A practical guide to buying a used car in the Netherlands: the RDW checks before you pay, the transfer into your name, insurance and the APK, and the traps to avoid. General information, not legal advice.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. A domestic used car already registered in the Netherlands has already had its one-off BPM paid — you do not pay BPM again. BPM is only payable on first registration, for a new car or an imported car. For taxes and paperwork in your own case, check rdw.nl and belastingdienst.nl before you buy.
What does transferring a car at the RDW cost?
€13.10 — the statutory RDW fee for putting the registration (tenaamstelling) in your name. The same fee applies online and in person, paid by iDEAL or Wero online.
The transfer fee is set by the RDW and confirmed by the corrected research pack. It covers the transfer of the registration to the buyer; it is not a tax on the car's value. A dealer normally does the transfer at delivery and includes the fee in the delivery costs — ask for it as its own line. If anyone quotes you a much higher “transfer fee”, ask what it covers.
How do I buy a used car in the Netherlands?
Check the car on the RDW first, inspect it and agree a written purchase agreement, then put the registration in your name and insure it before you drive. The buyer is responsible for the transfer.
First run the free RDW plate check (APK expiry, first admission date, recorded mileage, stolen or claims flags). Then inspect the car, test-drive it, and agree a written purchase agreement (koopovereenkomst) with the price, mileage, and what is included. Then transfer the registration into your name — online with DigiD or in person — and arrange insurance to start on the transfer date. Do not drive until the car is in your name and insured.
How do I check a car's history and mileage before buying?
Run the free RDW plate check (RDW Online Voertuig Informatie) before you contact the seller or pay anything. It shows the APK expiry, the date of first admission, the recorded mileage, and whether the car is reported stolen or has outstanding claims.
The RDW check is free and needs only the licence plate (kenteken). Do it before you pay — or even before you travel to view the car. A stolen flag, an outstanding claim, or a mileage that jumps backwards is a reason to walk away before you spend anything. Ask the seller for the full maintenance history as well and compare it with the RDW recorded mileage: the two should tell the same story.
How do I check the mileage?
Use the RDW recorded-mileage history plus the Nationale Auto Pas (NAP): a mileage that goes backwards is fraud. A “logisch” (logical) verdict means the recorded readings are consistent.
The RDW keeps the official recorded-mileage log, and the Nationale Auto Pas (NAP) gives a verdict on whether the readings are consistent — “logisch” means they are. Compare the RDW log and the NAP verdict with the service book and the mileage on the dashboard. A gap, a jump backwards, or a seller who cannot produce a service history is a walk-away signal: odometer fraud (clocking) is a real risk with used cars.
Where can I put the registration in my name?
Online at rdw.nl/overschrijven with DigiD, or in person at a kentekenloket, an RDW-approved dealer or garage, a participating PostNL point, an RDW inspection station, or an RDW service counter.
Online is the simplest route: DigiD app identity verification, fee paid by iDEAL or Wero. In person, check in advance that the PostNL point you plan to use offers the registration service — not every point does. Since January 2026, a kentekenloket or RDW-approved company only accepts a valid Dutch driving licence for registration; without one, use the RDW online service or go to an RDW inspection station or service counter, where an ID card or passport is still accepted.
What documents do I need to put a car in my name?
A valid identity document, the seller's kentekencard (registration card), and the full 9-digit tenaamstellingscode (transfer code). Without both the card and the code, the transfer cannot be completed.
The kentekencard is the wallet-sized plastic registration card with an embedded chip. The tenaamstellingscode is the 9-digit transfer code: it is not printed on the card — the last five digits are in the letter that came with the card, and the full code is in the registration report (tenaamstellingsverslag). Bring a valid Dutch driving licence if you transfer at a kentekenloket or RDW-approved company; otherwise an ID card or passport is accepted online or at an RDW station or counter.
What is the tenaamstellingscode and why must I keep it safe?
It is the 9-digit transfer code for your car. You need it for every future RDW act on the car — selling it, suspending the registration, or scrapping it — so keep the card and the code together in a safe place.
The code has two parts: the first four digits are on the registration report you receive at transfer, and the last five digits are in the letter that came with the kentekencard. Together they prove you are the registered owner for RDW purposes. Losing the card and the code together means an RDW replacement procedure with a fee; losing only the code has its own replacement route. Never hand the code to a buyer until the sale is agreed and the transfer is happening.
Do I need car insurance before I can drive it?
Yes. At least WA (third-party liability) insurance is mandatory, and it must be in force on the transfer date. Arrange it before the transfer — do not drive off without cover.
You may not legally drive without at least third-party liability (WA — wettelijke aansprakelijkheid) cover. The RDW checks the insurance register at transfer. Arrange the insurance to start on the transfer date, so there is no gap between the seller's cover ending and yours starting. Comprehensive (all-risk) or limited casco cover is optional and your choice. A dealer normally arranges the transfer at delivery — confirm the insurance start date with the dealer before you drive away.
What is the APK and when is it due?
The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the Dutch roadworthiness test, like the MOT. Check the expiry date in the free RDW plate check before you buy — a car without a valid APK may not legally be driven on public roads.
Only RDW-approved stations (marked “RDW erkend”) may test, and the result is filed to the RDW automatically. The schedule for passenger cars up to 3,500 kg: petrol, alcohol, and electric cars — first APK after 4 years, then after 2 years twice, then every year from year 8; diesel and gas cars — first APK after 3 years, then every year; cars 30–50 years old — every 2 years; 50 years or older — no mandatory APK. Driving without a valid APK can also invalidate your insurance cover. A valid APK means roadworthy on the test day — it is not a warranty and not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Do I get a warranty on a second-hand car from a private seller or a dealer?
Usually no warranty from a private seller — the sale is as seen, unless the agreement says otherwise. From a dealer you usually do get a warranty: check what it covers and for how long, in writing, before you pay.
A private sale has no dealer warranty by default, so your protection is the written purchase agreement and your own checks before paying — consider an independent pre-purchase inspection (aankoopkeuring) at an RDW-recognised garage. A dealer sale normally comes with a warranty, but the length and what it covers differ by dealer: get it in the agreement, not as a verbal promise. An APK is not a warranty either way.
How do I pay safely for a second-hand car?
Never pay thousands in cash. Use an instant bank transfer, and go to the bank together if you can. Pay only when the card, the code, and the seller's identity all check out — and never agree to sort the paperwork next week.
Cash payments of thousands of euros are hard to trace and hard to get back if anything goes wrong. An instant bank transfer leaves a record of who was paid, when, and how much. Do the transfer at the same appointment as the RDW transfer, so the seller is paid as the registration moves into your name — until the RDW database shows you, the seller remains liable for fines and road tax on the car. Keep the purchase agreement and the payment proof together.
Where do I find used cars — dealer, Marktplaats or fixed-price sellers?
On Marktplaats, AutoScout24, Gaspedaal, Bynco, and Auto.nl — and at dealers. A dealer usually handles the transfer and gives a warranty; a private sale on Marktplaats is cheaper but has no warranty by default, so your own checks matter more.
Marktplaats is the largest private marketplace; AutoScout24 and Gaspedaal aggregate dealer and private listings; Bynco and Auto.nl are fixed-price sellers. Wherever you find the car, run the same checks: the free RDW plate check, the mileage log, the APK expiry, and a written purchase agreement. A listing price is an asking price — compare it with similar cars on more than one platform before you bid.
Do I pay BPM when I import a car / bring my own car to the Netherlands?
Yes — BPM is payable on first registration in the Netherlands, so an imported used car pays BPM on its depreciated value, based on CO₂. A domestic used car already registered here pays no BPM again.
BPM is a one-off tax on first registration. A car already registered in the Netherlands has paid it, so a domestic used-car buyer owes no BPM. An imported car is different: it needs RDW registration and possibly an inspection, and BPM is calculated on its depreciated value. There is an exemption if you owned and used the car for at least 6 months before moving to the Netherlands — apply before registering, and check the exact conditions on belastingdienst.nl and rdw.nl before you import.
