Bringing my car from US to NL

I can't speak to customs charges for importing a car, but given that you'll be in Amsterdam, unless you are going to be living in a very inconvenient place, you should strongly consider not bringing your car. Mass transit in the Netherlands in general and Amsterdam specifically is very good, not to mention all the bike paths, etc.

There's a lot of additional costs and barriers on top of the shipping cost to ship it here and then back home, like vehicle taxes, parking prices (many cities have jacked up their street parking rates to reserve them for local residents), gas prices are a lot higher here than the US, etc.

The other point is that you will likely need to get a Dutch driver license at some point to legally drive in the Netherlands. Your US driver license almost certainly won't last you for a full 16 months, and depending on the benefits of your visa you'd need to take both the written and driving test, as well as turn your US license in to get a Dutch license. Some more info below:

Driver license - https://business.gov.nl/regulation/driving-licences/

Calculating vehicle tax - https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/ … -berekenen

Thanks Josh.

I do understand that I will need to get a Dutch license. I've researched a fair amount and know that I can take an English version of the test.

I want a car to road-trip all around Europe during our stay. We will be just outside Amsterdam. My plan is rent a house with a garage. I am aware that public transit in EU is FAR better than in the US, and that gas prices are about 150% of the crazy prices we pay in California.

Shipping costs are not as high as I assumed. I can ship from the US to NL for under $1000. If I load the car with  stuff my family wants to move, that's basically free. If I read the laws correctly, I may not need to pay VAT or duty on the car if I bring a car I've owned and insured for at least six months here in the US. If that's the case, this is kind of a no-brainer as it makes far more sense than buying a used car just for our stay. The only restriction is that I can't sell the car during the first 12 months of my stay, which I'm totally ok with as my goal would be to sell it just before we leave.

Mike.

If you are only coming to NL for 16 months, I would highly advise against shipping your car over. I totally get why it sounds like a good idea to you, on the surface, but I think you may be underestimating the hurdles of getting your Dutch driver’s license. It is nothing like getting your US driver’s license.

A couple things to consider:

To ship your car without paying import/duty fees, you have to have your residency document. This means you can’t ship it ahead of your arrival, or even immediately following your arrival.

My DAFT approval process took approximately 4 months, which is the standard, though they give you a 6 month generic timeframe. My residence document took another couple weeks to be ready for collection after receiving my approval letter.

So assuming you arrive in NL and immediately submit your application, count on 4-6 months before you’ll have the documents you need to ship household goods without paying hefty fees.

If you get to this point, expect a turnaround time of 4-6 weeks for your vehicle to arrive, assuming there are no delays.

We’re already 5-8 months into your stay in NL, assuming everything above happens in immediate succession.

As a previous poster mentioned, your foreign DL is valid for exactly 6 months from the date you enter the country. Meaning by the time you receive your vehicle the validity of your foreign license will either be about to expire or expired.

So you just go get a Dutch license right? Simple. Except no, it isn’t easy or simple. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been driving or how competent you are on the road - there is no way to predict how long it will take “practicing” before you’re given the green-light to take the exam. There are also months long wait-lists in most places to even begin the required classes and “practice” - especially Amsterdam area and especially in English.

Rather than try to explain beyond that, I’ve included a couple links you can check out for yourself:

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2023/01/the-lo … g-licence/

https://annafenko.nl/uncategorized/a-ni … g-license/

Sorry to be a wet blanket on your plans, truly.

Hi KT.

Thanks for the info. We plan to apply for our DAFT 8 months before arriving (The DAFT is good for 24 months). This should make it easier for us to have a car waiting when we arrive.

I do appreciate your comments on getting a Dutch license. I will plan accordingly. As we should have a DAFT visa in advance of arriving, I'll do additional research on how to make this happen.

I do appreciate people sharing their apprehension for my bringing a car. I full well understand that whether I bring a car, or buy another while I'm there, there will be substantial costs and hurdles. My main goal for starting this thread was not debate whether or not to have a car in NL, but instead to figure out the best way to obtain a car. The main question I have (which I should have spelled out at the start...) is whether or not it makes sense for me to bring a car, or buy one while I'm in NL.

Thanks,

Mike.

Hey Mike,

I’m very curious how you will be completing  the process from abroad (registering a Dutch address with the gemeente, acquiring a BSN, opening and funding a Dutch bank account, attending your biometrics appointment, etc). I’d love to pass the info on to a family member who is hesitant to move here.

I know you can register with the KvK by proxy but to my knowledge being in NL personally is requisite for everything else.

In any case, if you don’t mind some extra hurdles or costs, I would recommend hiring a Dutch attorney to facilitate the 30% Ruling application and walk you through the criteria - as it is generally intended for highly skilled professionals recruited from abroad.

It is possible to meet the criteria as a self-employed person (this is what I did), but not typical. This would ultimately (once granted by the tax authority) enable you and your partner to exchange your US licenses for Dutch ones.

Good luck!

KT

You also might have added costs, for it to be legal to drive on Europe roads all done at a garage.

Hi KT.

Well... Nothing about this is inexpensive. I'll be taking multiple trips over to get things setup. One of the added issues I have is getting my son into one of the international schools. Part of the application process is traveling to meet the school in person.

My hope is to combine as much as I can into as few of trips as possible. We'll see how that plays out.

I do see the DAFT as a backup visa if all else falls through. I have looked into he skilled professional route as well. That seems to be the easiest of all if I can make it work. My wife and I are tech execs in Silicon Valley. We have a few opportunities that might work for getting sponsors but nothing set in stone.

Funny you mention an attorney - That's on my list for this week. Do you have a Dutch immigration attorney you recommend?

As for the specific car, I have two I'm considering - a Jaguar I-Pace (electric) or a Porsche Cayenne. I'd hope both would conform to EU road standards.

Mike.