Leaving Enschede with a car for export

A border-city purchase still needs Dutch deregistration

Enschede is the largest city in Twente, with Germany immediately beyond Glanerbrug and Gronau. That location makes international collection convenient, but crossing the border does not remove a car from the Dutch vehicle register. A sale invoice, a set of keys and a short route home are not replacements for the export procedure.

Auto Export Document Netherlands serves Enschede from Hengelo. Our RDW recognition dates from 2016, and we handle the export registration change at our office rather than asking you to visit an inspection station first. We have no inspection station of our own in Enschede. You can also arrange deregistration at an RDW inspection station by appointment if you prefer.

For buyers and people relocating

A dealer arranging a handover and an expat taking a familiar car home have different plans, but both need to separate Dutch deregistration from registration abroad. The RDW export document confirms the first step. The proof of discharge, or vrijwaringsbewijs, records the discharge for the Dutch seller. Keep those documents for their respective purposes rather than treating insurance as evidence of deregistration.

For students finishing their stay in Enschede, it is worth checking the vehicle papers before departure day. A missing registration document cannot be solved by presenting a photograph at the office: originals are needed, and a replacement must first be requested from the RDW. The same preparation helps international buyers avoid discovering missing paperwork after the seller has gone home.

What to bring from Enschede

Put the original Dutch registration card, or older paper registration document, together with the nine-digit tenaamstellingscode supplied by the seller. Add a valid passport or ID card for the buyer and, for a company, a Chamber of Commerce extract. Remember the yellow plates and the vehicle itself if you want the white plates fitted. No purchase contract is required for plate issuance.

Coordinate arrival before you set off

Our office welcomes visitors Monday to Saturday, 10:00-16:30. Give us a call or WhatsApp roughly 20 minutes before arrival, allowing us to have someone ready to prepare your paperwork and plates straight away. An appointment is required outside opening hours. Take the A35 to Hengelo-Zuid or use the Hengelosestraat, and allow about 20 minutes for the journey.

The export document normally takes about 15 minutes to prepare. If you only need that document because the car travels on a transporter, it costs €50 and the vehicle need not attend. Insurance and plates cost €100, or €150 with the document included. Prices include VAT and no hidden fees; you can pay by cash or bank transfer.

An expired APK does not prevent deregistration or the issue of export plates, but the vehicle must still be roadworthy. Export cover is not a technical approval. Before committing to a long drive from Twente, consider the actual condition of the car and check the inspection requirements for registration at home, where a local technical inspection is usually required.