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

You can import a used passenger car from France, but do not pay until you have confirmed that the seller has authority to sell it, the original French documents are complete and the transport arrangements are demonstrably valid. You cannot drive to the Netherlands with only a crossed-out carte grise. Without confirmed registration, insurance and recognition along the route, carriage on a vehicle transporter is the practical alternative. The next steps are the RDW import inspection, private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (BPM), registration, number plates, third-party liability insurance (WA insurance) and motor vehicle tax (mrb). 1 2 3

Decide before paying

Check the seller's authority, the paperwork and the physical condition separately. Also record who will handle the French notice of sale, any export or deregistration from the French vehicle register, the number plates, insurance and costs. A general French tax refund is not substantiated for every ordinary export purchase; rely on one only where there is a legal basis specific to the transaction. 1 4

French documents and vehicle checks

Only the owner may sell the car. The carte grise must be in the seller's name and all joint holders must sign. With leasing or location avec option d'achat (LOA), the user cannot sell the car independently unless the owner/lender carries out or authorises the applicable transaction. Check the seller's authority to sell the car. 1

At handover, you must receive the complete carte grise, crossed out and showing the date and time of sale, the signature and the correctly completed buyer section. You also need one certificat de cession (transfer certificate), the code de cession (transfer code), a certificat de situation administrative (administrative-status certificate) issued through HistoVec less than fifteen days earlier and, where applicable, the contrôle technique report (French periodic roadworthiness inspection). 1

In a private sale of a passenger car more than four years old, the seller must provide an approved inspection report that is less than six months old. If a reinspection has been prescribed, the two-month period must not have expired. A critical defect must be repaired and approved before a private sale; a non-running car may not be sold to a private individual. 1

HistoVec can show the date of first registration, registered keepers, any pledge, an administrative block on transfer or theft registration, inspections, recorded mileages and certain insured damage. Ask the seller to generate the HistoVec report and share it with you before you pay. Damage appears only where the expert assessment procedure has been recorded in the SIV register. The report is not a complete accident, repair or maintenance history; a clean result does not rule out other work. 5

Transport from France to the Netherlands

The coupon détachable and crossed-out carte grise provide only a limited right to drive in France, not abroad. The RDW does not issue a number plate for the journey to the Netherlands. You must therefore use either a French registration and insurance arrangement that is valid for the car in the Netherlands and every transit country, or a trailer or vehicle transporter. 1 2 3

A CPI WW can be used across borders only if all the countries concerned recognise it; its issue in France does not guarantee this. Nor is every export car eligible. For used cars, Article 8 includes, among other categories, a car previously registered outside France that is sold by a professional in France for direct export, and a previously French-registered export car without a definitive SIV number or with an old FNI number. Check the case file in advance. For ordinary eligible categories, the CPI WW is valid for four months; the six-month period applies to specified incomplete or agricultural vehicles. Simplimmat is not normally applicable because both the buyer and seller must reside in France. 1 2 4

The free RDW one-day registration is valid only in the Netherlands, on the inspection date and by the shortest route to the RDW and home. It requires an appointment, printed proof, legible white plates, Dutch insurance and a safe car. 9

The relief for short-term use of a foreign-registered vehicle is not the standard import route. It requires a foreign registration and advance online notification, and the car must have been placed at your disposal abroad. It applies for no more than two consecutive weeks and once per vehicle/user in any twelve-month period. If you breach the conditions or use the car for longer, BPM and mrb are due from the first day of use in the Netherlands. 10

RDW and registration in the Netherlands

Under the EU/EFTA route, a private applicant must be at least eighteen and registered in the Netherlands Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen). Take valid ID and the complete original foreign registration certificate with you; make a copy of the registration certificate for BPM in advance. A certificate of conformity (CvO, commonly known internationally as CoC) is optional on this RDW page, but its CO2 value affects BPM. 3

The RDW identifies the car and assesses its documents; this is not a general inspection of its technical condition. Danger or damage can, however, result in a prohibition on road use. At the desk, ask the RDW to carry over a valid EU/EFTA inspection and show the original report, an entry on the registration certificate or the plate sticker. Acceptance is not guaranteed. If a car subject to the periodic roadworthiness inspection (APK) requirement has neither accepted foreign evidence nor an RDW APK, arrange an APK immediately after receiving the registration certificate; delay may result in a fine. 3

BPM, VAT and putting the car into use

As a private individual, file the BPM return only after the RDW approves the car and sends the vehicle data electronically to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration. For BPM purposes, new means not or hardly used; at 3,000 km or more, the car is in any event used, but a lower mileage does not determine the outcome automatically. 11 6

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 value; there is no WLTP value for cars from before 2018. Where CO2 is missing, for ‘1 July 2020 to present’ the page uses 550 g/km for petrol or 395 g/km for diesel; for ‘1 January 2015 to 1 July 2020’, the figures are 507 g/km for petrol and 356 g/km for diesel, and for ‘1 January 2009 to 1 January 2015’ they are 350 g/km for petrol and 302 g/km for diesel, where the older value is more favourable. 6

A used car qualifies for depreciation and may compare permitted current and historic rate schedules. The permitted methods are a Dutch trade price list, an appraisal report or the statutory table; choose only the most favourable method permitted for your case file. Do not assume that an appraisal is available for an ordinary car: special conditions apply to the category, appraiser, roadworthiness and the one-month period, while the official and/or eligibility wording remains unresolved. Check the current form instructions. 6 12

For value added tax (VAT), the car is new if it has been in use for no more than six months OR has covered no more than 6,000 km. To be VAT-used, it must have covered more than 6,000 km AND be supplied more than six months after first registration. A VAT-new French car is subject to Dutch VAT and, for a private individual, the special VAT return for a new means of transport from an EU country. Moving a VAT-used car does not, by itself, give rise to additional Dutch acquisition VAT. This does not mean that no VAT is due anywhere; the treatment on the dealer's invoice or under the margin scheme may differ. 7 13 8

After approval by the RDW and the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, the RDW sends the registration certificate within five working days and the complete registration code two working days later, subject to postal delivery. Have the number plates made by an RDW-recognised manufacturer. From registration in the owner's name, a car subject to the insurance requirement needs Dutch third-party liability insurance (WA insurance); the reporting code is the last four digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number). Registration in the owner's name constitutes the mrb return, and the bill follows automatically. Call the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration if no bill arrives within one month. The amount depends on the vehicle type, weight, fuel, environmental characteristics and province. 3 14

Cost breakdown

The rates below are separate RDW items as at 13 September 2026. Do not count alternative weight and transport options twice or calculate a total while vehicle details and quotes are missing. 3

Chronological checklist

Optional pre-purchase inspection

According to the Dutch site, CarAudit is offered by Carvago Deutschland GmbH; the displayed terms apply from 1 August 2026. France is on the country list, but confirm availability at the exact location before ordering. The homepage mentions a report within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays; the terms state that this timing is indicative and depends on availability and circumstances. Access, time, weather and the test drive may limit the inspection. It is not a guarantee, may not identify hidden defects and does not handle import administration. 15 16

Frequently asked questions

Which French documents do I need?

Obtain from the owner and joint holders the signed carte grise, the certificat and code de cession, a recent administrative certificate and the applicable inspection report. 1

Does HistoVec prove that the car is free from damage?

No. HistoVec shows SIV data and some insured damage; it is not a complete accident, repair or maintenance record. 5

Can I drive to the Netherlands with the crossed-out carte grise?

No. Driving it yourself requires registration and insurance recognised by the Netherlands and the transit countries. CPI-WW eligibility depends on the case file; otherwise, use a vehicle transporter. 1, 2, 4, 3

Can the RDW one-day registration cover the journey from France?

No. It is valid only on the inspection day and by the shortest route in the Netherlands. Proof, white plates, insurance and a safe car are also required. 9

Is the RDW import inspection a pre-purchase inspection?

No. The RDW identifies the car and assesses its documents; danger or damage can result in a prohibition on road use. It is not a general assessment of the car's technical condition. 3

Are the BPM and VAT definitions of a used car the same?

No. For BPM purposes, a car with 3,000 km or more is in any event used. For VAT, it is new if no more than six months have passed since first use OR it has covered no more than 6,000 km; to be used, both thresholds must be exceeded. 6, 7, 8

Does the RDW automatically carry over the French inspection?

No. Request this and provide the original evidence. Without an accepted inspection or an RDW APK, arrange an APK for a car subject to APK immediately after receiving the registration certificate. 3

How long does registration take and what costs follow?

After approval by the RDW and the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, the RDW sends the registration certificate within five working days and the registration code two working days later, subject to post. Then arrange number plates and WA insurance; variable items require vehicle details or quotes. 3, 6, 14

Would you like to consider an inspection before buying? First check whether the CarAudit package is available at the exact location in France and read the current terms before ordering. 15, 16

Sources

1. Vendre ou donner son véhicule
2. Peut-on circuler à l'étranger avec une carte grise barrée ou un CPI ?
3. Voertuig invoeren vanuit een Europees land
4. Arrêté du 9 février 2009 relatif aux modalités d'immatriculation des véhicules, article 8
5. HistoVec: historique et situation administrative d'un véhicule d'occasion
6. Hoe bereken ik de bpm voor een personenauto?
7. Wat zijn nieuwe of bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen?
8. Auto kopen of verkopen: btw
9. Eendagskenteken aanvragen
10. Vrijstelling bpm en mrb bij kortstondig gebruik
11. Ik koop een motorrijtuig in het buitenland - hoe zit het met de bpm-aangifte?
12. Bpm afschrijving gebruikte motorrijtuigen
13. Aankoop van nieuwe en bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen uit EU-landen
14. Motorrijtuigenbelasting
15. CarAudit: koop een tweedehands auto nooit blind
16. CarAudit-voorwaarden