The Netherlands is an easy country for a classic motorcycle, as long as you know three things: when the road tax stops, that motorcycles never need an APK, and how the registration works when the bike changes hands.
Road tax: exempt at 40 years
A motorcycle is exempt from road tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting) when it is at least 40 years old and was first registered before 1 January 1988. For cars and motorcycles the exemption is automatic. For lorries and buses that are not used commercially you must request it yourself. The 1988 date means the exemption is frozen: a bike first registered in 1990 will never qualify.
A motorcycle that is not yet 40 but was first registered before 1 January 1988 can use the transition scheme. You pay a quarter of the normal tax, with a maximum of €154 in 2025 and €158 in 2026. The catch: the bike may not be used or parked on public roads in January, February and December. The only exception is an events scheme of at most two days in those months, and the Belastingdienst page lists the conditions. Do not assume this applies without reading it.
No APK for motorcycles
The RDW states it plainly: a moped, a motorcycle, a trailer up to 3,500 kg and mobile machinery have no APK obligation. That is true for every motorcycle, not just old ones. It also means nobody has certified your bike as roadworthy, so a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist is worth the money.
Registering a bike you bought
The seller gives you the registration card (kentekencard) and the registration code (tenaamstellingscode). You register the bike in your name with the RDW:
- Online with your DigiD app, paying through iDEAL or Wero.
- In person at a registration desk (kentekenloket), at the RDW in Veendam or Zoetermeer, or at an inspection station. Bring the registration card, the registration code and a valid ID.
The registration costs €13.10, online or at a desk. You can ride the bike straight away. The new registration card is sent by post and must be with you within 14 days, and always when you ride abroad. After the transfer you receive a release certificate (vrijwaringsbewijs), which you must pass to the seller as proof that the bike is no longer theirs. Arrange third-party liability insurance before you ride, because the bike is now in your name.
Blue historic plates
Dark blue historic plates are for vehicles first used before 1 January 1978. Motorcycles qualify, mopeds do not. The current registration has to be in the old format of two groups of two digits and one group of two letters. If it is not, you can ask the RDW for the original registration or exchange it for a historic one, and then have the plates made by an approved manufacturer.
No papers, or no proof of the old plate
If you can prove that this frame number once carried this plate, for example with an old insurance policy or manual that lists both, the RDW will normally give the original plate back. If you cannot, the RDW can only issue a plate from the current oldtimer series after inspecting the bike, and only if it dates from before 1978. Prepare for that inspection with every document and photo you have.
Buying from abroad
A bike that comes from abroad has to be imported and registered with the RDW. The BPM, the Dutch tax on first registration, is not due on a motor vehicle that is 25 years or older, but it is due on younger bikes. Read importing a motorcycle within the EU before you transfer any money.
