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

Direct answer: before paying, check the car, the seller's authority to sell it and the original Austrian documents. Agree who will arrange deregistration and any NoVA refund. Then choose between driving it yourself using a demonstrably valid Austrian solution and carriage on a vehicle transporter. RDW does not issue a registration plate for the journey from Austria; the one-day registration is valid only on the day of the inspection in the Netherlands. 1 2 3

Decide before paying

Use only verifiable evidence and keep the different scenarios separate.

Car, seller and documents

Compare the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number) on the car and in the documents. Request both parts of the registration certificate, the approval document such as the Typenschein, proof of the registered keeper's identity and a signed purchase agreement. If someone else is acting, require written authority. You will also need these documents for deregistration or transfer plates. 4 5

No complete official public Austrian accident and maintenance history has been found. A valid §57a-Pickerl concerns periodic roadworthiness; it does not prove that the car is accident-free or fully maintained and does not replace a pre-purchase inspection. 6 11

On the Dutch website, CarAudit is offered by Carvago Deutschland GmbH; the displayed terms have applied since 1 August 2026. Austria was listed among the covered countries on 13 September 2026, but availability at the exact location must be confirmed before ordering. The homepage states that a report is provided within 48 hours of the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays; the terms make this indicative and dependent on availability and circumstances. Access to the seller and vehicle, time, weather and the ability to test-drive may limit the inspection. It does not guarantee that every hidden or unobservable defect will be found and does not handle import administration. 12 13

Deregistration and transport

An Austrian-registered car must be deregistered in Austria before registration in the Netherlands; registration in the Netherlands does not normally do this automatically. The bilateral exception mentioned only for Germany does not apply to the Netherlands. The registered keeper or an authorised representative arranges this with both parts of the registration certificate, the approval document, the plates and proof of identity. The authority records the deregistration on both parts and invalidates a card-format registration certificate in the prescribed manner. 5 1

Überstellungskennzeichen (transfer plates) are valid for three to 21 days, with compulsory third-party liability insurance for the same period. The application requires proof of identity, confirmation of insurance if cover is not arranged at the registration office, proof of ownership such as the purchase contract, type-approval documents and the latest inspection report if the periodic inspection is due and the result is not in the database; a representative needs written authority. 4

Issuance does not prove that the plates and cover will be recognised in transit countries and the Netherlands. Confirm this for the entire route or choose a vehicle transporter. The exemption for brief use in the Netherlands requires a foreign registration plate made available abroad, prior online notification and use for no more than two consecutive weeks, once per vehicle and user in every twelve months. If a condition is not met or use continues longer, private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (BPM) and motor vehicle tax (mrb) are due from the first day of use in the Netherlands. This is not the standard route for permanent import. 4 14

RDW import inspection and periodic inspection

The standard route applies to a car bought in an EU or EFTA country. As a private applicant, you must be at least 18 and registered in the Basisregistratie Personen. Bring valid identification and the complete original Austrian registration certificate; make a copy beforehand for BPM. The certificate of conformity (CvO; internationally often CoC) is optional, but the CO2 value affects BPM. 2

The RDW import inspection identifies the car and its documents and is not a general technical pre-purchase inspection. A hazard or damage may result in a prohibition on road use. Ask RDW to carry over a valid Austrian periodic inspection by presenting the original report, an entry on the registration certificate or the number-plate sticker; RDW assesses the request without guaranteeing acceptance. If a car subject to the periodic roadworthiness inspection (APK) has no accepted evidence or an RDW APK, arrange the APK immediately after receiving the Netherlands registration certificate; delay may result in a fine. 2

BPM and value added tax are different tests

As a private individual, submit the BPM return only after RDW approval and electronic transfer of the data to the Belastingdienst. For BPM, new means unused or hardly used. At least 3,000 km means used in any event; a lower mileage does not automatically make the car new. This is not the VAT test. 15 7

Gross BPM uses the RDW CO2 value. New cars follow 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. If CO2 is unknown, for ‘1 July 2020 to the present’ the page uses 550 g/km for petrol or 395 g/km for diesel and, for earlier periods, states the potentially more favourable alternatives of 507/356 and 350/302 g/km for petrol/diesel. 7

A used car may compare permitted current and historic rates and apply depreciation using a Dutch trade price list, the statutory table or a permitted valuation report; choose the most favourable permitted method. A valuation report is not automatically allowed for an ordinary car: special requirements apply to the situation, valuer, roadworthiness and timing within one month before RDW, while the precise AND/OR boundary on the official page remains unclear. 7 16

For value added tax (VAT), new means no more than six months after first use OR no more than 6,000 km; used requires more than 6,000 km AND supply more than six months after first registration. For a VAT-new car from Austria, Dutch VAT is due via the special return for the intra-Community acquisition of a new means of transport. For a VAT-used car, transferring it alone does not give rise to additional Dutch acquisition VAT, but the dealer invoice and margin scheme treatment may differ: do not assume ‘no VAT anywhere’. 8 17 18

Allocate NoVA contractually

An Austrian §12a NoVA refund is conditional. The application must be made within five years of the qualifying supply or transfer abroad of a deregistered car; the refund is capped at the NoVA previously paid. Evidence includes actual export, for example foreign registration and transaction and identity documents, plus evidence of Austrian deregistration. 9

For export from 1 July 2026, a maximum of 48 months applies from the car's first registration anywhere in the world until Austrian deregistration. Earlier foreign registrations count; intermediate deregistrations neither stop nor extend the period. For an export on 1 July 2026, a car first registered before 1 July 2022 therefore does not qualify. An export completed by 30 June 2026 fell under the old rule, even if the application was made later; the five-year deadline still applied. 9 10

At deregistration, the car must be registrable. If there is no valid inspection, or if the car is entered in the vehicle-wreck database, the prescribed evidence is required. A valuation report is required for a NoVA refund of more than €5,000.00; the block in the approval or VIN database must also have been completed, and §12a and §12b relief cannot both apply. The claimant is generally the seller-side party transferring the power of disposal. Record who applies and who receives the benefit: it is not automatically your money or discount. The outcome depends on the export date, worldwide first registration, NoVA previously paid, registrability, evidence and claimant. 9 10

Registration, insurance and mrb

Following RDW and tax approval, RDW sends the registration certificate within five working days and the full registration code two working days later, subject to postal delivery. Have the plates made by an RDW-approved manufacturer. Once registered in your name, a car subject to compulsory insurance needs Dutch third-party liability insurance (WA insurance); the reporting code consists of the last four digits of the VIN. 2

For a car subject to mrb, registration in your name serves as the mrb return; the bill is issued automatically. Contact the Belastingdienst if it has not arrived after one month. The amount depends on vehicle type, weight, fuel, environmental characteristics and province. 2 19

Cost overview

Known cost items were checked on 13 September 2026. Unknown and alternative items mean that a single total cannot be justified.

Checklist

Tick off a step only once you have the evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents should you check before buying?

Compare the VIN, both parts of the registration certificate and the Typenschein. Verify the registered keeper and any power of attorney, sign the purchase contract and retain the originals. 4, 5, 2

Can you drive the car to the Netherlands yourself?

Only with an Austrian solution that is lawful and insured for the entire route, such as transfer plates whose cover and recognition have been confirmed. The RDW one-day registration is not valid abroad; otherwise choose a vehicle transporter. 4, 2, 3

Who arranges deregistration and NoVA?

The registered keeper or an authorised representative arranges deregistration. In a sale, the NoVA claimant is generally the seller-side party. Record who will apply and who will receive the benefit; it does not automatically accrue to you. 5, 9, 1

Do the RDW import inspection or the Pickerl replace a pre-purchase inspection?

No. RDW assesses identity and documents; the Pickerl concerns roadworthiness. Ask RDW to carry over the foreign inspection by presenting the original evidence. If it is not accepted, arrange the APK immediately if required. 6, 11, 2

Are the BPM and VAT tests the same?

No. From 3,000 km, a car counts as used for BPM. VAT-new means no more than six months OR no more than 6,000 km; VAT-used requires both thresholds to have been exceeded. Calculate them separately. 7, 8, 17

What happens after approval and how much does the import cost?

Arrange the registration certificate, plates, WA insurance, APK and mrb. There is no single total: transport, taxes, documents and technical work require vehicle details or quotes. 2, 7, 19

If the seller grants access and CarAudit confirms availability at the exact Austrian location before ordering, you can request a pre-purchase inspection. This is not a guarantee or an import service. 12, 13

Sources

1. Transferring a vehicle to an EU country other than Austria
2. Voertuig invoeren vanuit een Europees land
3. Eendagskenteken aanvragen
4. Transfer journeys / transfer plates (Überstellungskennzeichen)
5. Deregistration of a motor vehicle
6. Periodic roadworthiness inspection (§57a / Pickerl)
7. Hoe bereken ik de bpm voor een personenauto?
8. Wat zijn nieuwe of bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen?
9. NoVA reimbursement
10. Technical information on Fraud Prevention Act 2025 – NoVA from 1 July 2026
11. Das trügerische Pickerl – eine Kauf-Überprüfung gibt Sicherheit
12. CarAudit: koop een tweedehands auto nooit blind
13. CarAudit-voorwaarden
14. Vrijstelling bpm en mrb bij kortstondig gebruik
15. Ik koop een motorrijtuig in het buitenland - hoe zit het met de bpm-aangifte?
16. Bpm afschrijving gebruikte motorrijtuigen
17. Aankoop van nieuwe en bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen uit EU-landen
18. Auto kopen of verkopen: btw
19. Motorrijtuigenbelasting