Export a car from the Netherlands to Belgium: papers, plates, insurance

• Export document. We deregister the car from the Dutch vehicle register for export. The buyer receives the export certificate, which the RDW calls kentekenbewijs deel II (registration certificate part II), together with the registration card with one corner cut off. The seller receives the vrijwaringsbewijs, proof that the Dutch registration has ended. More on our page about Dutch car export documents for Belgium.
• White export plates. Your existing registration number on white plates, valid for 14 days on Dutch roads and never longer than the APK (the Dutch periodic roadworthiness test).
• Export insurance. 14 days of third-party cover with a Green Card, through our insurance partner, also sent by e-mail as a PDF. See export insurance for the trip to Belgium.
• Extension. If the Belgian steps take longer, the insurance can be extended by 14 days at a time, after the insurer agrees.
• BPM refund service. We apply for a refund of part of the BPM (Dutch registration tax) when the conditions are met; the Dutch Tax Administration decides.

These steps are for the buyer or new owner in Belgium. We don't carry them out, but we make sure the Dutch papers are ready for them. According to the Flemish government, the order is:

1. Customs vignette E705. Apply online in MyMinfin, the portal of the FPS Finance. According to the Flemish government it is free; for a private buyer, VAT only comes into play with a 'new' vehicle.
2. Technical inspection. At an approved inspection centre, before registration. Bring the certificate of conformity (CoC) if you have it.
3. Belgian insurance. A Belgian third-party liability policy. The registration service asks for the insurer's vignette in box Z as proof.
4. Registration with the DIV, the Belgian Vehicle Registration Service (Dienst voor Inschrijvingen van Voertuigen). Your insurer or broker often does this online through WebDIV.
5. Number plate. bpost delivers the registration certificate and the plate within 24 hours of registration. The plate costs 30 euros, paid on delivery.
6. Registration tax. Then the one-off BIV (Flanders and Brussels) or TMC (Wallonia) follows, plus the annual road tax of your region.

The full order, with what to bring at each step, is on our page about registering a car in Belgium. The Flemish government's own step-by-step page for vehicles from an EU country is in Dutch. Vans, lorries and motorhomes are taxed differently; see van and truck export and motorhomes, caravans and trailers.

On the Dutch side it is quick. With complete documents, a standard application at our desk is usually ready in about 15 minutes. By post, allow for the insured DHL delivery: about 5 working days as standard, or about 1 working day with DHL Express.

The Belgian part has no official average time. The only official time frame is for the last step: registration certificate and plate arrive within 24 hours of registration. As an indication, with complete papers (registration card and export certificate, purchase invoice, CoC and Belgian insurance arranged) the Belgian part usually takes a few days to a few weeks in practice, depending on the E705 validation and your appointment at the inspection centre. A validation of the vehicle, an individual approval or missing papers make it longer.

Two time limits to keep an eye on: the export insurance runs for 14 days, and a BPM refund requires registration in Belgium within 13 weeks of the export status. Our BPM refund page explains the conditions.

Many people living in Belgium find their next car at a Dutch dealer or private seller. Before you pay, check three things:

• The seller can hand over the registration card with its code, or the older paper registration parts.
• You get a purchase invoice with the details the Belgian side asks for, including the price excluding VAT, the names and full addresses of buyer and seller, make, model, chassis number, date of first registration, mileage, payment method and delivery date.
• The certificate of conformity (CoC) comes with the car, if there is one.

The export is arranged in your name, so the export certificate is yours. Can't come to the Netherlands yourself? According to the RDW, a contact person in the Netherlands may arrange the export for you. Buying an almost new car? A vehicle with no more than 6,000 km, or delivered within six months of its first use, counts as new: a private buyer then pays 21% VAT in Belgium.

Moved across the border and still driving on Dutch plates? Living in Belgium means the car must be registered there, and the Belgian side wants the complete original foreign registration certificate. We can still arrange the export with kentekenbewijs deel II, fully remotely, through a separate procedure that runs by post with insured DHL shipping. Contact our export desk first: we'll tell you what we need and what it costs. More on moving to Belgium with a car.

Remote handling also works for other exports: prepare online, send the yellow Dutch plates by post or courier, and we start once they arrive. Documents and plates go back insured with tracking, also to an address in Belgium.

Our desk is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 16:30. You can walk in, but please call or send a WhatsApp message first, ideally about 20 minutes before you arrive. On Sunday we open by appointment at a higher rate. Advice by phone, WhatsApp or e-mail is free, whether or not you use our services. Our prices and an overview of the Belgian government costs are on our page about the cost of importing a car to Belgium.