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What it costs to import a car into the Netherlands

Estimate the purchase, tax, transport and registration costs.

Route
→Netherlands

The purchase

As advertised, including any VAT.
Seller’s VAT status
Shown on the listing as “VAT deductible”, “MwSt. ausweisbar” or “IVA dedutível”. Not sure? Choose “Don’t know” to see both outcomes.
You are buying as

The car

Have a Dutch number plate? Fill in the vehicle details.From the official RDW register: first registration, fuel, CO₂ and engine size.

We use the plate only for this lookup.

First registration
First registration anywhere: it sets the car’s age for the tax tables.
On the registration certificate (field V.7) or the listing.
Test cycle
Cars first registered from 2019 usually have WLTP values.

Registration

Tax tables and age reductions are taken on this date.

Transport

Transport
Leave it empty to use our estimate for this route, or enter a quote.

Registering the car in another EU country? Registration taxes and fees depend on the destination. Check its rules before you buy.

In short

The Netherlands charges BPM once, when the car enters the Dutch register. Gross BPM is a CO₂ charge plus, for diesels, a surcharge per gram above a threshold. For scale, the median dealer asking price for a used car in the Netherlands on 3 Nov 2026 was €18,000, across 109,915 cars. Tax rules in force on 3 Nov 2026; an estimate, not a tax assessment.

How it works

Taxes on a car imported into the Netherlands

BPM (belasting van personenauto's en motorrijwielen)

The Netherlands charges BPM once, when the car enters the Dutch register. Gross BPM is a CO₂ charge plus, for diesels, a surcharge per gram above a threshold. A used import may use any BPM tariff in force from two months before its first admission abroad to the RDW approval (with that tariff's NEDC or WLTP value), which often makes the tariff of its first registration year the cheapest; electric cars first registered before 2025 can use the old zero tariff.

The gross amount is then reduced by the forfaitaire depreciation table, by the car's age in months (81% after 9½ years, nothing left after 17 years and 10 months). A Dutch trade valuation (koerslijst) or an appraisal (taxatierapport) can give more depreciation for a high-mileage or damaged car. Then come the RDW identification check, registration, the recycling contribution and plates.

Official tools

Official sources

  1. Wet BPM 1992, art. 9, 10 en 10b: BPM rates, used-car depreciation and historical tariffs
  2. Wet BPM 1992, art. 9 en 10b: CO₂ rates, diesel surcharge and historical tariffs
  3. Wet BPM 1992, art. 10; Uitvoeringsregeling BPM, art. 8: used-car depreciation
  4. Regeling tarieven Dienst Wegverkeer 2026, art. 11 en 14: RDW fees

Questions about importing a car into the Netherlands

Which taxes apply when importing a used car into the Netherlands?

The Netherlands charges BPM once, when the car enters the Dutch register. Gross BPM is a CO₂ charge plus, for diesels, a surcharge per gram above a threshold. A used import may use any BPM tariff in force from two months before its first admission abroad to the RDW approval (with that tariff's NEDC or WLTP value), which often makes the tariff of its first registration year the cheapest; electric cars first registered before 2025 can use the old zero tariff.

Is VAT due in the Netherlands on an imported used car?

A car that is used for VAT purposes, bought from a dealer under the margin scheme or from a private seller in another EU country, carries no VAT again in the Netherlands. If VAT is shown separately, a VAT-registered buyer can buy without the origin country's VAT and account for VAT at the destination. For a used car under normal VAT rules, a private buyer collecting it abroad generally pays the seller-country VAT. Seller-arranged delivery can change the VAT treatment; confirm the invoice and delivery arrangements. A car first used six months ago or less, or driven 6,000 km or less, is a new means of transport for VAT and is taxed at 21% in the destination country, whoever buys it.

Is the result an official tax assessment?

The import calculator gives an estimate from published tax tables and the details you enter, with the legal basis for each tax line. The tax authority decides the amount due; official simulators are linked below where available.

Estimated cost in the Netherlands