To import a car from the Netherlands to the UK, get the Dutch exportbewijs and the invoice from the seller. When the car arrives in Britain it is declared to UK customs, notified to HMRC through NOVA and registered with the DVLA. A qualifying classic, over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, pays 0% duty and 5% VAT; a newer car pays 20% VAT, and 10% duty unless it was built in the EU and has proof of origin.
- The exportbewijs (export certificate), officially kentekenbewijs deel II: the part of the Dutch registration that the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, issues for registering the car in another country. Dutch sellers talk about the kenteken and the kentekencard, the credit-card registration document used since 2014, but for the UK the exportbewijs is the paper that counts. Make sure you get the original: the DVLA keeps it.
- The koopovereenkomst (sales agreement) or a dealer's factuur (invoice), showing the price you paid. Without proof of purchase, an independent valuation is needed.
If an older car's Dutch papers are missing, a dating letter is needed instead to prove its age, and we obtain it for you.
Deregistration in the Netherlands, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
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Duty and VAT on a Dutch car
The duty question turns on where the car was manufactured, not on the country it is leaving. An EU-built car with valid proof of origin pays 0% duty; anything else pays 10%.
| The car | Customs duty | Import VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Historic collector's vehicle: over 30 years, original, model out of production | 0% | 5% |
| EU-built, with valid proof of origin | 0% | 20% |
| Built outside the EU, or no proof of origin | 10% | 20% |
This matters in the Netherlands more than most places, because plenty of cars on Dutch plates were built elsewhere. An American pick-up or a Japanese car sold by a Dutch dealer is not EU origin, so a recent one pays 10% duty and 20% VAT. For a genuine historic vehicle the origin question falls away: 0% duty and 5% VAT apply wherever it was made. Our guide to working out if a car counts as a classic sets out the test.
The Dutch classic market
The Netherlands has a strong classic car scene, helped by a Dutch road tax exemption for cars first put into use at least 40 years ago and before 1 January 1988. It is a good place to look for European and American classics alike, and for Dutch-built curiosities such as DAF cars with their Variomatic belt transmission.
Points to check before buying:
- Where the car started life. Dutch records separate the date a car was first admitted to the road anywhere (datum eerste toelating) from its first Dutch registration (datum eerste tenaamstelling in Nederland). A big gap means the car was imported, which matters for its history and, on a younger car, for its origin.
- Originality. The 5% rate is for cars without substantial changes. Engine swaps or modern running gear can take a car outside it.
- The underside. It is a low-lying, wet country where cars are used all year, so inspect the floors, sills and subframes closely.
- The papers match. The VIN on the Dutch documents should match the car, and the seller should be the registered holder.
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Your UK checklist
- Customs: we declare the car to UK customs and pay the VAT and any duty.
- NOVA: we tell HMRC the car has arrived, within 14 days.
- MOT: a British MOT is needed if the car needs one, and it can be done before the car has UK plates. Cars under 3 years old do not need one, and vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt, with a V112 declaration instead.
- DVLA: we prepare the V55/5, and you sign it and send it with the exportbewijs, the MOT certificate if one is needed, photo ID, proof of your UK address, the £55 first registration fee and road tax.
For a car under 10 years old, the CoC (certificaat van overeenstemming) is needed in practice too, because younger cars need UK vehicle approval. We obtain it for you. GOV.UK explains the rest under registering an imported vehicle.
Bringing a car over from the Netherlands?
We handle the origin claim, the customs, the duty and VAT, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
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