Buying a Car in the Netherlands

Some notes for Non-Dutch (or bemused Dutch) Trainees on buying a Second-Hand car in the Netherlands.

Do you need a car?

Before buying a car, be sure you need it. The Netherlands has a very efficient train system and, rather incredibly, a punctual bus service. If you buy a reduction card (Voordeel-urenkaaart) for trains and a strippenkaart for bus, the system is not too expensive. There are also night-trains to ferry you home in the middle of the night.

But...

Most trainees will live in Noordwijk, Leiden or Katwijk.

There is no train station servicing ESTEC and the last bus from ESTEC to Leiden station leaves at 6.30. Taxis are extremely rare and expensive – forget about them. While you can walk to Katwijk or ride to Noordwijk or even Leiden, the winter in the Netherlands is long, dark and brutal. When that black winter wind comes blasting off the North Sea like a freight-train, you may reconsider countries, let alone transport. Of course this doesn't necessarily mean buying a car, but at least finding a friendly neighbour who does have one.

So...

Step 1. Get your verklaring

You will need proper authorisation (verklaring) from the Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken before you buy a car. The Personnel Department at ESTEC will help you obtain this. You will need an address and passport. If you've just arrived, and don't have an address, just give a temporary address. It can take a few weeks.

Step 2. Get yourself a car

You can find a second-hand cheap car (less than 2000 dFl) relatively easily in the Netherlands...

A. SmallAds. SmallAds is an electronic 'notice board' for employees of ESTEC. Here people buy and sell cars, furniture, apartments etc. It's useful and you can find it in your Lotus Notes.

B. ViaVia. (www.viavia.nl)

ViaVia is the weekly trading newspaper in the Netherlands. There is one for the Amsterdam area, one for the Den Haag area (includes Leiden, Noordwijk etc) and one for the Rotterdam area. The Den Haag version comes out on Thursdays. There are always hundreds of cars and here you'll also find many advertisements for Second-Hand Car dealers.

C. Second-Hand Car Dealers (Occasion at an Autobedrijven).

As these are always located on the edge of town, it can be a nice way to get to know the less picturesque parts of a town. There are many within the Randstadt area. Searching the Dutch Yellow Pages (Gouden Gids) for auto-occasion or autobedrijven will yield some addresses. Or just look in the ViaVia. Make sure you buy a car with a new APK...

Algemene Periodieke Keuring (APK) is a compulsory inspection for all vehicles under 3500 kg. A car is only allowed on the road if it has passed its APK exam, and must do so once a year. Make sure you buy a car with a valid APK and at least ask to see the details of previous APK tests/repairs. See the APK WebPage at www.rdw.nl for more information.

Step 3. Battle the post-office

You are now obliged to register with the Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (RDW) (www.rdw.nl). This involves going to a post-office with the previous owner and handing over ownership of the car in a kind of shotgun wedding ceremony.

It will cost 23 guilders and can be attempted at any Dutch post office.

You will need your passport and your official verklaring obtained in step 1.

If the postoffice refuses to accept this verklaring insist that they are WRONG. Most postoffices have never seen such a thing and will need some persuading before they accept it. It can pay to phone, ask, fax, phone, plead and shout in advance. There are staff at the postoffice in Noordwijk-Binnen who are familiar with this document.

Step 4. Insurance

Simple. The ABN-AMRO at ESTEC will provide it at around 55 dFl per month.

Step 5. Parking

Despite all the bicycles, many people in Holland do seem to own cars. So it is not surprising that, in one of the most densely populated area in the world, finding a place to park can be somewhat difficult.

(In 1996 there were 6 million passenger cars in the Netherlands, or half a car per person between the ages of 15 and 64. Couple this with a population density of over a 1000 people per square mile, and you begin to wonder if there's enough room to skin a cat, let alone park a car)

Leiden: In Leiden, you will need a permit to park within the central canal belt. It costs around 30 dFl each month. Unfortunately, to obtain this permit you must be at least 27 years old. If you aren't 27, you can still pay for the right, but it is an extremely unreasonable 300 dFl per month.

However, as of the 1st of July 2000 the age restriction may be lifted and replaced with the more sensible "one car per house". Don't be surprised if this is postponed, however, as this date has been moved several times before.

Noordwijk and Katwijk: There is no need for a parking permit in either of these towns. You can park here and remain a free man.

Amsterdam: There is no permit-free parking in Amsterdam - don't even bother looking. See http://huizen.dds.nl/~autotuin/cargarden.html for information on getting a parking permit and an amazingly detailed discussion on how to turn your car into a garden. Honest.

end.