In this guide
Whether you are buying a car locally or importing one, here is how the registration works, based on RDW, the Belastingdienst and NederlandWereldwijd.
Before you start, make sure your Dutch admin foundations are in place. RDW requires you to be registered in the BRP (the municipal population register) to import a car or put one in your name. See our BSN registration guide and the complete guide to moving to the Netherlands if you are still getting settled.
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Two Routes: Buying Locally vs Importing
Buying a car in the Netherlands, from a dealer or a private seller, means the car is already in the Dutch vehicle register. You transfer the registration to your name. No BPM declaration and no import inspection.
Importing a car from abroad means a car with a foreign registration enters the Dutch register. That involves an RDW inspection appointment, a BPM declaration to the Belastingdienst, Dutch number plates, motor vehicle tax and insurance.
Whether importing is cheaper than buying locally depends on the car and on the BPM; work out the BPM before you decide.
Buying a Car in the Netherlands: What the Process Looks Like
From a Dealer
If you buy from an RDW-recognised company, the company arranges the transfer for you (RDW). After the transfer the vehicle is immediately in your name. Arrange insurance before you drive away.
From a Private Seller
When you buy a car, you put the registration in your name (RDW):
- Check the car on the RDW’s free kentekencheck at rdw.nl: APK status and registration history.
- You must be 18 or older, be registered in the BRP with a home or postal address in the Netherlands and have a valid ID.
- The seller needs a valid kentekencard and the complete, valid tenaamstellingscode. Check the registration card before you pay.
- Transfer the registration to your name online (with the DigiD app with identity check) or at a kentekenloket, RDW counter or inspection station. With an old paper registration certificate you cannot transfer online.
- You have insurance in place before driving the car.
The seller then receives a vrijwaringsbewijs from RDW, confirming the car is no longer theirs (RDW).
Importing a Car: The Full Process
NederlandWereldwijd gives an eight-step plan for importing a car when you move to the Netherlands: (1) check whether you need to file an import declaration, (2) make an inspection appointment, (3) collect the documents, (4) go to the inspection, (5) file the BPM declaration, (6) pay motor vehicle tax (MRB), (7) take out insurance, (8) have plates made. The sections below follow that order. You must be at least 18 and registered in the BRP.
Step 1: Check Whether You Need an Import Declaration
If you move from outside the EU or EFTA, file with Customs before the inspection; if you want to import tax-free as household goods, you need a document from the tax authorities (RDW).
Step 2: Make an RDW Inspection Appointment
Make an appointment at an RDW inspection station, signing in with DigiD. If you are no longer allowed to drive on foreign plates, apply for a one-day registration number afterwards. You come to the inspection yourself. RDW states that the inspection of a car from another EU or EFTA country lasts 25 to 55 minutes.
Step 3: Collect the Documents
Bring (RDW):
- the complete original foreign registration certificate (RDW keeps it; make a copy for the BPM declaration)
- valid ID, driving licence or passport
- a Certificate of Conformity (CoC), which is not mandatory, but the CO2 value on it determines the BPM
Step 4: The Inspection
RDW identifies the vehicle and checks the documents. If everything is in order, RDW transfers the data to the Dutch vehicle register. Cars from outside the EU and EFTA that have no type approval must be approved individually, usually at the RDW test centre in Lelystad, and RDW says this takes a lot of time and money.
Step 5: File the BPM Declaration
You must file a BPM declaration if your vehicle is subject to BPM. According to the Belastingdienst, first have the vehicle inspected by RDW and then file the declaration; if BPM is due, you only receive the registration number once your payment has been received. You can file online as a private individual with DigiD if you used the fixed depreciation table, the vehicle has no BPM exemption and you took it to the RDW inspection yourself; the inspection data can take up to 5 working days to reach the Belastingdienst. Declarations based on a price list or a valuation report (taxatierapport) go on paper.
Have the vehicle identification number and the Dutch net list price (netto-catalogusprijs) at first admission ready.
Step 6: Receive the Registration Certificate
Once RDW and the Belastingdienst have approved, RDW sends the new registration certificate within 5 business days, and two business days later a letter with the complete registration code. Keep the code safe: you need it when you sell the car.
Step 7: Insurance and Motor Vehicle Tax
Insure the car for third-party liability (WA). The Belastingdienst then automatically sends a bill for motor vehicle tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting), if it applies to your vehicle.
Step 8: Number Plates
Find an authorised plate manufacturer and bring the registration certificate.
APK
Depending on the car and its age, an APK may be due; see the schedule below.
APK: The Dutch Vehicle Inspection
The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the Dutch mandatory roadworthiness test, comparable to the UK MOT. RDW’s schedule for cars up to 3,500 kg, counted from the date of first admission:
| Car | APK schedule |
|---|---|
| Petrol, alcohol and/or electricity, not older than 30 years | First APK at 4 years, then every 2 years, then every year from age 8 |
| Diesel, gas or other fuel, not older than 30 years | First APK at 3 years, then every year |
| 30 years or older | Every 2 years (no APK obligation from 50 years) |
You can have the car inspected up to 2 months before the APK expires and keep the same APK date. Look up your car’s APK date on the RDW kentekencheck. Garages set their own APK prices; compare a few before you book.
BPM Tax: A Deeper Look
BPM stands for belasting van personenauto’s en motorrijwielen. You pay it when you buy or import a car or motorcycle, and the amount is determined by the CO2 emissions (Rijksoverheid). The Belastingdienst has a tool to calculate the BPM.
Used Cars and Depreciation
For used imported cars the Belastingdienst allows three ways of calculating depreciation: the fixed depreciation table, a price list (koerslijst) or a valuation report (taxatierapport). Only the fixed table can be filed online.
Electric Cars
Fully electric cars pay only the minimum BPM tariff. Since 1 January 2025 the zero tariff has been abolished, so zero-emission cars also pay BPM (Belastingdienst). BPM rates change from year to year; check the current figures on belastingdienst.nl.
Moving With Your Own Car: BPM Exemption
- From another EU country: you can apply for an exemption from BPM if the car is part of your household goods, you used it for the same purpose before, you owned and used it for at least 6 months before the move, your normal residence was in the other country for at least 12 months before, and you apply within 12 months after the move. If you sell, rent or lend the car within 12 months after the exemption starts, you still pay BPM. You apply with a paper form sent to the Belastingdienst (Heerlen) (Belastingdienst).
- From outside the EU or EFTA: file an import declaration with Customs before the inspection and ask for the car to be treated as household goods. RDW says you then do not pay BPM, but you still file a BPM declaration, on paper.
Request any exemption before the RDW inspection (RDW).
Car Insurance: What You Need
Third-party liability insurance, WA-verzekering (Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheid), is the legal minimum. It covers damage you cause to other people and their property, not your own car.
Three levels are common:
| Level | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WA (third party) | Damage to others only |
| WA beperkt casco | WA plus limited own damage such as fire, theft, storm and glass |
| WA casco / allrisk | WA plus damage to your own car |
The exact cover differs per insurer and policy, so read the conditions.
Getting Insured as an Expat
Ask each insurer what it needs and whether it accepts your foreign licence and claim-free history. 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). Univé also lists what it asks for when you take out a car policy: the registration number, the date the car was put in your name, the meldcode, your claim-free years and a bank account number.
Costs
Look up the current RDW fees on rdw.nl; they differ per type of vehicle and procedure, and RDW sets new rates each year. The BPM depends on the car (use the Belastingdienst calculation). For an imported car you also pay the motor vehicle tax (MRB), billed by the Belastingdienst, and insurance, which differs per insurer and car. Plate manufacturers set their own prices for number plates.
For a broader view of what things cost here, see our cost of living guide for the Netherlands.
Tips and Common Mistakes
Do the BPM calculation before you commit to importing
A car that looks like a bargain abroad can cost more than an equivalent Dutch-registered car once BPM is included.
Check the RDW history before buying privately
Visit rdw.nl, enter the licence plate and check the APK status and registration history before you pay.
Sort your DigiD early
RDW’s online services (inspection appointment, online transfer) need DigiD, and online transfer needs the DigiD app with identity check. See our DigiD guide.
Do not keep driving on foreign plates
If you are registered in the BRP, you may only drive on foreign plates for a short time. Check NederlandWereldwijd for the rules for your situation.
Budget for motor vehicle tax
The Belastingdienst sends the MRB bill automatically once the car is registered. Our best bank accounts for expats guide covers the main options if you are still getting set up.
The Registration at a Glance
Buying locally: check the car, transfer the registration to your name, insure, drive.
Importing: (exemption request if relevant) RDW inspection appointment, inspection, BPM declaration and payment, registration certificate, insurance and MRB, number plates.
The main pitfall is not knowing about BPM before you start.
For questions around taxes more broadly, the Dutch tax system guide for expats is worth reading before you make any large financial decisions here.
Selling Your Car
When you sell a car, the buyer transfers the registration to their name, and you receive a vrijwaringsbewijs from RDW (RDW). Tell your insurer about the sale. Make sure the transfer is completed on the day of sale, because you stay the registered owner until then.
If you take your car abroad, ask RDW how to deregister it for export before you leave (rdw.nl).
Should Expats Own a Car in the Netherlands?
Before going through the registration process, ask yourself whether you need a car. In a big city, public transport and a bike often cover daily needs; a car can make sense where public transport is limited or you travel regionally. Work out the full cost (BPM, MRB, insurance, fuel, parking) against alternatives before you register a car.
Also compare car insurance options for your newly registered vehicle. Ask several insurers for a quote; car insurance in the Netherlands for expats explains what WA, WA+ and allrisk actually pay out.
A consumer collective is the third route. UnitedConsumers says it makes fixed costs cheaper “door samen groot in te kopen” (by buying in bulk together); for car insurance it offers policies from Allianz Direct, a.s.r., Avéro, Bovemij, Nationale-Nederlanden, ZERO and Rhion, on 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 (unitedconsumers.com/autoverzekering, checked 18 September 2026). Seven insurers is not the whole market, so use it next to a comparison run rather than instead of one. The site, the quote flow and the polisvoorwaarden are entirely in Dutch; we found no English-language information on it on 18 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a BSN to register a car in the Netherlands?
To transfer a vehicle into your name or import one, RDW requires you to be registered in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP), the municipal population register, and to be at least 18. Registration in the BRP gives you your BSN, so arrange that first at your gemeente.
How long does RDW car registration take in the Netherlands?
Transferring a Dutch-registered car to your name takes effect immediately after the transfer; a RDW-recognised dealer arranges it for you. When you import a car, RDW sends the new registration certificate within 5 business days of approval by RDW and the Tax Administration, and the full registration code two business days later (RDW; postal delivery times vary).
How much is BPM tax when importing a car into the Netherlands?
BPM (belasting van personenauto's en motorrijwielen) depends mainly on the car's CO2 emissions and, for used cars, on depreciation. The amount differs per car, so use the Belastingdienst's calculation rather than a rule of thumb. Since 1 January 2025 even cars without CO2 emissions pay a minimum BPM tariff. Moving from another EU country with your own car can qualify for an exemption (see the conditions in this guide).
Can I drive a foreign-registered car in the Netherlands long-term?
If you are registered in the BRP, you may only drive with foreign plates for a short period after arriving, then you must get Dutch plates (RDW, NederlandWereldwijd). The rules are different if you are registered in another country, if you come to study or if you work here temporarily for a foreign employer. Check NederlandWereldwijd for your situation.
Is car insurance mandatory in the Netherlands?
Yes. Third-party liability insurance (WA-verzekering) is the legal minimum for a car on Dutch roads. RDW's import steps include insuring the vehicle for WA, and the Belastingdienst then sends the motor vehicle tax (MRB) bill if it applies.