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

As a private buyer, you can register a used passenger car from Belgium in the Netherlands if you are at least 18 and registered in the Dutch Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen). Before paying, check the car, seller, documents, tax status and transport route. To drive the car yourself, you need a valid Belgian export arrangement; the RDW does not issue a plate for the journey from Belgium. 1

Decide before paying

Record the date of first use, supply date, mileage, fuel, weight and CO2; private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (BPM) and value added tax (VAT) use different tests.

The car, seller and Belgian documents

Compare the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number) on the car, original registration certificate, Car-Pass and purchase document. Check the seller's identity and authority. Ownership and the authority to sell are not the same: these documents do not in themselves prove that authority or rule out third-party rights or security interests. Do not pay while the authority remains unclear. If a professional sells to a private individual, the sales document must state the vehicle, VIN, year of first registration, mileage, price, date, party details and signatures; each party receives a copy. That statutory document requirement does not apply to a purely private-to-private sale, but the Belgian government recommends a written document. Insist on a signed contract or invoice in either case. 2 3

When a used car registered in Belgium is sold to a private buyer, a Car-Pass no more than two months old is mandatory, whether the seller is a professional or a private individual. The exceptions are a car not registered in Belgium and a sale by a private individual to a professional. 3

The Car-Pass shows recorded mileage readings and dates, descriptions of work reported by automotive businesses since 2024 and vehicle characteristics. It is not a complete accident, repair or maintenance history: its contents reflect the data submitted, and correcting errors requires evidence. A limited mileage-reporting exception applies to qualifying work on a privately used car costing no more than €125 including VAT. 3

A pre-purchase inspection is different from the RDW import inspection. On 13 September 2026, the Dutch CarAudit site named Carvago Deutschland GmbH as the provider; the terms shown apply from 1 August 2026. Belgium was listed among the coverage countries, but availability must be confirmed for the actual vehicle location before ordering. The site mentions a report within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays; the terms make this indicative and dependent on availability and circumstances. Access to the seller and car, time, weather and the ability to take a test drive can limit the inspection. It is not a guarantee, a promise to find hidden or unobservable defects, or an import-administration service. 8 9

Export and transport to the Netherlands

A natural person whose principal residence is outside Belgium and who is not registered there can apply to the DIV in Brussels for an X plate for a car bought in Belgium for export. Arrange a temporary Belgian contact address in advance, for example that of a customs agency, together with a telephone number and email address; your principal foreign residence is entered separately. 2

The seller's standard plate is not your plate for the journey home. If the holder has the plate cancelled, since 1 August 2025 the official rear plate must be sent directly to the DIV or handed over in Brussels; bpost no longer cancels plates, and the date of receipt or hand-in at the DIV determines the cancellation date. If changing to another vehicle in the same category, the holder may instead retain the plate for the official four-month re-registration period. 12

The exceptional Dutch exemption from BPM and motor vehicle tax (mrb) for short-term use requires a foreign number plate made available abroad, advance online notification and no more than two consecutive weeks, once per vehicle and user in every twelve months. Otherwise, BPM and mrb are due from the first day of use in the Netherlands. An X plate with a longer validity in certain VAT-exemption cases likewise does not prove entitlement to a Belgian VAT refund; no general refund has been confirmed for this ordinary private used-car purchase. 13 2 10

RDW, BPM, VAT and registration

Take your valid ID and the complete original foreign registration certificate to the RDW import inspection; make a copy beforehand for BPM. A certificate of conformity (CvO; internationally often CoC) is optional under this RDW route, but the CO2 value affects BPM. The RDW identifies the car and assesses its documents; this is not a general technical pre-purchase inspection. A hazard or damage may, however, result in a prohibition on using the car on the road. 1

At the counter, ask the RDW to carry over a still-valid Belgian periodic inspection and show the original report, an entry on the registration certificate or the sticker. Carry-over is subject to assessment, not guaranteed. If the car is subject to APK and there is no accepted evidence or RDW APK, arrange the periodic roadworthiness inspection (APK) immediately after receiving the Dutch registration certificate; a delay may result in a fine. 1

As a private individual, file the BPM return only after RDW approval and electronic transfer of the vehicle data. For BPM, a car is new if it has not been used or has hardly been used; at 3,000 km or more it is unquestionably used, but below that threshold it is not automatically new. Do not use the VAT test here. Gross BPM is based on the RDW's CO2 value. New cars use WLTP; for used cars dating from before 1 July 2020, whether NEDC or WLTP applies depends on the available measured or converted values, and cars from before 2018 have no WLTP value. Where CO2 is unknown, for ‘1 July 2020 to the present’ the page states 550 g/km for petrol and 395 g/km for diesel. For the older periods listed on the page, the pairs 507/356 g/km and 350/302 g/km apply if they are more favourable; petrol comes before diesel in each pair. Check the current page to determine which older period applies to your car. 14 7

Depreciation applies to a used car, and permitted current and historic tariff options may be compared. Possible methods are a Dutch market price list, the statutory table or a permitted appraisal report; choose the most favourable permitted method. Do not assume that an ordinary car qualifies for an appraisal: conditions relating to special circumstances, the appraiser, roadworthiness and the one-month period before the RDW appointment apply, while it remains unclear which official conditions apply jointly or separately. Check the current form instructions. 7 15

For value added tax (VAT), the car is new if it was first used no more than six months ago OR has travelled no more than 6,000 km. To count as used for VAT, the car must have travelled more than 6,000 km AND be supplied more than six months after first registration. For a car that is new for VAT and comes from Belgium, a private buyer pays Dutch VAT using the special EU vehicle VAT return. Moving a car that is used for VAT does not in itself create additional Dutch acquisition VAT, but invoice and margin rules can differ; therefore, do not promise ‘no VAT anywhere’. 4 5 6

After approval by the RDW and the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, the RDW sends the registration certificate within five working days and the full registration code two working days later, depending on postal delivery. Number plates then come from an RDW-approved manufacturer. For a car subject to compulsory insurance, third-party liability insurance (WA insurance) must take effect as soon as it is registered in your name; the reporting code is the last four digits of the VIN. Registration in your name also constitutes the motor vehicle tax (mrb) return; the bill follows automatically. Contact the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration if it has not arrived within one month. The amount depends on the type of vehicle, weight, fuel, environmental characteristics and province. 1 16

Cost breakdown

The RDW amounts were checked on 13 September 2026. Do not add the weight alternatives together; no universal total exists without the import details.

Checklist

Frequently asked questions

Which originals does the DIV require for a used car?

For a used car, the DIV requires all required documents as originals, not copies: proof of insurance, the latest registration certificate or the prescribed police report in the event of loss or theft, an invoice or purchase contract, valid inspection evidence if required and your identity document. Add an original proof of residence if your identity document does not show your foreign address. 2

How long is the X plate valid, and when is an inspection required?

Normally 30 days, followed by automatic deregistration. A longer validity or an extension is possible only in certain exceptional cases, before expiry and while you remain eligible; a new plate and certificate are then issued. The car's age and the validity of its inspection determine whether an inspection is required. 2, 10

Can I simply drive the car to the Netherlands?

Not with the seller's plate or the RDW one-day registration. Use an X plate with temporary insurance and a green card, or a vehicle transporter. Not every insurer offers temporary cover; arrange it before departure and have cover for the Netherlands and every transit country confirmed in writing. 2, 12, 11

Does a Car-Pass provide a complete vehicle history?

No. It is generally mandatory when a private buyer purchases a used car registered in Belgium and must be no more than two months old, but it does not provide a complete accident, repair or maintenance history. 3

Is the RDW import inspection a technical inspection, and is a valid Belgian inspection automatically carried over?

No. The RDW identifies the car and assesses its documents. Ask for carry-over using original evidence; without acceptance or an RDW APK, arrange an APK immediately after receiving the registration certificate if the car is subject to APK. 1

When do BPM and Dutch VAT apply?

BPM follows RDW approval. A car is new for VAT if it was first used no more than six months ago OR has travelled no more than 6,000 km; used for VAT requires more than 6,000 km AND more than six months. Check the invoice separately. 14, 4, 5, 6

What happens after approval, and what is the total cost?

After approval by the RDW and the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, the RDW states five working days for the registration certificate and another two working days for the registration code, subject to post. Arrange the plates and WA insurance, check mrb and calculate the unknown items; there is no fixed total. 1, 16, 7, 5, 2

Conditional next step

If you have not yet paid and current availability for the actual vehicle location in Belgium has been confirmed in advance, you can consider a pre-purchase inspection through CarAudit. Check the current terms before ordering; this is not a commitment on price, timing, coverage, outcome, warranty or import handling. 8, 9

Sources

1. Voertuig invoeren vanuit een Europees land
2. Export a vehicle / Transit (X plate)
3. Car-Pass: frequently asked questions
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. Hoe bereken ik de bpm voor een personenauto?
8. CarAudit: koop een tweedehands auto nooit blind
9. CarAudit-voorwaarden
10. Validity period of temporary registration plates
11. Eendagskenteken aanvragen
12. New procedure for cancelling number plates from 1 August 2025
13. Vrijstelling bpm en mrb bij kortstondig gebruik
14. Ik koop een motorrijtuig in het buitenland - hoe zit het met de bpm-aangifte?
15. Bpm afschrijving gebruikte motorrijtuigen
16. Motorrijtuigenbelasting