Reclaiming part of the BPM when your car leaves the Netherlands

The BPM refund is a repayment by the Belastingdienst of part of the BPM on a used vehicle that is exported. You apply for it after the vehicle has been deregistered for export. The Belastingdienst explains the scheme in English on its page about the BPM refund when exporting a used vehicle.

There is no refund without a request, and only the Belastingdienst decides on the amount. That is why we do not mention amounts in advance. For a buyer from abroad, an expat or a dealer, the refund is worth raising before the export, because the timing of the registration abroad plays a part.

The Belastingdienst sets the conditions. Among other things, the vehicle must be registered for the long term in another EU country, or in Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. Read the full conditions on the Belastingdienst website before you count on a refund. The Belastingdienst publishes the scheme in Dutch and in English, together with a request form for a vehicle that has the status 'export' at the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority.

Timing is part of the conditions: according to the Belastingdienst, the vehicle must be registered in the other country within 13 weeks after the RDW gave it the export status. If registration at home is likely to take longer, discuss this with us before the export. Plan the registration at home with this in mind: arrange the appointments you need early, and tell us straight away if something holds it up.

Because the refund depends on the registration abroad, keep the export certificate (kentekenbewijs deel II) and the registration card with the cut corner safe. They are the Dutch papers you need to register the car in your own country.

For a fixed fee of €149, including VAT, we take care of:

• checking whether the conditions appear to be met;
• the calculation of the refund that can be requested;
• the application form;
• submitting the request to the Belastingdienst;
• monitoring the deadlines;
• an objection, if one is needed.

The export document is not included in the fee. We arrange it separately at our desk in Hengelo or by post.

The request concerns a vehicle that has been deregistered for export. Which papers the buyer and the seller receive at the export is explained in our guide to the Dutch export certificate and deregistration.

If you drive the car out of the Netherlands, the export kenteken is valid for 14 days on Dutch roads and never longer than the APK. See how long Dutch export plates are valid for the details. All our rates are on the page about what Dutch export plates cost.

1. You contact us before the export, by phone, WhatsApp or e-mail, with the details of the car and its destination.
2. We check whether the conditions of the Belastingdienst appear to be met and calculate the refund that can be requested.
3. The vehicle is deregistered for export; we can arrange that at our desk in Hengelo or by post, as a separate service.
4. We complete the application form and submit the request to the Belastingdienst.
5. We monitor the deadlines and, if the request is rejected, file an objection where needed.
6. The Belastingdienst decides on the request.

If you drive the car home, keep in mind that the insurance with the white plates runs for 14 days. It can be extended by 14 days at a time after the insurer agrees; that extension covers the insurance only and is a separate matter from the BPM.

We prepare the request carefully, but the Belastingdienst decides on the approval, the amount and the handling time. We do not promise a refund, an amount or a date. If the Belastingdienst rejects the request, an objection where needed is part of the service.