Importing a car from the Netherlands: registration, COC and paperwork

The documents to gather

From the seller, you should leave with the kentekencard, a plastic card issued by the RDW, together with a transfer code (tenaamstellingscode) used to change the registered keeper, together with a sales contract or invoice quoting the chassis number.

For the registration file itself, three items come up every time: the registration document of the country of origin, the certificate of conformity and the tax clearance. A roadworthiness test is added depending on the age of the vehicle and the rules of your country of registration.

The exact list depends on the authority that will process your file.

The certificate of conformity: why it is often missing

The Dutch system is one of the most digitised in Europe. Registration fits on a kentekencard and the rest lives in the RDW databases. The direct consequence: nobody needs a paper certificate day to day, and the certificate of conformity handed to the first buyer disappears all the faster.

The most expensive Dutch peculiarity for an ill-informed buyer is the commercial version. For local tax reasons, estates and MPVs were sold in a two-seat configuration with a bulkhead and a flat floor. The certificate of conformity then shows category N1 and a reduced number of seats. That configuration travels with the vehicle: it does not freely convert back.

Finally, a vehicle sold by a Dutch professional was not necessarily registered new in the Netherlands. Since Brexit, British origin changes the nature of the customs file. The registration document shows the country of first entry into service.

Step by step

1. 1

   The purchase

   Collect the complete Dutch documents and note the chassis number, 17 characters.

2. 2

   The certificate of conformity

   Start the request at signing: it is the longest step, because it depends on the manufacturer.

3. 3

   Tax clearance

   Handled in parallel with the tax authority of your country of registration.

4. 4

   Roadworthiness test

   Required depending on the age of the vehicle and the rules that apply where you register it.

5. 5

   The registration application

   It brings all the documents together. A single missing item blocks the file.

The only turnaround we state is the manufacturer’s, brand by brand: the administrative steps depend on the authority concerned.

The cost of the COC by brand

The brands most represented among imports from the Netherlands:

Indicative prices including VAT, confirmed once the chassis number has been checked. Full list: price by brand. Turnarounds: turnaround guide. What the eCOC changes in 2026: our eCOC guide.