Import car from Belgium: export plates, VAT and paperwork
How to import a car from Belgium as an EU dealer: personal Belgian plates, transport, the Car-Pass mileage record, VAT on ex-company cars and documents.
· 8 min read
To import a car from Belgium, buy with the complete registration certificate and the certificate of conformity, check the Car-Pass mileage record and agree in writing whether the invoice is margin-scheme or VAT-qualifying. Belgian plates stay with the owner, so the car leaves without them, usually on a truck. Belgium is strongest for ex-company premium saloons and estates.
Import car from Belgium: why dealers buy there
Belgium has a large supply of ex-company cars, because company cars are a common part of salary packages. They tend to be well-specified diesels, plug-in hybrids and electric cars with dealer service histories, returned after three to five years.
According to listings tracked by MyCarDealer in October 2026, median asking prices for 2019–2021 cars were:
| Model (2019–2021) | Belgium | Germany | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 3 Series | €21,950 (290 listings) | €22,000 (498) | €26,900 (302) |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | €21,950 (300) | €21,500 (578) | €26,450 (191) |
| Audi A4 | €19,450 (117) | €20,200 (487) | €23,900 (129) |
| VW Golf | €18,950 (464) | €16,900 (1,107) | €21,450 (173) |
Belgian premium saloons are priced at German level, which makes Belgium a natural second source for buyers in the Netherlands and further afield, often at a shorter distance than German stock. Volume hatchbacks such as the Golf were dearer in Belgium than in Germany, so there the German market is usually the better source. Our guide to car auctions in Belgium covers the trade channels for ex-company cars.
How a Belgian car is deregistered for export
In Belgium the registration plate belongs to the owner, not to the car. When a Belgian car is sold, the seller removes the plate and either has it cancelled at the federal registration service (DIV) or keeps it for the next car. You therefore receive the car without plates.
The documents you need from the seller are:
- Registration certificate (inschrijvingsbewijs / certificat d'immatriculation), both parts where issued. Your registration authority will withdraw it.
- Certificate of conformity (CoC). Belgian sellers normally hand it over with the car, because it is needed for every Belgian registration.
- Car-Pass, unless you buy as a trade professional (see below).
- Invoice with the VAT wording that matches the deal.
- Last inspection certificate and the service history.
Do not pay in full until you hold the registration certificate and the CoC. Without them, registration in your country becomes slow or expensive.
For car dealers
Know your margin before you buy
MyCarDealer compares any car from an auction or listing with the market in your country and shows the net margin after VAT, transport and costs – and the maximum bid.
Request accessGetting the car out: truck or Belgian transit plates
Because the car loses its plates at sale, the simplest option is a car transporter, which most dealers use for Belgian purchases. For a single car on a short route, Belgium also issues temporary transit plates for vehicles leaving the country. Their conditions, validity, insurance and cost are set by the DIV and insurers, so check them before you plan the journey.
Alternatively, some countries issue their own temporary plates for collecting a car abroad, with insurance valid for the journey; ask your registration office and insurer what applies to you.
What is a Car-Pass and why does it matter for imports?
A Car-Pass is Belgium's official mileage record. Under the law of 11 June 2004, every seller of a used car or light van in Belgium must hand the buyer a Car-Pass, whether the seller is private or professional and including when the buyer lives abroad. The only exception is a sale to a trade professional.
The document must be no more than two months old and costs €11.10 including VAT. It contains:
- the mileage readings recorded by garages, inspection centres and other professionals who have worked on the car;
- maintenance history entries;
- the Euro standard and CO2 value;
- for electric cars, the battery state of health;
- open recalls and any post-accident inspection status.
Mileage fraud is punishable in Belgium with fines and imprisonment, and because readings are recorded at every job, a Belgian car with a clean Car-Pass is among the safest buys for mileage in Europe. Ask for it even as a trader, where the seller does not have to give it. The Netherlands now adds Car-Pass readings to the Dutch register for cars imported since 13 January 2025, so a Dutch buyer will see them anyway. Our article on the car mileage check for imports explains how to read records from different countries together.
Are Belgian ex-company cars sold with VAT or under the margin scheme?
It depends on who sells and how the car was bought. A Belgian dealer selling stock it bought under the margin scheme invoices with no VAT shown, and you resell under your own margin scheme. A car the dealer bought with deductible VAT, typically from a leasing company, is sold net as an intra-Community supply to your VAT number, and you account for VAT at home.
Ex-company cars bought directly from a Belgian company need extra care. Belgian companies usually cannot deduct all the VAT on a company car, which affects how VAT is shown when they sell it. Before agreeing a price, ask the seller to state in writing which of these the invoice will be:
| Invoice type | What you get | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Margin scheme (dealer stock) | Gross price, no VAT shown | Resell under your margin scheme |
| Intra-Community supply, VAT 0% | Net price to your EU VAT number | Self-assess VAT at home and deduct it |
| Belgian VAT charged on the invoice | Gross price with Belgian VAT | Not recoverable through your normal VAT return; avoid for resale stock |
For an intra-Community supply, the Belgian seller will check your VAT number and ask for proof that the car left Belgium, such as a signed CMR note. The general rules for buying across borders are in VAT margin scheme EU rules.
Inspection: what a Belgian seller has done
Before a used car is sold for re-registration in Belgium, the seller has it inspected at a test centre. In Flanders this used-car inspection costs €90.70 for a passenger car from 1 January 2026, including the Car-Pass and the registration application form. The buyer receives the CoC, inspection certificate, used-car report, Car-Pass and the pink registration application form, which is valid for two months.
For a car leaving Belgium, your own country's rules on roadworthiness apply when you register it. A recent Belgian inspection certificate is still useful: under EU rules a valid roadworthiness certificate from another member state must be recognised for re-registration as long as it remains valid under the destination country's test intervals.
Calculating the landed cost
A Belgian car becomes a good buy only after transport, registration at home and preparation. Example for a 2020 BMW 320d bought from a Belgian dealer for a Dutch buyer:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price in Belgium (margin car) | €21,500 |
| Transport by truck (assumed quote) | €350 |
| RDW identification, registration and recycling fee | about €145 |
| Rest-BPM (depends on CO2 and age) | to be calculated |
| Preparation | €400 |
Against a Dutch median of €26,900 for this model, there is room for the rest-BPM and a margin, which is exactly why Dutch dealers buy Belgian stock. The Dutch steps are explained in car registration in the Netherlands.
MyCarDealer finds cars in Belgium and other EU countries and shows their market price in your country and the margin after VAT and transport. You can value one car for free.
Frequently asked questions
How is a Belgian car deregistered for export?
Belgian plates belong to the owner, so the seller removes them at sale and has them cancelled at the DIV or reuses them. You receive the car without plates, together with the registration certificate, CoC and, for most buyers, a Car-Pass.
What are Belgian transit plates and who can get them?
They are temporary Belgian plates used to drive a car that has lost its normal plates out of the country. Conditions, validity, insurance and cost are set by the DIV and insurers, so check them before relying on them; most dealers use a transporter instead.
What is a Car-Pass and why does it matter for imports?
It is Belgium's official mileage record, required on every used-car sale in Belgium except to trade professionals. It shows recorded readings, maintenance entries, Euro standard, CO2, EV battery health and recalls, and costs €11.10.
Are Belgian ex-company cars sold with VAT or under the margin scheme?
Dealer stock is sold either under the margin scheme or net as an intra-Community supply, depending on how the dealer bought it. Cars bought directly from companies need the VAT treatment agreed in writing, because Belgian companies usually could not deduct all the VAT.
Which documents should come with a Belgian used car?
The registration certificate, the certificate of conformity, a Car-Pass, the invoice with correct VAT wording, the last inspection certificate and the service history.