Import Your Car to the Netherlands Duty-Free

In case you are permanently moving to the Netherlands, you may be able to avoid VAT and customs duties on one or several personal vehicles you bring with you.

You must fulfill the following requirements to get your vehicle imported as removal goods.

• The center of your life must have been outside the Netherlands for at least 12 continuous months
• You must have been de-registered from the Netherlands Municipal Registry
• The vehicle must have been registered in your name for at least six months in a row before you relocate to the Netherlands
• After relocating to the Netherlands, you have 12 months to import your vehicle
• You are not allowed to sell the vehicle for 12 months after importing it

For this kind of customs application, our local agent needs the following documents and information from your side.

• Copy of your Passport
• Registration certificate/card showing your address in the Netherlands (Inschrijving Gemeente)
• Proof of stay in the US (Employment contract, bank statement, return flight ticket, last vehicle
  registration in the US, etc.)
• Period of your stay in the US (the minimum is one full year before your move to the Netherlands
• A packing list (in case you transport personal items inside your vehicle)
• Bill of Sale and the current value of the vehicle (a Kelley Blue Book printout is sufficient)

Important for you to know: If the vehicle registration is still valid once the vehicle is unloaded in the
Netherlands and you don’t have proof of registration surrender, you must pay the yearly Dutch Motor Vehicle Tax for the first full year upfront. This allows you to drive your vehicle still with US license plates until the US registration ran out. In addition, you will need additional insurance to be covered on Dutch roads (the so-called green insurance card). We can recommend TourInsure as the insurance agent to buy insurance from.

Once your US registration expires, you must register your vehicle at your local DMV in the Netherlands.

Please be informed that students are excluded from this kind of clearance process. Contact us for more details about importing your vehicle to the Netherlands duty-free.