Import car from Netherlands: a guide for foreign dealers
How to import a car from the Netherlands: why Dutch prices differ, RDW export deregistration, odometer checks, VAT status and transport for EU dealers.
· 7 min read
To import a car from the Netherlands as a dealer, buy where Dutch prices are competitive (electric and ex-lease cars above all), have the seller deregister the car for export at the RDW, check the mileage in the RDW odometer register, confirm the VAT status and bring the car home on export plates or by truck. Negotiate an export price below Dutch retail.
Why some used cars are cheaper in the Netherlands
Some used cars are cheaper in the Netherlands because of the way Dutch registration tax and leasing work, while many others are more expensive. The key factor is BPM, the Dutch registration tax paid when a car is first registered. Petrol and diesel cars carry a lot of BPM, which pushes Dutch prices up. Electric cars have carried very little BPM, so their prices are not inflated, and the Dutch market has a large supply of them from company leasing.
According to listings tracked by MyCarDealer in October 2026, median asking prices were:
| Model and years | Netherlands | Germany | Belgium | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3, 2019–2021 | €22,695 (306) | €23,000 (113) | €23,890 (93) | Italy €25,000 (80), Austria €24,999 (42) |
| VW Golf, 2018–2020 | €16,999 (138) | €15,500 (1,274) | €14,950 (342) | Poland €13,463 (47) |
| Mazda CX-5, 2017–2021 | €22,845 (240) | €16,990 (245) | €17,999 (81) | Czech Republic €18,367 (181) |
Numbers in brackets are listing counts. The Tesla is the only one of the three where the Netherlands is the cheapest source, and it has by far the most stock there. For combustion cars, Dutch asking prices are higher because they include BPM.
There is a second factor. When a Dutch-registered car is exported, the last Dutch registration holder can reclaim part of the BPM. That lets Dutch dealers sell to foreign buyers below their own retail price, as explained in our guide to the BPM export refund. Always ask for an export price.
Which cars to source in the Netherlands
The cars worth sourcing in the Netherlands are those where the Dutch price, minus any export discount, is clearly below your home-market price after transport. In practice:
- Electric cars: Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen ID, Skoda Enyaq and others, many from lease fleets with documented maintenance;
- ex-lease cars with high mileage, where Dutch buyers are price-sensitive;
- cars Dutch buyers do not want, such as older diesels, which carry a road-tax surcharge in the Netherlands and are scarce in Dutch stock.
For petrol and hybrid cars bought at Dutch retail prices, the numbers rarely work without an export price.
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 accessCheck the mileage in the RDW odometer register
Check the mileage of every Dutch car in the RDW register before you agree a price, because the Netherlands has one of Europe's best odometer records. Since 1 January 2014, the RDW has registered odometer readings, a task previously handled by the Stichting Nationale AutoPas (NAP). That is why Dutch dealers still often refer to a "NAP" check or label.
With the free RDW licence-plate check, you can see a verdict on the series of readings:
| Verdict | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Logisch (logical) | The series of readings rises as expected |
| Onlogisch (illogical) | The series does not rise; the odometer may have been tampered with |
| Geen oordeel (no verdict) | Too little information to judge |
The RDW gives verdicts only on readings after 1 January 2014 and does not issue a document with the verdict, so take a screenshot with the date and plate visible. A car marked "onlogisch" is very hard to resell in most markets; avoid it unless the price reflects that. Our guide to car mileage checks for imports covers other countries' registers.
How a Dutch car is deregistered for export
A Dutch car is deregistered for export at the RDW, usually by the seller. According to the RDW, the process is:
- The owner or an authorised person reports the export at an RDW inspection station, an RDW counter or a recognised export company, with ID, the registration card (with the registration code) or the registration certificate, and the Dutch number plates.
- The RDW issues three documents: an indemnity certificate (vrijwaringsbewijs) proving the registration has ended, the registration card with a corner cut off (or part 1B), and an export certificate (the registration certificate part II).
- The car may still be driven on Dutch public roads for 14 days on export plates with white background and black characters, with valid insurance.
The RDW charges €12 for the export report; export companies set their own fees. Once the export is reported, insurance obligation, roadworthiness test obligation and road tax stop for the Dutch owner.
Which documents should a Dutch dealer hand over with an export car?
A Dutch dealer should hand over everything your own registration authority needs and everything you need to resell the car. The checklist:
- export certificate (registration certificate part II issued by the RDW on export);
- the registration card with the corner cut off, or part 1B;
- invoice with the correct VAT wording;
- certificate of conformity (CoC) if available;
- latest APK report (Dutch roadworthiness test), service history and both keys;
- a printout or screenshot of the odometer verdict.
For VAT, Dutch invoices distinguish margin cars ("marge") from VAT-qualifying cars ("btw-auto"). A margin car is invoiced gross and resold under the margin scheme at home; a VAT-qualifying car is invoiced net to your VAT number as an intra-Community supply, and you account for VAT in your own country. See our guide to the margin scheme for cross-border purchases.
Transport from the Netherlands
You can bring the car home on Dutch export plates or by truck. Dutch export plates allow 14 days on Dutch roads; for the rest of the journey, make sure your insurance covers every country on the route. For several cars or long distances, a transporter is usually cheaper and avoids extra mileage on the car. The Netherlands is close to Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, so transport costs are often lower than for imports from southern or eastern Europe.
Import car from Netherlands: register at home and calculate landed cost
At home, register the car with the Dutch export certificate, the CoC and your country's roadworthiness check, and pay any registration tax that applies. Then compare your landed cost with your home-market price:
- Dutch export price (ask for it; do not use the retail price);
- plus transport and export fees;
- plus registration tax and fees at home;
- plus preparation;
- compared with the retail price of the same car in your market.
MyCarDealer shows the market price of the same car in your country and the maximum bid after transport and VAT; you can test a Dutch car with a free valuation.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some used cars cheaper in the Netherlands than in neighbouring countries?
Mainly electric cars: they carry little Dutch registration tax, and the Dutch lease market supplies many of them. In October 2026, 2019–2021 Tesla Model 3s had a lower median asking price in the Netherlands than in Germany, Belgium, Italy or Austria. Combustion cars are usually more expensive in the Netherlands because their price includes BPM.
How is a Dutch car deregistered for export?
The owner reports the export at the RDW or a recognised export company and receives an indemnity certificate, the cut registration card or part 1B and an export certificate. The car may then be driven on Dutch roads for 14 days on export plates.
What is a NAP mileage report and how do I check it?
NAP was the Dutch odometer register, now kept by the RDW since 2014. The free RDW licence-plate check shows whether the series of readings is logical, illogical or has no verdict. Dutch dealers often still call this a NAP check.
Which documents should a Dutch dealer hand over with an export car?
The RDW export certificate, the cut registration card or part 1B, an invoice with the correct VAT wording, the CoC if available, the latest APK report, service records and all keys.
Do I pay Dutch VAT on a car imported from the Netherlands?
Not as a VAT-registered dealer. A margin car is bought at a gross price without VAT shown, and a VAT-qualifying car is invoiced net as an intra-Community supply, with VAT accounted for in your own country.