Importing a used car from Czechia to the Netherlands: steps, costs and documents

Before paying, confirm the seller’s authority to sell, the export route and the transport arrangements. Choose Czech export registration before departure or later registration in the Netherlands vehicle register; in the latter case, the competent Dutch authority notifies Czechia within two months. Only the first option provides the cited export plate; the second provides no permission to drive. 1 2 This is followed by the RDW import inspection, private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (BPM) and any Dutch value added tax (VAT). No customs duty is due; BPM and VAT remain separate. 3

Decisions before payment

At the time of supply, a car is VAT-used if it was first registered more than six months ago and has covered more than 6,000 km; VAT-new applies up to and including six months after first use or up to and including 6,000 km. Do not confuse this test with BPM. 4 6

Checking the car and documents

Compare the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number) on the car and documents. The official service helps compare inspection-linked odometer readings, but does not prove the current mileage, an accident-free history, ownership, encumbrances or technical condition. 8

The registered owner or a representative with the required written power of attorney submits the export application; a paper power of attorney requires an officially authenticated signature. Check the seller’s authority to sell the car. Before paying, obtain a signed sale document, the original registration documents and the plates; the form of contract, ownership, encumbrances and signatures remain vehicle-specific. 1 2

The ORP, the Czech registration authority, checks whether the evidenční kontrola (registration inspection) is valid. Confirm with the selected ORP the current document set—proof of identity, the ORV registration certificate, the technical passport if issued and all number plates—as well as the application channel and total amount; the official fee presentations differ. 1 2 9 Take the complete original registration certificate to RDW; copy it for BPM. The certificate of conformity (CvO; often referred to internationally as CoC) is optional, but its CO2 value affects BPM. 7

Choosing export and transport

RDW does not issue a number plate for the journey from Czechia. Use a valid Czech solution or arrange transport. 7

The exceptional Dutch exemption for short-term use requires that the car be made available to you abroad, that it have a foreign number plate and that you submit an advance online notification. It is limited to a maximum of two consecutive weeks, once per vehicle/user per twelve months; otherwise BPM and motor vehicle tax (mrb) are due from the first day of use in the Netherlands. 11

Arranging RDW, taxes and inspections

This car follows the standard route for a purchase in another EU or EFTA country. You must be at least 18 and registered in the Dutch Personal Records Database. Bring valid ID and the original registration certificate. The RDW import inspection identifies the car and documents, not its general technical condition; danger or damage may nevertheless result in a prohibition on road use. 7

Ask RDW to assess the valid Czech periodic inspection using the original report, a notation on the registration certificate or a sticker; its acceptance remains uncertain. If the vehicle is subject to inspection requirements and there is neither accepted valid foreign evidence nor a periodic roadworthiness inspection (APK) by RDW, arrange an APK immediately after receiving the Dutch registration certificate; delay may result in a fine. 7

Submit the BPM return only after RDW approval and electronic transfer of the data. For BPM, ‘new’ means unused or hardly used; at 3,000 km or more, the car is certainly used, but a lower mileage does not automatically determine its status. 12 13

Gross BPM uses the RDW CO2 value. New cars use WLTP. For used cars from before 1 July 2020, whether NEDC or WLTP applies depends on the available measured or converted values; before 2018, there is no WLTP value. Where CO2 is unknown, the Tax Administration page lists, for ‘1 July 2020 to the present’, 550 g/km for petrol and 395 g/km for diesel; only where more favourable, it lists, for ‘1 January 2015 to 1 July 2020’, 507 g/km for petrol and 356 g/km for diesel, and, for ‘1 January 2009 to 1 January 2015’, 350 g/km for petrol and 302 g/km for diesel. 13

Depreciation applies to a used car, and you may compare permitted current and historic rates. The methods are a Dutch trade price list, a valuation report or the statutory table; choose the most favourable permitted method. Do not assume that a valuation report is permitted: requirements concerning special situations, the valuer, roadworthiness and the one-month period before RDW apply, while the official AND/OR scope remains unresolved. 13 14

For a VAT-new vehicle, Dutch VAT is due using the special private intra-Community return. Merely bringing a VAT-used vehicle to the Netherlands does not in itself trigger additional Dutch acquisition VAT, but the dealer invoice or margin scheme may differ; do not promise ‘no VAT anywhere’. 5 6

Activating the registration

After approval by RDW and the Tax Administration, RDW sends the registration certificate within five working days and the full registration code two working days later, subject to post. Plates come from an RDW-approved manufacturer. 7 From the point of registration in the owner’s name, Dutch third-party liability insurance (WA insurance) is required if the vehicle is subject to insurance; the reporting code is the last four VIN digits. For a vehicle subject to mrb, registration in the owner’s name constitutes the mrb return. The bill follows automatically; contact the Tax Administration if no bill arrives within one month. The amount depends on type, weight, fuel, environmental characteristics and province. 7 15

Budgeting for the costs

Reference date 13 September 2026; choose one fee presentation and confirm it with the selected ORP. The sources do not establish a general Czech private-buyer charge or refund; confirm the dealer, VAT or business treatment and who pays or receives it.

Open checklist

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive from Czechia using RDW one-day registration?

No. It is valid only on the inspection day in the Netherlands, by the shortest route between RDW and home, with a printout, legible white plates, Dutch insurance and a safe car. For the inbound journey, use a valid Czech solution or transport. 7, 10

Who can apply for Czech export?

The registered owner or a representative with the required written power of attorney; a paper power of attorney requires an officially authenticated signature. As a Dutch buyer, you cannot assume that you have an independent right to apply. 1, 2

Does a Czech export plate guarantee cover for the route?

No. Three months of plate validity does not prove insurance or recognition in transit countries. Confirm both in writing for the specific plate and route; otherwise choose transport. 1, 2

Do I pay Dutch VAT on a used car from Czechia?

At the time of supply, the car is VAT-used if it was first registered more than six months ago and has covered more than 6,000 km; merely bringing it across then causes no additional Dutch acquisition VAT. VAT-new applies up to and including six months after first use or up to and including 6,000 km, with a special return. The dealer invoice or margin scheme may differ. 4, 5, 6

When do I submit the BPM return?

Only after RDW approval and electronic transfer of the data to the Tax Administration. Use the RDW CO2 value, the applicable rate branch and, for a used car, a permitted depreciation method. The BPM test for used status differs from the VAT test. 12, 13, 14

Is the RDW import inspection a technical pre-purchase inspection?

No. RDW identifies the car and documents; this is not a general mechanical inspection. Danger or damage may nevertheless result in a prohibition on road use. Have the technical condition assessed separately before buying. 7

Can a still-valid Czech periodic inspection be carried over?

RDW assesses the valid Czech inspection using the original report, a notation on the registration certificate or a sticker; its acceptance remains uncertain. If an APK is required and there is neither accepted valid foreign evidence nor an RDW APK, arrange an APK immediately after receiving the Dutch registration certificate. 7

When will the Dutch documents arrive?

After approval by RDW and the Tax Administration, RDW states five working days for the registration certificate and two working days later for the full registration code, subject to post. Approved plates follow; WA insurance applies from registration in the owner’s name. 7

How much does the complete import cost?

There is no universal total: the ORP presentations differ, while transport, insurance, taxes, APK, plates and mrb depend on the circumstances. Add up only the relevant choices. 1, 2, 7, 13, 15

If you are considering a CarAudit inspection, confirm availability at the location in Czechia before paying. The site listed Czechia on 13 September 2026; terms effective from 1 August 2026 require location confirmation. Carvago Deutschland GmbH is the provider. The stated 48 hours after inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays, is indicative and depends on availability. Access, time, weather and the ability to test-drive may limit the inspection. The inspection is not a guarantee, a promise that hidden defects will be found or an import service. 16, 17

Sources

1. Vývoz vozidla z České republiky do zahraničí
2. Vývoz silničního vozidla
3. Belasting van personenauto's en motorrijwielen (bpm)
4. Wat zijn nieuwe of bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen?
5. Aankoop van nieuwe en bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen uit EU-landen
6. Auto kopen of verkopen: btw
7. Voertuig invoeren vanuit een Europees land
8. Kontrola tachometru
9. Prodloužená platnost evidenční kontroly osobních automobilů
10. Eendagskenteken aanvragen
11. Vrijstelling bpm en mrb bij kortstondig gebruik
12. Ik koop een motorrijtuig in het buitenland - hoe zit het met de bpm-aangifte?
13. Hoe bereken ik de bpm voor een personenauto?
14. Bpm afschrijving gebruikte motorrijtuigen
15. Motorrijtuigenbelasting
16. CarAudit: koop een tweedehands auto nooit blind
17. CarAudit-voorwaarden