Arrived from Ukraine with your vehicle

You can apply for a Dutch registration number for your vehicle under these conditions: 

• You are registered with a municipality in the Netherlands.
• You can identify yourself with a valid passport, such as a Ukrainian passport. Do you not have a valid passport? You may use an invalid passport that includes a sticker from the Immigratie en Naturalisatie Dienst (IND) as proof of residency, featuring a well-matching photo. Alternatively, you can present an O-document, the card issued by the IND that confirms your coverage under the Temporary Protection Directive. Please note that identification with the Ukrainian ID card, also known as the internal passport, is not permitted.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• You have a document from the Tax Administration that says you qualify for the BPM exemption. This is the 'Vrijstelling bpm bij verhuizing uit een ander land dan een lidstaat van de Europese Centrale Unie'. The document helps you to avoid extra taxes and higher technical requirements. For the document, go to Belastingdienst.nl and complete and return the form Application Exemption from BPM for Motor Vehicles from Ukraine. The 'Vrijstelling bpm en mrb ontheemden Oekraïne' is not the correct document.

For a Dutch registration number you have to go to an RDW inspection station. This is how it works: 

1. Make an appointment
   Schedule an appointment via Keuringsafspraak maken. This is only available in Dutch.
   • Log in with DigiD, your digital identity.
   • Choose an appointment for a 'Niet (eerder) Nederlands gekentekend voertuig'.
   • Select 'Invoer voertuig meegenomen als verhuisgoed buiten EU/EVA land'.
2. Go to your appointment
   Go to the inspection location on the scheduled date and time. Bring your vehicle and these documents:
   • The complete original foreign registration certificate. We advise you to make a copy for the vehicle tax return (BPM) in step 5. You can retrieve the certificate after the vehicle approval, but only if it is a certificate from a country outside the European Union (EU). Does your vehicle already have a registration certificate from another EU-member state? Then you won't get it back.
   • Your Identification Document (ID). If you do not have a valid Ukrainian passport, you will need to obtain additional documents from the IND. 
   • Certificate of Conformity (CoC) if the vehicle has European approval. This document is not mandatory, but it will make the registration process easier. 
   • The document from the Tax Administration that says you qualify for the BPM exemption. This is not the 'Vrijstelling bpm en mrb ontheemden Oekraïne'. For the correct document, go to Belastingdienst.nl.
3. Inspection
   The RDW assesses the documents and identifies and checks the vehicle. These defects are regularly found:
   • The windshield and/or front side windows are tinted with foil.
   • The city lights at the front are orange. The lights must be white or yellow.
   • The rear fog light is missing.
   • The side indicators are missing.
4. Payment
   Pay the inspection costs. 
5. Tax Return
   After the RDW inspection and approval, you must file a BPM return. Go to Belastingdienst.nl/bpm-forms and use the form 'Aangifte, melding of opgaaf bpm' (only available in Dutch) . Instructions are available on Belastingdienst.nl.
6. Receive registration
   The RDW receives approval from the Tax administration. After that, you will receive a Dutch registration certificate within 5 working days. One working day later, you will receive a letter with a complete registration code. When you receive the mail depends on the postal delivery.
7. Insurance
   Insure your vehicle for statutory liability insurance (WA) with a Dutch insurance company. 
8. Motor Vehicle Tax
   After your vehicle is registered, you’ll receive an invoice for motor vehicle tax (MRB) from the Tax Administration. 
9. Number Plates
   Have registration number plates made by a recognized number plate manufacturer. Bring the registration certificate with you. You can find a recognized number plate manufacturer using the RDW location guide. This guide is only available in Dutch. Choose 'Kentekenplaten laten maken'.  
10. Periodic Technical Inspection (APK)
    Is your car older than 3 years (or 4 years for petrol  and electric vehicles)? And did it not receive a periodic technical inspection certificate from the RDW? Make an appointment for the mandatory APK with an RDW-approved garage. You can find a recognized APK company via the RDW location guide. Type your postal code or location and choose 'Mijn voertuig t/m 3500 kg APK keuren'. Recognized companies display a shield with the text 'RDW erkend' and a sticker with 'APK lichte voertuigen'. 
11. Obligations
    Once the vehicle has a Dutch registration plate, there are certain obligations. Read more under This is what you have to do when your vehicle is registered. 

Please note: Has your vehicle been modified? Then you will be charged the cost for 'Approval of modified vehicles' (only available in Dutch).

Since May 1, 2021, you will pay a recycling fee when importing a car/light commercial vehicle (up to 3500 kg). This will apply also for vehicles that had a Dutch license plate in the past. We will transfer this amount to Autorecycling Netherlands.

Once your vehicle has a Dutch registration plate, you have to follow these obligations:

• Insurance
• Periodic Technical Inspection (APK)
• Payment of motor vehicle taxes  

Insurance

Your car must be insured from the moment it is registered in your name, in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Act (WAM). You can take out liability insurance with an insurance company authorized to make entries in the RDW’s insurance register. These are usually Dutch companies. The insurance company will ask for the reporting code (meldcode), which consists of the last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN). You can find this code in the vehicle logbook and the registration card. 

APK

Your car must undergo a periodic technical inspection (APK). For petrol and electric cars, the first inspection is required when the car is 4 years old. For diesel and LPG vehicles, the first inspection is at 3 years old. This inspection can be done at a garage in your area. After the initial inspection, the vehicle needs a new technical inspection every year or two years, and you will be informed accordingly. 

Motor vehicle tax

You are required to pay motor vehicle tax (MRB). You’ll receive an invoice from the Tax Administration after your vehicle is registered. For more information on MRB (only available in Dutch) and the classic vehicle arrangement (only available in Dutch), visit the Tax Administration website.

Fines after routine check vehicle register

The insurance and inspection registers are checked daily to ensure vehicles are insured and APK-approved. Each vehicle is checked at least once a year. If your car is not insured or not APK-approved, you will receive a fine from the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) in Leeuwarden. The Tax Administration checks whether you have paid motor vehicle tax (MRB) for your vehicle. If you do not pay on time, you will be fined by the Tax Administration. 

Do you move to another country or go back to Ukraine? You must de-register your vehicle in The Netherlands. After de-registering, your obligations (insurance, motor vehicle tax and APK) in The Netherlands stop. Read more on Exporting a vehicle.

Please contact the authority of the country you move to for information about importing your vehicle.

Do you have a Ukrainian driving licence? You can find more information on its use in the Netherlands on Rijksoverheid.nl.