One plate or two, APK or not: the export kenteken per type of vehicle
The details of the export kenteken depend on the vehicle. A car gets two white plates and needs a valid APK, a motorcycle gets one plate and needs no APK, and a light trailer uses the number of the vehicle that tows it. Here is the overview per vehicle type.
- Cars, motorhomes, motorcycles, trailers
- Caravans and trailers insured as well
- Heavy vehicles: price on request
The basic rules of the export kenteken are the same for every vehicle: deregistration for export, white plates with black characters and 14 days on Dutch public roads. What differs is the number of plates, whether an APK (the Dutch periodic roadworthiness test, comparable to the MOT) is required and how the insurance is set up.
At our RDW-recognised export desk in Hengelo we handle all the vehicle types on this page. The table gives the short version; the sections below explain the details.
| Vehicle | Insurance required | APK (Dutch roadworthiness test) required | White plates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, van, truck or motorhome | Yes | Yes | 2 |
| Motorcycle, scooter or moped | Yes | No | 1 |
| Caravan or trailer over 750 kg | Yes, export insurance | Only above 3,500 kg | 1, with its own registration |
| Trailer up to 750 kg | Yes, on the chassis number | No | 1, with the towing vehicle's registration |
Sources: RDW (APK and export registration) and the Dutch government (registration plate of a trailer up to 750 kg). Export insurance for a caravan or trailer is part of our own export procedure. The export registration is valid for 14 days, but not beyond the APK expiry date.
Export plates for a car or van
Cars, vans and other company vehicles get two white export plates. For the export drive in the Netherlands, the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) requires both insurance and a valid APK. The export kenteken is valid for 14 days, but never longer than the APK.
If the vehicle is driven abroad straight after the export, the usual choice is the complete package: export documents, 14 days of third-party cover with a Green Card and the plates. How the application works, and what to bring, is set out in how to apply for Dutch export plates.
Motorcycle, scooter or moped on an export kenteken
A motorcycle, scooter or moped has one number plate, at the rear, so it also gets one white export plate. The RDW requires insurance for the export drive, but no APK. The limit of 14 days on Dutch public roads applies in the same way as for a car.
Motorhome export plates and the weight question
A motorhome is treated like a car: two white plates, insurance and a valid APK for the drive. For a motorhome, van or lorry above 2,500 kg the price is on request, because higher insurance and processing costs can apply. Tell us the vehicle details and we will confirm the price before we start.
Caravan and trailer: plates, cover and the 750 kg line
For caravans and trailers, the maximum mass decides how the export works:
- Up to 750 kg. The trailer has no registration of its own in the Netherlands. It carries the same number as the vehicle towing it, on a white plate with black letters. At export, we put the export insurance on the trailer's chassis number, and the white export plate gets the same registration number as the towing vehicle.
- Above 750 kg. The caravan or trailer has its own registration. At export, it receives export insurance and one white export plate at the rear with that registration number.
An APK is only required for a caravan or trailer above 3,500 kg. Whatever the weight, a caravan or trailer gets its own export insurance with us. We always look at the situation first and confirm the price beforehand; the rates are on the page about what Dutch export plates cost.
The ordinary white plate that a light trailer or a bike carrier uses in everyday Dutch traffic is a different plate. A recognised number plate manufacturer supplies it, not us.
Lorries and other heavy vehicles for export
A lorry counts as a heavy company vehicle: insurance and a valid APK are needed for the drive. Weight and use vary widely, so the price for a lorry is set on request. Call or send a WhatsApp message with the weight, the destination and whether the lorry is driven or transported, so we can prepare.
Choosing the right export package for your vehicle
Driving the vehicle abroad on its own wheels? Then it needs the export documents, the white plates and the insurance: the complete package. Is it going on a trailer or a car transporter instead? For a vehicle carried that way no driving insurance is usually needed, but the export document is. A caravan or trailer that is towed gets its own export insurance with us.
Insurance and Green Card for every vehicle type
Every vehicle type on this page can get temporary third-party cover for the export, arranged through our insurance partner, with a Green Card as international proof of insurance. The policy and the Green Card state in which countries and for which driver the cover applies. Read more about the cover on the page about insurance for Dutch export plates.
| Service | Included | From |
|---|---|---|
| Export document | Export certificate, vrijwaringsbewijs (indemnification certificate) and RDW processing | €50 |
| Export insurance + white plates | 14 days liability cover, Green Card and white export plates | €100 |
| Complete export package | Export document, vrijwaringsbewijs, 14 days liability cover, Green Card and plates | €150 |
| Export insurance extension | 14 extra days of liability cover with a Green Card, requested online (per 14 days) | €120 |
When can the price be higher?
- All amounts are starting prices, including VAT where applicable.
- A surcharge may apply outside office hours. Office hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 16:30. On Sundays you are welcome by appointment, at a higher rate; call or WhatsApp first for the final price.
- Postal delivery costs more; the same postal rate applies to the Netherlands and abroad.
- The price can differ per vehicle, for example for heavy or non-standard vehicles.
- You always know the price in advance.
All rates, including postal delivery, caravans, trailers and custom work, are on the page Cost of Dutch export plates.
Need Dutch export plates today?
Call or message us for free advice or an appointment, also outside office hours. On Sundays a higher rate applies; you always know the price in advance.
Export kenteken per vehicle type: questions
How many white plates does a motorcycle get?
One, for the rear. The same applies to scooters, mopeds, caravans and trailers. A car, van or motorhome gets two white export plates.
My trailer has no registration of its own. Can it still be exported?
Yes. A trailer up to 750 kg maximum mass has no registration of its own in the Netherlands and carries the number of the vehicle that tows it. For export we put the export insurance on the trailer's chassis number, and its white export plate shows the same number as the towing vehicle.
Is my caravan insured separately from the car towing it?
Yes. With us a caravan or trailer receives its own export insurance when it is exported. An APK is only needed for a caravan or trailer above 3,500 kg.
Why is the price for my motorhome on request?
For a motorhome, van or lorry above 2,500 kg, higher insurance and processing costs can apply. We set the price once we know the vehicle and confirm it before anything is done.
Does a scooter need an APK for the export drive?
No. The RDW requires insurance for the export drive of a motorcycle, scooter or moped, but no APK. The 14 days on Dutch public roads apply all the same.
RDW and government rules per vehicle type
- RDW: Voertuig naar buitenland: kenteken stopzetten
- RDW: Soorten kentekenplaten
- Rijksoverheid: Wat voor kentekenplaat heb ik nodig voor mijn aanhangwagen of caravan?
- RDW: Exporting a vehicle
Checked on 6 November 2026