Transfer-of-residence relief on a private vehicle
A privately owned vehicle qualifies for transfer-of-residence relief from Dutch import VAT and BPM (vehicle registration tax) on the same terms as your household goods: you must have owned the vehicle for at least six months before the move, must be establishing principal residence in the Netherlands, and must apply within the timeframe Dutch law allows after taking up residence.
The relief is not automatic — it is claimed through a formal application supported by V5C ownership documentation, residency evidence, vehicle technical specification, and a customs valuation. If the application succeeds, the vehicle is exempt from BPM (which can be substantial on certain vehicle types). If it does not, the standard Dutch import duties apply.
RDW re-registration onto Dutch plates
If you remain Dutch-resident and intend to keep the vehicle long-term, Dutch law requires re-registration onto Dutch plates. The process runs through the RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) and involves a technical inspection (keuring) confirming the vehicle meets Dutch standards — lighting, emissions, brakes, headlamp aim. RHD vehicles often need headlamp adjustment as part of this.
After RDW registration, the UK V5C is surrendered and the vehicle becomes Dutch-registered, with annual motor vehicle tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting) replacing UK road tax and the Dutch APK inspection (the MOT equivalent) on the schedule Dutch law sets.
Right-hand-drive vehicles in the Netherlands
Right-hand-drive vehicles are legal but worth less on the Dutch second-hand market and require specific modifications for RDW registration (mainly headlamp adjustment). For UK movers who already own a vehicle they value and want to keep, RHD is workable. For UK movers planning to replace the vehicle within a year or two, selling in the UK and buying a Dutch-registered LHD vehicle is usually the better trade.
Transport options and what we include
Vehicles ship to the Netherlands by Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off — driven onto a vehicle-carrier ferry) or in a container alongside other consignments. The short North Sea crossing makes Ro-Ro the more common mode for UK→NL vehicle shipping; container is the standard mode when the vehicle ships with the wider household move.
When a vehicle is shipped alongside your household move, it travels in the same container with the goods if there is space and the vehicle is suitable for container transport. Some moves use a paired road-consignment approach: household by road via the Channel, vehicle by Ro-Ro ferry.
We handle the vehicle-side customs paperwork (ToR application for VAT/BPM relief, Dutch Customs submission) as part of the wider move package. We do not handle the RDW re-registration — that is a Dutch-side specialist task you arrange after arrival with an autobedrijf that handles RDW work.
When it is worth bringing the UK car — and when it isn't
Bringing a UK vehicle tends to be worth it when: the vehicle is specifically valuable or sentimental, the UK trade-in price is poor relative to its true worth to you, you have owned the vehicle long enough to qualify for ToR relief and the Dutch BPM would otherwise be material.
Bringing a UK vehicle tends not to be worth it when: the vehicle is recent, mid-range, and easily replaceable; when you plan to be in the Netherlands long-term and will want a Dutch-registered LHD vehicle anyway; when the RDW re-registration cost plus the headlamp modification adds up to more than the vehicle is worth.
There is also a Dutch-specific consideration: the Netherlands has excellent public transport and cycling infrastructure, particularly in the Randstad. Many UK movers find they need a car less than they expected once settled. The honest framework is that most professional UK→NL movers either bring no vehicle and buy locally after settling, or bring an older UK vehicle as a stopgap and replace within a year or two. Shipping a recent UK vehicle is a niche-case rather than the default.