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The documents you need to sell a car in the Netherlands

Which papers a buyer needs from you, what each Dutch document is called, where the two parts of the registration code come from, and how to replace anything you cannot find.

Last checked against the official sources

In short

To sell a car in the Netherlands you need two things: the registration card (kentekencardThe credit card sized registration document used since 1 January 2014. A new card is issued every time the car changes owner.) and the nine digit registration code (tenaamstellingscodeNine digits in two parts that belong to one specific registration card. Without the complete code the car cannot be transferred, suspended, exported or scrapped.), which reaches you in two parts. Cars that have kept the same owner since before 2014 can still have the old paper registration, and the buyer cannot register the car without these documents. Add the most recent APK report when the car has had a test.

On this page
  1. The documents at a glance
  2. The registration card (kentekencard)
  3. The registration code comes in two parts
  4. Cars that still have a paper registration
  5. Check the card and the code before you sell
  6. When a document is missing
  7. Papers that help a buyer trust the car
  8. The one document you keep after the sale
  9. What you need
  10. Questions

The documents at a glance

The Dutch rules ask for very little paper, but the two items the RDW requires have to be complete and valid. Everything else in this list makes the sale smoother without being a legal requirement.

  • Required: the registration card (kentekencard), or for an older car the paper registration documents.
  • Required: the complete registration code (tenaamstellingscode), which comes in two parts.
  • Hand over if you have it: the report of the most recent APK, the Dutch roadworthiness test.
  • Useful: the service book, repair invoices and every key that belongs to the car.
  • Have with you: a valid passport or ID card, so the buyer can see the car is yours to sell.

The registration card (kentekencard)

Since 1 January 2014 the Dutch registration certificate has been a card the size of a bank card. It shows the number plate and the vehicle details, and the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, issues a new one every time the car changes owner. You must carry it when you drive.

Each card has a document number at the bottom right of the front. The RDW uses that number to check whether the card is still the valid one for the car, because a card stops being valid when a replacement is issued.

The registration code comes in two parts

The registration code (tenaamstellingscode) has nine digits and it is never printed on the card. It reaches you in two pieces. Part 1, the first four digits, is on the registration report (tenaamstellingsverslagThe receipt you were given when the car was put in your name. It holds part 1 of the registration code.) that you received when the car was put in your name. Part 2, the last five digits, came in the letter with your registration card. Put them together and you have the code the buyer needs. Our guide to the registration code goes into each part.

For a brand new car the full code is sent in a separate envelope, one day after the card. Leased and financed cars are different: their code is sent to the leasing or finance firm, which keeps it.

Two other numbers on or near the card are easy to confuse with it. The reporting code (meldcodeThe last four digits of the vehicle identification number, printed on the registration card. Insurers ask for it, and you use it to order a replacement code by post.) is the last four digits of the vehicle identification number and is used by insurers. The document number identifies the card itself. Neither of them can be used to transfer the car.

Cars that still have a paper registration

A car that has not changed owner since 2014 may still have the paper registration (kentekenbewijsThe paper registration document from before 2014. It is still valid, and it is replaced by a card the next time the car changes owner.). It remains valid until the next transfer, when the new owner receives a card. Which parts you have depends on its age.

Between 1 June 2004 and 1 January 2014 the paper registration had three parts: part IA with the vehicle details, part IB with the owner's details, and part II, the transfer certificate (overschrijvingsbewijs), which you were meant to keep at home. Registrations from before 1 June 2004 consist of a part I, a part II and a transfer certificate, which on numbers issued before 1995 is called copy part 3.

To sell, the buyer needs at least the original registration part (tenaamstellingsbewijs) and the transfer certificate. A paper registration cannot be transferred online, so the buyer goes to a registration counter or an RDW location with the originals.

Check the card and the code before you sell

The RDW has a free online check that tells you whether your registration card is still valid and whether your registration code belongs to it. You need the number plate, the document number from the card and the code. A paper registration cannot be checked this way.

Run the check before you advertise the car or ask for an offer. If the card turns out to be invalid, the car cannot be transferred or suspended until you have a new card. When only the code fails, order a replacement code.

When a document is missing

A lost registration code can be replaced, and the RDW offers three ways to do it. A fee applies to each, and the current amount is on rdw.nl. A new code always replaces the old one, which stops working. The number plate stays the same.

  • Online with DigiD, when the car is in your name. The new code arrives by email as a file to download. Save it, because the link stops working after 40 days.
  • By post, without DigiD. You need the reporting code (meldcode) from the card, and the code is posted to your address in the municipal register.
  • In person at the RDW desks in Veendam or Zoetermeer, or at an RDW inspection station. Bring the registration card and valid identification, and you receive the code there.

A lost, stolen or damaged registration card is replaced through the RDW as well, with a fee. You apply with the reporting code, and a new registration code comes with the new card automatically, posted a couple of working days after it. Order a replacement well before your sale date, because both travel by post to your registered address.

Papers that help a buyer trust the car

Some documents carry no legal weight in a sale but make a real difference to a buyer. The RDW asks sellers to hand over the report of the latest APK, if the car has had one. How the APK works is in our APK guide. A service book with stamps and invoices for recent work show how the car was looked after.

Spare keys matter too. A missing key is something a buyer will notice and ask about, so look for every key before the sale and mention it if one is lost.

The one document you keep after the sale

After the transfer you get the proof of transfer (vrijwaringsbewijsThe paper you get from the buyer once the car is out of your name. It is the one document you keep after the sale.) from the buyer. It carries the date and time of the change, and the guide to the proof of transfer explains what else it must contain. Keep it, and give it to your insurer when you end the policy. For the transfer itself, read how the RDW transfer works.

Road tax is a separate matter. The Belastingdienst refunds road tax paid ahead for the months after the sale, and road tax when you sell explains how.

What you need

  • The registration card (kentekencard), or the original paper registration documents
  • Part 1 of the registration code, from the registration report
  • Part 2 of the registration code, from the letter that came with the card
  • A valid passport or ID card
  • The report of the most recent APK test, if there is one
  • The service book and repair invoices you kept
  • Every key that belongs to the car

An offer for your car

If you would like to sell the car to us, enter your number plate and we contact you with an offer. It is free and you are not committing to anything.

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Questions

Where do I find the registration code on my registration card?

It is not on the card. Part 1 (four digits) is on the registration report you received when the car was put in your name, and part 2 (five digits) was in the letter that came with the card. Together they make the nine digit code.

Is the reporting code (meldcode) the same as the registration code?

No. The reporting code is the last four digits of the vehicle identification number, printed on the registration card and used by insurers. The registration code has nine digits and is what the buyer needs to transfer the car.

My car still has the old paper registration. Can I sell it?

Yes. A paper registration is still valid. The buyer needs the original registration part and the transfer certificate, and must transfer the car at a registration counter or RDW location, because paper registrations cannot be transferred online.

I have lost part 1 of the registration code. What now?

Order a new registration code from the RDW. You can do it online with DigiD, by post with the reporting code from your card, or in person at an RDW desk or inspection station. A fee applies. The new code replaces the old one completely.

Do I need the service book and the APK report to sell?

The RDW asks you to give the buyer the report of the latest APK if the car has had one. A service book is not required, but a buyer will look for it, and it helps them judge the car.

What do you need from me to make an offer?

Your number plate is enough to start a request. We use it to look up the car in the RDW register and then ask a few questions about its condition. The documents in this guide are for the day of the handover.

Sources

Last checked on 30 October 2026. Rules and fees can change, and the official pages above have the final word.

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