval are inspected individually.

When do I get my plates, and do I need Dutch insurance?

RDW sends the registration certificate within 5 business days after approval, with the registration code two business days later, and you then order plates. WA insurance is a step of the import, and the Belastingdienst sends the motor vehicle tax bill automatically.

Final Thoughts

Importing a car is a defined process. Check the BPM exemption first, book the RDW inspection, bring the complete original documents, file the BPM declaration and then arrange plates and insurance. If you do not qualify for an exemption, check the BPM amount with the official tool before anything is shipped.

One More Route Worth a Quote on an Import

An imported car without Dutch history can produce widely varying quotes, so a second quote can be worthwhile. UnitedConsumers offers car insurance in three levels, WA, WA beperkt casco and WA casco (all risk), and lets you enter your claim-free years and the start date in the quote. Its October 2026 comparison on unitedconsumers.com listed seven insurers (Avéro Achmea, Bovemij, Allianz Direct, ZERO, Rhion, a.s.r. and Nationale-Nederlanden), mentions a free Pluspakket and a free verhaalservice and premium check, and showed a discount promotion that changes over time (unitedconsumers.com/autoverzekering, checked 6 October 2026). The panel is a selection of insurers, not the whole market, and the site is in Dutch.

Check UnitedConsumers →

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