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

Short answer: do not pay until the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number), the seller's authority to sell, the original sales documents and Romanian fiscal clearance can all be verified. To drive the car yourself, the temporary export registration, RCA insurance and recognition in every transit country must all be in order; otherwise, carriage on a vehicle transporter is procedurally safer. As this is an intra-EU route, no customs duty applies. Dutch private motor vehicle and motorcycle tax (BPM) and possible value added tax (VAT) are separate from this. 1 2 3

Decide before paying

Record the checks in writing; a number plate or advert does not prove ownership, a complete history or a lawful cross-border journey.

Check the car, seller and documents

Before paying, request and validate either a valid RAR Auto-Pass no more than 60 days old or the official no-data document. The Auto-Pass contains only the available data; certain serious events and foreign mileage records may be absent. It is not proof of a complete title history, damage history, maintenance history or mechanical history. 4 5

Compare the vehicle identification number (VIN/chassis number) on the car with the documents. Check the seller's authority to sell and retain the current ITL-054 transfer form or another accepted original proof of ownership, the signed sales documents, the CIV (Romanian vehicle identity document), the registration certificate, the plates and copies of the identity and sales documents. An alienation notation is not a transfer in the register; your ownership status must be accepted for export registration. Since March 2026, an older exception can no longer be relied on by itself: the title must be registered with the competent local tax authority or you must provide the required fiscal clearance certificate or electronic verification. It has not been established how the chosen Romanian local tax authority issues or verifies fiscal clearance for you as a non-resident buyer. Confirm in advance with that authority and the chosen SPCRPCIV which copies or translations are required, the appointment arrangements and the total costs. 1 7 8 6

Export and transport to the Netherlands

Temporary export registration is intended where the new owner has no Romanian domicile, registered office or residence and the car is being removed for registration elsewhere. Any SPCRPCIV may issue it on request for no more than 30 days, subject to document, RCA, fiscal and fee requirements. An ordinary red or provisional authorisation is valid only in Romania. A stated validity period does not prove RCA cover or recognition in transit countries; obtain written confirmation. RDW does not provide a number plate for the journey to the Netherlands. 1 8 9 2

After the vehicle has actually left, the registered owner must apply for deregistration within 30 days with the registration certificate, plates, proof of identity, proof of export and fiscal clearance from the seller or local owner. This is a separate post-departure step, not the period during which the vehicle may be driven. 1 8

RDW import inspection and Dutch registration

The RDW's EU/EFTA route requires private applicants to be at least 18 and registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP). Bring valid ID and the complete original foreign registration certificate; make a copy in advance for BPM. A certificate of conformity (CvO; often referred to internationally as a CoC) is optional on this page, but the CO2 value may affect BPM. 2

RDW identifies the car and assesses the documents; this is not a general mechanical pre-purchase inspection. Danger or damage may, however, result in a prohibition on road use. With an original report, an entry on the registration certificate or a number-plate sticker, ask RDW to carry over a still-valid Romanian periodic inspection; carry-over is not guaranteed. Without accepted evidence or an RDW APK, arrange a periodic roadworthiness inspection (APK) immediately after receiving the registration certificate if the car is subject to APK; a delay may result in a fine. 2

After approval by RDW and the Dutch Tax Administration, you will receive the registration certificate and registration code, and can then obtain number plates from a recognised manufacturer. For a car subject to compulsory insurance, arrange third-party liability insurance (WA insurance) from the moment it is registered in your name; the reporting code is the final four digits of the VIN. For a car subject to motor vehicle tax (mrb), registration in your name constitutes the mrb return. The bill is issued automatically; contact the Dutch Tax Administration if it has not arrived after one month. 2 14

Calculate BPM and VAT separately

As a private buyer, file a BPM return only after RDW has approved the car and transmitted the data electronically. For BPM, new means unused or hardly used. At 3,000 km or more, the car is used in any event; a lower mileage does not automatically lead to that conclusion. 15 16

Gross BPM is based on 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; cars from before 2018 have no WLTP value. If CO2 is unknown, for ‘1 July 2020 to the present’ the source lists 550 g/km for petrol and 395 g/km for diesel, and for older periods the more favourable petrol/diesel alternatives 507/356 and 350/302. A used car receives a depreciation allowance. Compare permitted current and historical rates and choose the most favourable permitted method: a Dutch trade price list, an appraisal or the statutory table. Do not assume that an appraisal is permitted: special conditions apply to the case, appraiser and roadworthiness, and the appraisal must also fall within the one-month period before the RDW appointment. The available official guidance does not make clear which eligibility criteria apply cumulatively or alternatively; therefore check the current form instructions before choosing an appraisal. 16 17

For VAT, a vehicle is new if it was first used no more than six months ago or has covered no more than 6,000 km. To be safely treated as used, its first use must have been more than six months ago and it must have covered more than 6,000 km. For a vehicle classed as new for VAT, Dutch VAT is due and, as a private buyer, you use the special return for an intra-Community new means of transport. Under the used branch, moving the vehicle does not in itself give rise to additional Dutch acquisition VAT; invoice treatment and the margin scheme may nevertheless differ. 10 11 12

Cost budget without a misleading total

Amounts are dated, separate line items; alternatives are not added together and unknown inputs are not assigned a number.

Chronological checklist

All steps remain open until demonstrably completed.

Frequently asked questions

Does a RAR Auto-Pass prove that the Romanian car is problem-free?

No. The seller must provide either a valid 60-day Auto-Pass or the official no-data document. Coverage of serious events is limited to the specified safety systems and reporting entities; foreign mileage depends on data from manufacturer networks. Also verify the title, VIN, damage, maintenance and technical condition. 4, 5

May I drive the car from Romania to the Netherlands myself?

Only with export registration, plates, a cleared fiscal gate and RCA, plus written confirmation of cover and recognition in every transit country. The ordinary red authorisation is valid only in Romania. If in doubt, choose a vehicle transporter. 1, 8, 2

When must the car be deregistered in Romania?

After the vehicle has actually left, the registered owner must apply for deregistration within 30 days with the registration certificate, plates, identification, proof of export and the required fiscal clearance. That period is separate from the validity of the export registration. 1, 8

Is the RDW import inspection automatically a technical inspection or APK?

No. RDW identifies the car and checks the documents; this is not a general pre-purchase inspection. Ask for the valid Romanian inspection to be carried over using the original evidence. Without carry-over or an RDW APK, arrange an APK immediately after receiving the registration certificate if the car is subject to APK. 2

How soon will I receive the Dutch registration certificate after approval?

Following approval by RDW and the Dutch Tax Administration, RDW states that it sends the registration certificate within five working days and the full registration code two working days later, subject to postal delivery. You can then obtain plates from a recognised manufacturer, while WA cover is required from registration in your name. 2

Can I use the foreign car tax-free in the Netherlands for the first two weeks?

Only exceptionally: it must have foreign plates, have been made available abroad, be reported online in advance and be used for no more than two consecutive weeks, once per vehicle and user in any twelve-month period. If the conditions are not met or the vehicle is used for longer, BPM and mrb are due from day one. 20

Can CarAudit inspect this car in Romania before purchase?

The website of the provider, Carvago Deutschland GmbH, listed Romania on 13 September 2026; the terms effective from 1 August 2026 require location confirmation before ordering. The advertised timing for the report — within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays — is indicative. Seller access, time, weather and the ability to test-drive may impose limits. This is not a guarantee, does not ensure complete detection of hidden defects and does not provide import assistance. 21, 22

Would you consider a pre-purchase inspection before paying? First check whether CarAudit is available at the specific location in Romania, with no assurance as to price, timing, coverage, outcome or import administration. 21, 22

Sources

1. Order MAI 181/2024 on registration, deregistration and temporary circulation
2. Voertuig invoeren vanuit een Europees land
3. Belasting van personenauto's en motorrijwielen (bpm)
4. Law 142/2023 on the electronic road-vehicle history register
5. RAR Auto-Pass
6. Order 1069/1578/114/2016 — model ITL-054 and fiscal exchange
7. Emergency Ordinance 7/2026
8. Legislative changes on vehicle deregistration and registration
9. SPCRPCIV programme and current plate tariffs
10. Wat zijn nieuwe of bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen?
11. Aankoop van nieuwe en bijna nieuwe vervoermiddelen uit EU-landen
12. Auto kopen of verkopen: btw
13. Eendagskenteken aanvragen
14. Motorrijtuigenbelasting
15. Ik koop een motorrijtuig in het buitenland - hoe zit het met de bpm-aangifte?
16. Hoe bereken ik de bpm voor een personenauto?
17. Bpm afschrijving gebruikte motorrijtuigen
18. Vehicle registration service
19. Registration-service tariff change notice
20. Vrijstelling bpm en mrb bij kortstondig gebruik
21. CarAudit: koop een tweedehands auto nooit blind
22. CarAudit-voorwaarden