Are you currently planning to move to the Netherlands and want to bring the car with you? Try reading this post to find out what you need to do.
If you are planning to move to the Netherlands and want to keep the car with you in a new country, you need to know that you have to do several things.
#1: You need to apply for a permit
If you are planning to move a vehicle from within the EU state to the Netherlands, you still need an import permit tax-free registration. You can easily get a permit if you have lived within the EU state for at least one year and owned the vehicle for at least 6 months. Moreover, you need to follow the country’s policy that imported vehicles must not be sold within 1 year, right after moving the vehicle to the country.
If you are moving a non-EU vehicle, such as the USA, to the Netherlands, you need to consider a few more things aside from applying for a permit at the customs office. You need to understand the country’s road and traffic policies. Also, you cannot compare a US car with Dutch vehicles; there are notable differences between the two. Lastly, make sure to apply for a permit before moving the vehicle to the Netherlands.
If you are an ex-pat, you can drive the car for 6 months without registration but you still need to apply permit for your vehicle. Here is how:
- Get an appointment with RDW for a vehicle inspection.
- Take the car to the inspection place as per RDW’s instructions.
- Hand in the needed documents for a full foreign license number. And if you purchase the car used from another country, do not forget to check the vehicle’s history by using a chassis number or VIN to a chassis number checker or VIN lookup. Knowing your VIN is also essential if you want to import a car to another country.
- Pay for the fees.
- Get approval of the ‘Belastingdienst’ and the RDW to receive a license number certificate.
#2: Know the different ways to import the vehicle
There are two ways to move your car from another country to the Netherlands – via RORO or a via Container shipment.
RORO or Roll-on/Roll-off vessel is the most affordable way to ship your car to the Netherlands. It is a type of cargo ship designed to carry any type of vehicle – cars, trucks, buses, and more. However, there’s a disadvantage; this type of cargo vessel does not shield the vehicles from seawater, winds, or storms.
A container shipment, on the other hand, is transporting a vehicle on a cargo vessel, but this time the car is inside the container. This method keeps the vehicle shielded from seawater, wind, or storm.
The shipping of cars by sea from non-EU states starts at € 650. It is also possible to ship the vehicle by air to the Netherlands with a starting cost of €6500.
#3: Prepare insurance
Do not forget to prepare insurance for transporting your vehicle from another country to the Netherlands. This is to cover the problems during the shipment of the vehicle.