You moved to the Netherlands and brought your car with you, and it still carries UK plates or plates from another country. Now you want to sell it, and buyers keep asking whether the car is “Dutch”. It is a reasonable question, because the Dutch system works through the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, and the RDW transfers registrations that exist in its own register. The guide to Dutch number plates explains the Dutch plate. This article is about a car that has none.
Why it cannot simply be sold
The standard transfer on the RDW page about transferring a registration number works on a Dutch registration card and a Dutch registration code (tenaamstellingscode). A car on foreign plates has neither. It has a foreign registration certificate, issued by another country, and the Dutch buyer cannot put that into their name with an RDW counter.
So a private sale of the car as it stands is not a Dutch transfer. The buyer would first have to bring the car into the Dutch register, or the car would have to leave the country with the buyer. The RDW pages say nothing about selling a car that is not yet registered, so what follows describes the options and is not a ruling.
Option 1: register the car in the Netherlands first
You can import the car yourself, which means registering it with the RDW. The RDW’s page on importing a vehicle from an EU or EFTA country lists the conditions:
- You must be 18 or older and registered in the BRP, the municipal personal records database.
- You book an inspection online with DigiD and pay the fees.
- You bring the car, the complete original foreign registration certificate, and valid ID. If you have them, bring the Certificate of Conformity and any individual approval certificate.
- If BPM, the tax on passenger cars, applies, you declare it to the Belastingdienst, the Dutch tax authority.
- After approval, you receive a Dutch registration card, and a letter with the registration code follows.
The RDW keeps the foreign certificate. Afterwards you need WA insurance, number plates from an authorised manufacturer and, where required, an APK, the Dutch roadworthiness test, from a garage. A car registered this way is an ordinary Dutch car, and our article on selling an imported car takes over from there.
The page speaks about vehicles from the EU and EFTA. It does not cover the United Kingdom, and a car from outside that area follows a different procedure, with a type approval check. RDW pages for that case say a Certificate of Conformity or another approval document may be required. Because the UK is outside the EU, do not assume the EU steps apply to a UK car. Check the RDW import pages for your case, and ask the RDW if the rules are unclear. We do not give a view on the cost, which depends on the car, and we make no promise that registration is possible for every car.
Option 2: sell it to a buyer who exports it
The car can also leave the Netherlands with a buyer who lives abroad, or with someone who will register it in the country that issued the plates. In that case, the Dutch RDW transfer does not apply. The details depend on the country of registration, which is outside the knowledge of a Dutch site, so contact the vehicle authority of that country. The usual cautions apply: get payment in your own account before you hand over keys and papers, and do not agree to anything that leaves a legal gap about who owns the car.
The article on a buyer without a Dutch address explains how this differs for a Dutch-registered car.
Option 3: take it back
You can also sell the car in the country where it is registered, which avoids the Dutch process. If you are leaving soon, the guide to selling before you leave describes the timing for a Dutch car, and the same planning applies.
Driving a foreign-registered car in the Netherlands
The RDW’s import pages cover only the drive to the inspection. They do not say whether a car on foreign plates may be driven on Dutch roads in general, or for how long. For rules about that, ask the RDW and your insurer. The RDW says that after the inspection visit, you may not drive the car on public roads until you receive the Dutch registration certificate. Insurance for a car on foreign plates may also differ from Dutch WA insurance, so check it with your insurer.
What to tell a buyer
Be clear in the advert that the car is on foreign plates. A buyer who does not know may waste time, and a buyer who learns it late may walk away. Say which country issued the plates, whether you hold the original registration certificate, and whether the car has been inspected or registered in the Netherlands. A Dutch buyer will probably ask who registers the car.
Where we fit in
If your car is registered in the Netherlands, the sell form is open to you, free of charge and without obligation. For a car on foreign plates, tell us in the form where it is registered, and we will explain in English what we can and cannot do with it.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Dutch buyer register my UK-plated car?
Not through the standard RDW transfer, which works on Dutch registrations. The car would first need to go through the import procedure, or the buyer would register it in the country that issued the plates.
Do I have to import the car before selling?
Not always. Another route is to sell it to a buyer who exports it. Which is better depends on the buyer, the country and the car. Ask the RDW if you are unsure.
Does the EU import procedure apply to a UK car?
The RDW page we reviewed covers EU and EFTA countries only. The UK is outside the EU, so check the RDW import pages for vehicles from other countries.
Can I drive my foreign-plated car to a viewing?
The RDW pages we read do not give a general rule. Ask the RDW and your insurer. Do not drive a car that is not insured or that has no valid inspection.
What does the RDW keep when I import?
The RDW keeps the original foreign registration certificate. You receive a Dutch card, and a letter with the registration code follows.
