Relocating to the Netherlands and bringing your vehicle with you

Are you relocating to the Netherlands and bringing your vehicle with you? You may only drive with foreign number plates for a short period of time. After that, you must apply for a Dutch registration number. To do this, you must have the vehicle inspected at an RDW inspection station. Please consult nederlandwereldwijd.nl to learn how long you are allowed to drive with a foreign registration number.

Conditions

You must be at least 18 years old, and 16 years old when importing a moped. Is a special moped relocating with you? It can only be issued a Dutch registration number if it has previously had a Dutch registration number.
You are registered in the Netherlands .
You come to the inspection yourself. No one else can submit the application.

How to apply for a Dutch registration number

Make an appointment at an RDW inspection station. Once done, immediately file for a One-day registration (only available in Dutch) if you are no longer allowed to drive with the foreign registration number.

Make an inspection appointment with DigiD

Tax-free import
Would you like to import the vehicle tax-free? Request BMP exemption from the Tax and Customs Administration prior to the inspection.

Relocating from outside Europe
Are you relocating from a country that is not part of the EU or EFTA? File with Customs prior to the inspection. We inspect your vehicle against the permanent requirements. You will receive an PTI report after approval.
Please arrive 15 minutes before the inspection. Please bring the following:
- Complete original foreign registration certificate. We will collect it from you; please make a copy for your BPM declaration.
- Valid ID, driving licence, passport or other valid identification (only available in Dutch).
- A document from the Tax and Customs Administration stating that the vehicle qualifies as household goods.
We assess whether your vehicle meets the requirements and whether the documents are in order.
No BPM (passenger car and motorcycle tax) is payable. However, you will have to file a BPM declaration if your vehicle is subject to the BPM obligation. This can only be done in paper form.
Once approved by us and the Tax and Customs Administration we will send you a new vehicle registration certificate within 5 business days. Two working days later, you will receive a letter containing the full registration code. Keep it in a safe place, as you will need the code in order to sell your vehicle in the future. You will also receive an PTI report. When you will receive the mail depends on the postal service.
Insure your vehicle for third-party liability (WA). The Tax and Customs Administration will automatically send you a bill for motor vehicle tax. See What to take care of.
Find an authorised manufacturer for making number plates. Make sure you have the registration certificate with you.

Description	Cost
Identification of a light vehicle	€58,50
Registration certificate	€50,00
Registration in a person's name via the RDW	€13,10
Recycling fee	€22,50

If you have a vehicle registered in your (company) name, this entails a number of obligations for most vehicles. These obligations are:

Third-party liability insurance (WA)

Vehicles subject to compulsory insurance must be covered by third-party liability insurance (WA) from the moment they are registered in your name (in accordance with the Dutch Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Act (WAM)). You can purchase third-party liability insurance from most Dutch insurance companies. You will need a so-called reporting code. This code consists of the last 4 digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN) and can also be found on the vehicle registration card.

PTI

A vehicle subject to the PTI obligation must be PTI approved (Periodic Technical Inspection). More on PTI.

Motor vehicle tax

Are you registering a vehicle that is subject to motor vehicle tax in your name? This also serves as your declaration for motor vehicle tax (MRB). The Tax and Customs Administration will automatically send you a bill for this tax. More information about motor vehicle tax.

Do you have a classic car? You may not have to pay any motor vehicle tax, or you may have to pay less. The classic car must remain insured and have a valid PTI certificate. More information about the classic car scheme.

Here you can find out which vehicles must be insured and require an PTI certificate.

Vehicle	Mandatory insurance	Mandatory PTI
Car, commercial vehicle and RV	Yes	Yes
Moped, scooter and special moped	Yes	No
Motorcycle	Yes	No
Buses	Yes	Yes
Trailer, caravan, trailer for agriculture or forestry and interchangeable towed equipment	No, but for towing vehicles	Yes, above 3500 kg (heavy trailer)
Agricultural vehicle	Yes	Sometimes, more about PTI obligation for agricultural vehicles
Mobile equipment and limited-speed motor vehicle (MMBS)	Yes	No

More about vehicle types.

Suspension of obligations

You may temporarily suspend the obligations associated with owning a vehicle. You can do this by suspending the vehicle. The vehicle may no longer be parked or driven on public roads.

Fines after verification of details

We check the insurance register and the inspection register daily. This allows us to immediately see whether a vehicle is insured and has passed its PTI inspection. We check every vehicle to which these obligations apply at least once a year in both registers (100 percent check). We do this on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Is your vehicle not insured? You will receive a fine from the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB).
If your vehicle has not passed its mandatory PTI inspection., you will receive a fine from the CJIB.

The Tax and Customs Administration determines whether you have an obligation to pay motor vehicle tax for your vehicle by checking the vehicle registration database. If you fail to pay (on time), you will receive a fine from the Tax and Customs Administration.

Fine amount

You can find the fine amount here.

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Relocating to the Netherlands and bringing your vehicle with you

Conditions

How to apply for a Dutch registration number

Third-party liability insurance (WA)

PTI

Motor vehicle tax

Suspension of obligations

Fines after verification of details

Fine amount

Your Europe

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Relocating to the Netherlands and bringing your vehicle with you

Conditions

How to apply for a Dutch registration number

Fees

What to take care of

Your Europe

Has this information helped you?