Export insurance from the Netherlands: drive home on white export plates

Export insurance and Dutch export plates explained

When a vehicle leaves the Netherlands for good, its Dutch registration is ended at the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority. From that moment the yellow plates no longer belong to a valid registration, and the seller's insurance does not travel with you. Besides the RDW export document, you need two things to drive the vehicle to your own country: white Dutch export plates showing the existing registration number, and temporary export insurance that gives you the legally required third-party liability cover. Proof of that cover is the green card, the international motor insurance card.

Auto Export Verzekering supplies both in one package. The export insurance is valid for 14 days from the start date you choose, the white plates are always included in the price and the green card is sent to you as a PDF by e-mail. The page about Dutch export plates with insurance explains exactly what you receive. Not included is the export deregistration at the RDW, which we can do for you at our office in Hengelo for €50 per vehicle during opening hours. Once the vehicle has been reported for export, by the seller, by another RDW-recognised company or by us, you receive the RDW export document (registration certificate part 2).

Prices start at €100 for a car, a van up to 3,500 kg, a motorcycle or a trailer up to 3,500 kg, at €150 for a caravan and at €180 for a motorhome, a truck or any other vehicle above 3,500 kg. These are starting prices: the exact amount depends on the vehicle, its empty weight and its year of manufacture, and you always know it before you pay. The full price list shows every vehicle type, with and without delivery by post.

Who needs export insurance from the Netherlands

In short: anyone who drives a Dutch vehicle across the border under its own power instead of loading it onto a transporter. In practice, that means three groups of buyers:

• Private buyers who have found a used car, motorcycle, caravan or motorhome in the Netherlands and want to drive it home themselves.
• Dealers and traders who collect one or more vehicles from Dutch dealers, lease companies or fleet sales and need a business invoice, for several vehicles at once if required.
• Auction buyers who have won a vehicle online and need the plates at the auction site on collection day, or with the driver who collects the vehicle for them.

Two ways to get your plates: online or at our office in Hengelo

Online: send us the Dutch registration number, your name, the destination country and the start date via WhatsApp, e-mail or the request form. You receive the price and the payment details, and after payment the green card arrives as a PDF by e-mail. You collect the white plates in Hengelo or have them delivered by DHL Express. For this route, the vehicle must have been reported for export at the RDW, by the seller, by another RDW-recognised company or by us remotely, at a higher rate than at the office: the yellow number plates are the only item that goes in the post, while photos of your ID and the registration papers come by e-mail or WhatsApp. The page apply for export plates online walks you through every step.

At the office: book a visit in Hengelo and collect the insurance and plates in person. Appointments are required Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00 as well as outside those hours; the standard tariff period is 09:00 to 17:00. Has the vehicle not been reported for export yet? We can handle the RDW export deregistration during your appointment. Bring the Dutch number plates, registration card with its tenaamstellingscode and a driving licence, identity card or passport; the vehicle itself is not needed. See our office in Hengelo for details.

By post across Europe: DHL Express delivers the white plates anywhere in Europe with track & trace for €50 per shipment. If you request on a working day (Monday to Thursday), the parcel is delivered within 1 working day. Details on the page export plates by post.

What to send us for a quick quote

For most vehicles we only need the Dutch registration number, the name of the buyer, the destination country and the date on which the 14 days should start. For some requests the insurer asks for a copy of the buyer's ID; we tell you when that applies. For delivery by post, add the full delivery address and a phone number for the courier.

What buyers often forget: agree with the seller on who will report the vehicle for export at the RDW, and make sure you have the RDW export document before you drive off. Also check that a car, van, truck or motorhome has a valid APK, the Dutch periodic inspection: without it, the vehicle may not be driven on Dutch roads. And set the start date to the day you actually leave: the 14 days run from that date, not from the day of your request.

Why arrange your Dutch export insurance with us

We are an RDW-recognised export company, active in vehicle export since 2016. Because we work with several insurers, we can place each vehicle, from a moped to a tractor unit, with a suitable policy at a competitive rate. Our team speaks English and Dutch; via WhatsApp and e-mail we also help buyers who write in another language, using translation apps.

Requests can be sent at any hour and WhatsApp is answered 24/7, including weekends. That matters when you are standing in a seller's yard on a Saturday afternoon and want to leave on Monday morning. We also issue business invoices, including for companies outside the Netherlands. Check the prices per vehicle type or go straight to the contact page.

Driving home: planning your 14 days and your route

Fourteen days is enough for most drives home, even with overnight stops or a ferry crossing, as long as you plan the route before you choose the start date. The export insurance is third-party liability cover that lets you drive legally on public roads throughout the EU and in all the other countries on the green card: 43 countries in total, including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. It does not apply in Kosovo or Northern Cyprus, nor in Russia, Belarus or Iran, whose codes may still be printed on the card. Should the drive take longer than planned, contact us before the end date: in some cases the insurance can be extended. The page about the green card for export lists every country.