Information on owning and driving a car in Holland, from importing, registering and insurance requirements to where to purchase a new or secondhand vehicle…

Whether you are an expat already in the Netherlands who is thinking about buying a car, or you live abroad but will be relocating soon and are considering bringing a vehicle with you, it is important to first be aware of the responsibilities and requirements associated with owning a car in Holland.

Different rules apply when you bring a car to the Netherlands from another country in the European Union versus a country outside the EU. The process may or may not include paying import duties along with Dutch road tax (which is paid by every car owner in the country).

Buying a car in Netherlands is less complicated than importing one, especially if the vehicle is from outside the EU. The purchase process simply involves payment to the seller for the vehicle (which includes BTW sales tax unless the buyer has diplomatic status, in which case the sale is tax-free) and then registering it with the RDW (Dutch motor vehicles bureau).

Of course, most people who buy a car also want to drive it. There are additional requirements that have to be met…

• you must be in possession of a valid driver’s license (either Dutch or issued in another EU country)
• the vehicle must be insured for third party liability under a policy issued from a Dutch insurer
• the vehicle must pass an APK (road-worthiness) test administered at an approved ‘keuringsstation‘
• BPW (road tax) must be paid to the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax board)
• if the vehicle does not have license plates, new ones need to be purchased from a RDW-approved manufacturer

Expats looking to purchase a secondhand vehicle in Holland, buying one from an auto dealership (autobedrijf) rather than an individual is likely to be easier, especially if he/she does not speak Dutch. A dealership salesperson can assist the buyer with filling out the necessary purchase contract (which will be written in Dutch), including the transfer of ownership and vehicle registration documents. Another advantage of buying from a dealership rather than an individual is the guarantee; if a vehicle is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, a dealership will usually include their own 12 or 24-month guarantee in the sales agreement.

When purchasing a car in the Netherlands consideration should also be given to a vehicle’s weight and engine size. Both of these influence the amount which must be paid in annual road tax.  Heavier vehicles and those with larger engines are pay higher rates than those which are lighter and/or have smaller engines.

The vast majority of passenger cars sold in the Netherlands are equipped with manual transmissions. The reasons include lower vehicle price and the high cost of fuel (manual engines are more fuel efficient than automatic engines). In October 2017 the average price of a liter of petrol in the Netherlands was €1.53 (the equivalent of €5.78/gallon).

In order to reduce greenhouse emissions, many Dutch municipalities have been increasing the number of public charging points for electric vehicles and locating them strategically in neighborhoods with high electric vehicle ownership registrations. A map showing charging points in the Netherlands can be found on the website Oplaadpalen.

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Related information…

DUTCH CAR INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

LEASING A CAR IN THE NETHERLANDS