Buying a car to use in Holland

[PorkFan]

I've just started a new job in Zwijndrecht in Holland and am staying in Rotterdam. While I'm over here I'd like to buy a car to use. I have a few questions..

Is it as simple as buying a car, insuring it, making sure it's got Dutch equivalent to tax and MOT and then just legally driving it around for as long as I like?

I have an address, and whatever the new equivalent to a sofi number is, the job should go on for another 6-10 months.

I've seen mentioned cars are a lot cheaper in Germany. How much more difficult would that make it to get it registered as a Dutch car? I have an EP3 civic type R at home I could bring over if it's just as easy.... But quite like the idea of getting something old since there's so many good condition old cars over here. There's a metallic goldy Orange late 70's/early 80's civic that sometimes parks around here that I love, and seen quite a few BMW's and Mercedes of similar age that I really like the look of.

I know generally cars over here cost more, but is there anything that is a lot cheaper that I could make a bit of money on by bringing back to the UK at the end of the job?

We do have a car my friend brought from the UK, it's been here about 2 months now. How long before we have to register it over here or pay Dutch tax or anything?

Any recommendations for any "must do" things for whole I'm here?

Cheers, Ben

[Alfa Male]

Bloody hell Ben, a lotta questions.... . See below.

Is it as simple as buying a car, insuring it, making sure it's got Dutch equivalent to tax and MOT and then just legally driving it around for as long as I like?

[Alfa Male] Yes

I've seen mentioned cars are a lot cheaper in Germany. How much more difficult would that make it to get it registered as a Dutch car?

[Alfa Male] When importing cars into NL you have to take into account the local luxury tax BPM and other levies. Depending on age/class of vehicle you are liable to have to pay the taxman. Start here: http://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldc...

I know generally cars over here cost more, but is there anything that is a lot cheaper that I could make a bit of money on by bringing back to the UK at the end of the job?

[Alfa Male] Making money on importing LHD into the UK? That has to be fairly specialist vehicle I'd say.

We do have a car my friend brought from the UK, it's been here about 2 months now. How long before we have to register it over here or pay Dutch tax or anything?

[Alfa Male] Not sure about the exact period today (others will jump in) but useful info here (for your friend): https://www.rdw.nl/englishinformation/Paginas/Movi...

Any recommendations for any "must do" things for whole I'm here?

[Alfa Male] We are a pretty boring country, nothing much really.... . Alternatively, describe what sort of thing takes your fancy and I could have a think.

Good luck

[Hugo a Gogo]

I would keep on using a UK car, for that short period

[troc]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I would keep on using a UK car, for that short period

Especially if you will be popping back to the uk once of twice in that period thus can be seen to be 'resetting' the 6 month period (or something like that) that you are allowed before registering in holland.

[mybrainhurts]

Make sure its clogs aren't worn out...

[djcatshow]

I just imported my UK registered car to the NL and can honestly tell you that the information available online does not do justice to the nightmare it is to import a car to the lower countries. Every time you complete another step and you think now its going to happen you find yourself filling out another darn form in Dutch with EXACTLY the same information but to another department within the Belastingdienst (Dutch revenue service). I am now at my sixth (!) form, apparently the last one before finally getting my registration and being allowed to get Dutch number plates. We are in 2015, bloody heck can´t they just look into the system to figure out how many CCs my car got??? Its in there at least five times...

I applied for exemption of the "luxury tax" BPM (ok, that was a form I didn´t mind filling out...), because as soon as you register at a local authority (you need to do that to get your healthcare and taxes sorted) you are officially a resident of the Netherlands and you can´t drive any vehicle registered in another country for longer than 14 days. In order to get the APK (MOT) you need to apply for a one day permission to drive your car and get a one day insurance for that, you also need to fix self made paper number plates to your car yourself (no joke) for that one day and you are only allowed to drive your car straight to the RDW test station and back home again. No, no stop at a petrol station or supermarket allowed.

Would I have sold my car and got another one over here if I knew all that before? No, I would have moved to another country!!!

Edited by djcatshow on Tuesday 13th October 09:27

Edited by djcatshow on Tuesday 13th October 09:28