Suspending your car (schorsen): when it makes sense before a sale

What schorsen means

The English word the RDW uses is suspension. When you suspend a car with the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, you tell the register that the car will not be used on public roads for a set period. The car stays registered in your name and the registration card stays valid.

In return, the three running obligations stop. You do not pay road tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting, what this meansmotorrijtuigenbelastingThe Dutch tax on cars, collected by the Belastingdienst. You are exempt from it while a car is suspended.), you do not need third party liability insurance (WA), and the car does not need a valid APK, the Dutch roadworthiness test. The RDW tells the Belastingdienst about the suspension, so you do not have to report it yourself. How this affects the tax is covered in road tax when you sell.

When suspending makes sense before a sale

A suspension is useful when the car is not going to be driven for a while but is not sold yet. A typical case is a move abroad where the sale will take longer than your stay in the Netherlands, or a car that stands waiting for a buyer. Our guide to selling your car before you leave covers the other options for a car that is still yours when you go.

It does not make sense when you expect to sell within days, because a suspension has a fee and the fee is not refunded. It also does not make sense if you have nowhere to keep the car, because a suspended car must be on private property for the whole period.

How to suspend a car

You must be at least 18, or 16 for a moped. The car has to be registered in your name. You can also arrange a suspension for someone else, and then you need the registration card and the complete registration code of that car. The suspension starts immediately, and you cannot choose a later start date.

1. Choose the period: 1, 2 or 3 years. After the chosen period the suspension expires automatically.
2. To apply online, sign in with DigiD, fill in the form and pay through the payment method the RDW offers. The car is only suspended once you receive the confirmation email.
3. Keep the second email. It contains the end date and serves as your proof.
4. To apply in person, go to a registration counter (kentekenloket) or an RDW location. No appointment is needed. Bring your ID, the registration card and the registration code, or the paper documents if the car still has them.
5. At a counter you receive a suspension report with the end date. Keep it as proof.

If you pay road tax, the RDW passes the suspension on to the Belastingdienst. If you end a suspension within a month of its start, you owe road tax for that period and the Belastingdienst sends a supplementary assessment.

What the suspension fee depends on

A fee applies, and the current amount is on rdw.nl. We do not print it here because the RDW changes its fees. The fee depends on the type of vehicle, the length of the suspension, the age of the vehicle and its weight (the maximum authorised mass, box F.2 on the registration card).

If you end the suspension early, you do not get any of the fee back. Check the fee on the RDW page before you choose between 1, 2 and 3 years, because a longer period that you cut short is paid for in full.

What the car may and may not do while suspended

The RDW states that a suspended car may not be parked or driven on public roads. Keep it on private property, such as a private drive, a garage or a storage unit. You may be fined if you park it on the street.

There are limited exceptions for driving to an inspection station or garage, for example for an APK appointment. For such a trip the car must be insured that day, you must take the shortest route around the time of the appointment, and you should carry the appointment confirmation.

The RDW says you can cancel the insurance yourself, but advises asking your insurer first, because in some cases it is wise to keep the policy.

Selling a car while it is suspended

A suspension does not stop you from selling. When the car is transferred to a new owner the suspension ends on its own, according to the RDW, so you do not have to end it yourself first. The sale follows the normal route described in our guide to the RDW transfer: the buyer transfers the registration number into their name and hands you the proof of transfer (vrijwaringsbewijs, what this meansvrijwaringsbewijsThe document that shows a car is no longer registered in your name. You receive it from the buyer after a sale.).

After the transfer the car is a normally registered car again. The buyer needs WA insurance from the moment of registration, and a valid APK before driving on a public road. Tell a buyer clearly that the car has been suspended and give them the latest APK report if there is one. You can read the car's status in Mijn RDW, which is where the RDW sends you to check whether a car is suspended.

Extending or ending a suspension

A suspension does not renew itself. The RDW sends a reminder by post or to your Message Box, but extending is your responsibility. If you extend within 6 weeks of the end date, the new period counts from the original end date.

If you do not extend, the APK, insurance and road tax obligations apply again from the end date, and failing to meet them can lead to fines. Whether you let the suspension run out or end it early, the car must be insured, taxed and tested before it goes back on a public road.

What you need

• The registration card (kentekencard), or the paper registration certificate and transfer certificate
• The complete registration code (tenaamstellingscode), if you apply at a counter
• A valid passport, ID card or driving licence
• DigiD, if you apply online
• A place on private property where the car can stand for the whole period
• The end date from the confirmation email or the suspension report, kept as proof