How to import a used car to the Netherlands

At a glance

1. Check the documents before you buy. Ask whether you’ll receive the complete original foreign registration certificate with the car. Also ask about a Certificate of Conformity (CvO) and a valid foreign roadworthiness test report, if available.
2. Decide how to get the car to the Netherlands. Arrange transport or check which temporary number plates and insurance apply to your journey. A Dutch one-day registration is intended for use in the Netherlands on the day of inspection only.
3. Book an appointment with the RDW online. Bring valid proof of identity and the complete original foreign registration certificate.
4. Have the RDW inspect the car. The import inspection is not a full APK roadworthiness test. Ask the RDW whether a foreign test that is still valid can be carried over.
5. Then file a BPM return with the Tax Administration. Depreciation may reduce the gross BPM amount for a used car.
6. Wait for the Dutch registration number and have number plates made. If BPM is due, once the Tax Administration has received payment, it tells the RDW that the registration number can be issued. Have the plates made by an authorised registration plate manufacturer.

VAT and customs when buying in another EU country

For VAT purposes, a car counts as used only if it was first used more than 6 months ago and has travelled more than 6,000 kilometres. If the car doesn’t meet both conditions, it is treated as a new means of transport. So check both details before you buy: its age or mileage on its own is not enough. The Tax Administration explains the definition.

If you’re a private buyer purchasing a car in another EU country that counts as used for VAT purposes, you don’t pay Dutch VAT again when you bring it to the Netherlands. If it counts as a new means of transport, as a private buyer you pay VAT in the country of destination. No import duties are due on a car you bring to the Netherlands from another EU country. This says nothing about BPM or the cost of Dutch registration. Read the EU guidance on VAT and import duties and the EU guidance on new means of transport.

Which documents should you ask the seller for?

The key document for the RDW is the complete original foreign registration certificate. Before you buy, check whether the seller can give you every part of it. A photo or copy alone does not meet the requirement for an original document. Bring valid proof of identity to your RDW appointment too. This is explained in the RDW guidance and the Dutch government guidance.

Also ask whether the car comes with a Certificate of Conformity (CvO). A CvO is not required for this import procedure. It may contain details about the car that you’ll want to check as you prepare. If it’s missing, that alone doesn’t mean importing the car through the RDW is impossible. If you’re unsure, check your situation directly with the RDW.

Does the car still have a valid inspection from another EU country? Ask for the original inspection report. The RDW may carry over the expiry date of a foreign inspection that is still valid. According to NederlandWereldwijd, you need an original report for this assessment. Don’t assume that the RDW import inspection confirms the car fully meets APK requirements: the RDW expressly says that it doesn’t check this in full during the import inspection.

Step by step: RDW, BPM and Dutch registration

1. Book your RDW appointment online. This starts the application for a Dutch registration number. Have the complete original foreign registration certificate and your valid proof of identity ready beforehand. Check with the RDW what other details it needs for your car.
2. Have the RDW inspect the car. If the car has a foreign inspection that is still valid and you have the original report, ask whether its expiry date can be carried over. Also discuss how its APK status will be established; the import inspection does not replace a full check against all APK requirements.
3. File a BPM return after the RDW inspection. The Tax Administration requires this order. If you use a valuation list or appraisal report for your return, you must file it on paper. Before submitting, check which method and documents apply to your car.
4. Pay the BPM due, if any. Once the Tax Administration has received payment, it tells the RDW that the registration number can be issued. The Tax Administration explains this step.
5. Have the registration plates made. You can do this only through an authorised registration plate manufacturer. The manufacturer sets its own price, so ask for it before ordering. See the guidance on registration plates.

How much does it cost to import a car to the Netherlands?

Include the purchase price, transport, BPM, registration costs and number plates in your budget. Ask for current prices for items without a fixed fee. For example, registration plate manufacturers set their own prices.

When calculating BPM, allow for depreciation on used cars. See the BPM calculator and the Netherlands import cost calculator to work out the amount for your car. Check the result before filing your return; the Tax Administration explains depreciation.

Before registration, check whether a waste management contribution applies to your imported car and how much you need to pay. Refer to the published regulation. Prepare a budget for your car before you buy.

What a typical 2024 Volkswagen Golf costs, bought from Germany and registered in the Netherlands

What a typical 2024 Volkswagen Golf costs, bought from Germany and registered in the Netherlands

Cost	Amount
Price paid to the seller	€25,000
BPM (registration tax)The 2024-01 tariff (art. 10b) gives a lower BPM than the current one (gross EUR 9,062); you choose it on the BPM return.A koerslijst (Dutch trade valuation) or a taxatierapport can give more depreciation than the table, especially for high-mileage cars; the choice is final.	€3,686 – €3,724
Transport (open truck)Transport estimate is low-confidence until dated quotes are collected.	€400 – €900
Vehicle identification at the RDW (import check)Assumes a permitted maximum mass up to 3,500 kg (passenger cars); above it the tariff is €120.	€59
Registration in the Dutch register, incl. registration card	€50
Registration in your name (tenaamstelling)	€13
Car recycling contribution	€23
Number plates (pair)No official tariff: a market estimate. Replace it with a quote.	€30 – €60
Roadworthiness test (APK), only if dueUsually €0: the RDW recognises a valid foreign inspection. €83 at an RDW station if an APK is needed.	€0 – €83
Total landed cost	€29,260 – €29,911
Median asking price of the same model, year and fuel in the Netherlands	€30,000
Landed total against that median	€89 – €740 below

The median covers all mileages of that model, year and fuel, across 72 listings in the Netherlands: a market benchmark, not the price of an identical car.

Assumptions

Purchase price

€25,000, the asking-price median of 190 cars in Germany in our data dated 4 Nov 2026.

First registration

June 2024 (assumed month)

Mileage (origin median)

26,000 km

Fuel (most listed for this model and year)

Petrol

Engine size and CO₂

1,498 cm³ and 135 g/km WLTP. Typical assumptions, not listing data.

Seller VAT

Unknown. The calculator shows a range when VAT treatment changes the cost.

Transport

Truck, using the calculator's route estimate.

Planned registration date

2026-12-04

• Seller VAT status unknown: the range covers a VAT-deductible and a margin-scheme listing.
• BPM depreciation is counted to 2026-12-04, the date entered as the RDW approval (identification check); another approval date changes the amount.

Change these assumptions

When comparing adverts, keep asking prices separate from estimated import costs. Don’t treat advertised asking prices as completed sale prices. See the prices page and use the advert checker to put a specific asking price in context.

Getting the car to the Netherlands

You can arrange transport or check whether you can drive the car to the Netherlands yourself. Before setting off, ask the authority that issues temporary foreign number plates where you can drive with them. Ask your insurer whether the insurance covers your planned journey. Arrange this before you collect the car.

A Dutch one-day registration is not valid outside the Netherlands. According to the RDW, it is valid only in the Netherlands, on the day of inspection. If you drive to the RDW on it, the car must be insured in the Netherlands and safe to drive. If you can’t arrange that, decide in advance how the car will get to the RDW.

Checklist

After registration

Before registering the car in the Netherlands, check with the RDW and the Tax Administration which obligations apply to your imported car and when they start. Agree the start date of your third-party liability insurance with your insurer. The Dutch government provides general guidance on obligations when buying a car.

Then check the APK expiry date. For a Dutch registration number, it appears in the RDW registration check under ‘expiry dates and history’, according to the RDW guidance on the APK. If a valid foreign inspection has been carried over, check which expiry date has been recorded. If the status or date is unclear, ask the RDW to clarify before relying on the inspection.