How to Buy a Car in the Netherlands 2026

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First question: do you actually need a car?

Before you look at taxes and listings, work out whether a car improves your daily life. Public transport and cycling cover a lot of journeys in many Dutch towns, and the answer differs a lot between a city centre and a rural area. Use our cost of living calculator to model what a car adds to your monthly costs, and compare that with what cycling, public transport and occasional car rental cost for the trips you really make.

A car may make sense if:

• you live where public transport is infrequent;
• you have children or work that needs frequent trips outside the train network;
• you regularly carry heavy equipment or goods;
• you have mobility needs that make cycling impractical.

For cycling, see our cycling guide. For public transport, see the OV-chipkaart guide.

Costs to check before you buy

Owning a car in the Netherlands has several cost components. Check each with the official source for your own car, because amounts depend on the vehicle:

• Purchase price, with BTW (VAT) included when you buy from a dealer. A private sale is a different situation, so ask the seller.
• BPM, a registration tax. You may owe it if you bring a vehicle from abroad and apply for a Dutch plate. Check the Belastingdienst for the rules and the amount.
• Motorrijtuigenbelasting (MRB), the road tax. Check the Belastingdienst for the amount for your vehicle.
• Insurance, which you must arrange before you drive. After you transfer a vehicle into your name, you are responsible for obligations such as insurance and the APK (RDW).
• APK, maintenance, fuel and parking.

Use the Belastingdienst and RDW tools for exact figures, and add the numbers up for the specific car you are considering.

Buying a used car

You can buy from a dealer or from a private seller. Whichever you choose:

• check the APK expiry date;
• check the vehicle registration with the RDW;
• ask for the maintenance history and the odometer history;
• check that the seller can legally sell the car (valid registration card and transfer code);
• consider an independent inspection before you buy a car from a private seller.

The RDW publishes tips for buying a vehicle on its website.

Transferring ownership

You can transfer a vehicle into your name online, via the RDW service “Voertuig overschrijven”, if you meet these conditions (RDW):

• you are 18 or older;
• you are a private person or have a sole proprietorship or partnership (eenmanszaak or maatschap);
• you are registered in the BRP with a residential or postal address in the Netherlands;
• you have a valid ID and the DigiD app with identity check.

The seller needs a valid registration card (kentekencard) and the complete, valid transfer code (tenaamstellingscode). With a paper registration document you cannot transfer online, and you must go to a counter. You pay the fee with iDEAL or Wero, and you receive confirmation by email. Once the vehicle is in your name, you are responsible for all obligations such as insurance and the APK. If you do not have a DigiD yet, see our DigiD guide for expats. For a step-by-step guide, see our RDW car registration guide.

Importing a car

If you arrive with a car or want to import one, register the vehicle with the RDW first. You can then file the BPM return with the Belastingdienst (for businesses the Belastingdienst states that you register the vehicle with the RDW first and file the return afterwards). Check with the RDW and the Belastingdienst which rules apply to your vehicle, your country of origin and the date it was first registered. The rules for cars from outside the EU differ from those for cars from within the EU.

The APK

The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the Dutch vehicle inspection. The RDW schedule for cars up to 3,500 kg that are not older than 30 years is:

Vehicles of 30 years or older need an APK once every 2 years, and from 50 years there is no APK obligation. Age counts from the date of first registration (RDW). Check the APK status of a car in the RDW licence plate check before you buy.

Car insurance

Arrange insurance before you drive. The common levels of cover are third-party liability only (WA), WA plus limited cover for events such as theft and fire (often called WA+ or beperkt casco), and full cover for damage to your own car (allrisk or volledig casco). Your premium depends on factors such as your no-claim years, your age, your postcode and the car.

New arrivals can have no-claim years from abroad recognised in some cases. 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). Compare insurers on cover, excess and price before you choose, for example Univé.

Electric cars and company cars

If you drive a company car, the Belastingdienst applies a bijtelling for private use. In 2026 there are 2 rates, 18% and 22%, depending on the CO2 emissions of the car. For other zero-emission cars the 18% rate applies up to a catalogue value of €30,000, and the part above that is subject to 22% (Belastingdienst). If you are considering an electric car, check the current rules for road tax and bijtelling with the Belastingdienst, because they change from year to year.

Selling the car when you leave

If you stay for a limited time, think about how you will sell the car. You can sell it in the Netherlands, or you can export it to another country, which has its own import rules. Compare the cost of buying and selling a car with leasing or long-term rental if your stay is short.

Driving licences

A licence from outside the EU or EFTA may be used for up to 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands, and after that only a Dutch licence counts (RDW). A licence from an EU or EFTA country stays valid for 15 years after it was issued. If you want to drive longer, apply for an exchange in time, because the RDW needs at least 15 working days to process it. You may also need a health declaration from the CBR. Which licences can be exchanged depends on the country of issue, so check the RDW website.

See the full process in our driving licence exchange guide and the CBR driving exam guide.

Summary: what to do in order

1. Decide whether a car improves your life (see the cost of living calculator).
2. Check your licence situation: exchange or exam?
3. Check the costs for the specific car with the Belastingdienst and RDW.
4. Check the APK status and the registration of any car you consider, and consider an independent inspection.
5. Transfer ownership online with the RDW. See our RDW car registration guide.
6. Arrange insurance before you drive.

For Dutch traffic rules and driving, see our driving in the Netherlands guide. For the cost of owning a car against the alternatives, use our cost of living calculator and the cost of living breakdown guide.