How to import your car in NL

Bringing a foreign-registered car to the Netherlands is separate from exchanging your driving licence or moving ordinary household goods. The vehicle route connects residence status, foreign-plate rules, Customs where relevant, RDW registration, BPM, insurance, number plates, motor vehicle tax and APK. The sequence is national, but the tax and approval route changes depending on whether you are moving or buying abroad and whether the vehicle comes from the EU/EFTA or elsewhere.

First establish whether you actually need Dutch registration now. If you are registered, or should be registered, as living in the Netherlands, foreign plates normally cannot remain in use by default. Temporary students, some seconded employees and some non-residents can have a different route, so check that before importing. If you do need to import, note where the vehicle comes from, whether it is part of a genuine move or a purchase, whether it has European type approval, and whether you may qualify for relocation relief. Keep the original foreign registration certificate and make a copy before an RDW inspection because RDW can collect the original.

Start with residence, origin and why the vehicle is coming to the Netherlands. Those facts decide whether you import now, whether Customs comes first and whether relocation relief can apply.

• You are moving to the Netherlands from another EU country with your own vehicle

  Dutch registration is normally the destination. Check the BPM relocation exemption before the RDW appointment. Current relief conditions include prior ownership/use and prior residence abroad, and the exemption carries restrictions on selling, renting or lending the vehicle during the first year.

• You are moving from outside the EU with your own vehicle

  Complete the separate Customs vehicle declaration first and check household-goods relief. If Customs grants the relevant import relief, use the matching BPM-exemption route before Dutch registration.

• You already live in the Netherlands and bought the vehicle in the EU/EFTA

  Use the RDW import and BPM route. An ordinary purchase abroad does not become tax-free relocation goods just because the vehicle crosses the border.

• You already live in the Netherlands and the vehicle comes from outside the EU/EFTA

  Customs duties and VAT can apply before the RDW/BPM steps, and a vehicle without usable European or national type approval can require individual approval by RDW.

• You are in the Netherlands temporarily as a student, seconded employee or non-resident

  Check the current foreign-registration exception before starting an import. Some temporary situations allow continued use of foreign plates under their own conditions.

1. 1

   Check whether Dutch registration is required now

   Start with where you are officially resident and whether a temporary exception applies. If you are registered, or should be registered, as living in the Netherlands, you normally cannot keep using foreign plates as if you still lived abroad. Students, some seconded employees and some non-residents can have a different route.

   Do this: Check your BRP/residence situation and the current foreign-plate exception before booking an import inspection or driving the vehicle as a Dutch resident.

   Documents needed

   • Your foreign vehicle registration details
   • Evidence of temporary study, secondment or foreign residence if you rely on an exception

   Processing time

   Do this before using the vehicle on Dutch roads after the point at which Dutch residence rules apply.

   Common mistake: Do not treat foreign plates as a grace period after becoming resident. If an exception is needed, check and arrange it before relying on it.

   Official source

   Netherlands Worldwide · Foreign registration plates and Dutch residence
2. 2

   Choose the origin and tax or exemption route before RDW

   The route differs between an EU/EFTA vehicle and a vehicle from outside the EU, and between genuine relocation goods and an ordinary purchase abroad. A relocation exemption can remove BPM when its current conditions are met, but it does not turn every import into household goods.

   Do this: Identify the vehicle origin and whether it is part of your move or a purchase, then check the current BPM exemption or ordinary BPM route before making the RDW appointment.

   Documents needed

   • Evidence of vehicle ownership and use
   • Evidence of prior normal residence when claiming relocation relief
   • BPM exemption application or decision when applicable

   Processing time

   Resolve the tax route before the RDW step when the authority requires the exemption to be requested first.

   Common mistake: Do not assume moving with a vehicle is enough for relief. Check the current ownership, use, residence and application conditions.

   Official source

   Belastingdienst · Current BPM exemptions and declaration routes
3. 3

   Complete Customs first when the non-EU route requires it

   A vehicle coming from outside the EU can require a separate Customs import declaration before Dutch registration. If the vehicle is genuine relocation property, Customs can grant household-goods relief when the current conditions are met. Otherwise import duty and VAT can apply.

   Do this: Complete the Customs vehicle declaration through the current route, claim household-goods relief only when eligible, and keep the import declaration or relief evidence for the RDW and BPM steps.

   Documents needed

   • Customs vehicle declaration
   • Proof of prior residence, ownership and use when claiming relief
   • Customs decision or import evidence

   Processing time

   Complete this before the RDW inspection when Customs is part of your route.

   Common mistake: A vehicle can require its own Customs declaration even when the rest of your household goods are handled in a wider removal shipment.

   Official source

   Douane · Vehicle import during a move from outside the EU
4. 4

   Book the RDW import inspection and prepare the vehicle documents

   RDW identifies or approves the vehicle for Dutch registration. A private applicant on the relocation route is registered in the BRP and attends the inspection with the original foreign registration certificate and the tax or Customs evidence that applies. Some non-EU vehicles need a more extensive individual approval route.

   Do this: Book the correct RDW import or relocation appointment, copy the foreign registration certificate before the visit, and bring the required ID, vehicle and tax/Customs documents. If foreign plates cannot legally be used for the trip, follow RDW's current one-day registration route.

   Documents needed

   • Original foreign registration certificate and a copy
   • Valid ID
   • Customs or BPM-exemption evidence where applicable
   • Vehicle conformity or approval evidence where required

   Processing time

   Book after the Customs/tax route is clear so you arrive with the evidence RDW expects.

   Common mistake: RDW can collect the original foreign registration certificate. Keep the copy you need for the later tax declaration before the inspection.

   Official source

   RDW · RDW relocation inspection and Dutch registration route
5. 5

   File the BPM declaration and use the exemption or payment route

   After the RDW identification or inspection, complete the BPM declaration through the route that applies to the vehicle. A relocation exemption can mean no BPM is payable, but the required BPM declaration still has to be filed with the exemption evidence.

   Do this: Use the current Tax Administration BPM form or online route for your situation, include the exemption decision when applicable, and pay BPM when the import is not exempt.

   Documents needed

   • BPM declaration
   • Copy of the foreign registration certificate
   • RDW inspection or identification details
   • BPM exemption decision when applicable

   Processing time

   Complete the BPM step promptly after RDW so the Dutch registration can be finalised.

   Common mistake: Do not copy an old BPM rate, depreciation table or calculation into your plan. Use the live Tax Administration method for the vehicle and date.

   Official source

   Belastingdienst · BPM declaration and exemption routes
6. 6

   Receive the Dutch registration, arrange WA insurance and get number plates

   Once RDW and the Tax Administration have completed the registration route, the Dutch registration certificate and registration code follow. A vehicle subject to compulsory insurance must have WA third-party liability cover, and Dutch number plates are made by an authorised plate manufacturer. Motor vehicle tax follows Dutch registration.

   Do this: Arrange WA insurance from the point the obligation applies, keep the registration certificate and code safe, have the Dutch plates made and watch for the motor-vehicle-tax notice from the Tax Administration.

   Documents needed

   • Dutch registration certificate
   • Registration code
   • Vehicle identification/reporting code needed by the insurer

   Processing time

   Arrange insurance and plates before using the newly registered vehicle on public roads.

   Common mistake: Do not wait to arrange compulsory insurance after the registration is in your name. The insurance obligation is separate from receiving the tax bill.

   Official source

   RDW · Insurance, number plates and obligations after Dutch registration
7. 7

   Check APK and keep the vehicle compliant after import

   After registration, check whether the vehicle is subject to APK and whether a valid foreign inspection was accepted or a Dutch inspection is now required. Keep the registration and tax evidence with the vehicle records so later changes can be handled against the current rules.

   Do this: Check the APK status and due date in the RDW route, keep the import and exemption documents, and separately use the driving-licence guide if your licence also needs attention.

   Documents needed

   • APK or foreign inspection evidence where relevant
   • RDW registration documents
   • Customs and BPM exemption evidence where used

   Processing time

   Check the inspection status as soon as Dutch registration is complete and before the vehicle is used beyond any accepted inspection validity.

   Common mistake: If you used relocation relief, do not sell, rent or lend the vehicle during a restricted period without checking the current exemption conditions and tax consequence first.

   Official source

   RDW · Inspection status and obligations for an imported vehicle

• Original foreign vehicle registration certificate, plus a copy for the tax file
• Valid identity document
• Proof of Dutch BRP registration where the RDW route requires it
• Customs import declaration or relief evidence when the vehicle comes from outside the EU
• BPM relocation-exemption decision when applicable
• Evidence of ownership and prior use when claiming relocation relief
• Vehicle conformity or approval documents where RDW requires them
• RDW inspection and later Dutch registration documents

• RDW charges for the inspection, identification and registration route that applies to the vehicle. Use the current RDW fee shown for the appointment.
• BPM may be payable unless a current exemption applies. The amount depends on the vehicle and tax route, so use the Tax Administration calculation and declaration method.
• For a vehicle from outside the EU, customs duty and VAT can apply when no import relief covers the vehicle.
• WA insurance, Dutch number plates and any required APK are separate costs set by the provider or inspection route.
• Motor vehicle tax (MRB) is a recurring tax after Dutch registration and is calculated by the Tax Administration.

Resolve foreign-plate eligibility before using the vehicle on Dutch roads as a resident. If you want relocation relief, apply through the correct tax/Customs route before the point specified by the authority. Book RDW only after the route and required evidence are clear.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Assuming a foreign-registered car can stay on Dutch roads indefinitely after you become a Dutch resident. Residence status changes the registration and tax position.
• Treating every car brought during a move as automatically tax-free. Relocation relief has conditions on prior residence, ownership, use and later transfer.
• Taking a non-EU vehicle to RDW before completing the Customs step that applies to it.
• Thinking a BPM exemption means there is no BPM declaration. The exemption changes what you pay, not whether the required declaration route exists.
• Handing the original foreign registration certificate to RDW without first keeping the copy needed for the tax file.
• Confusing vehicle registration with driving-licence exchange. They are separate procedures with separate owners.
• Freezing an old RDW fee, BPM table or MRB amount into the plan instead of checking the live source for the vehicle and date.

• After Dutch registration, keep WA insurance active for a vehicle subject to compulsory insurance and have the Dutch number plates made through an authorised manufacturer.
• Check the APK status and due date for the vehicle after registration.
• If you used relocation relief, keep the decision and evidence and follow the current restrictions before selling, renting or lending the vehicle.
• Use the driving-licence guide separately if your foreign licence also needs to be exchanged.