What does an APK (MOT) cost in the Netherlands in 2026? Price, retest and extra costs

What you pay for an APK, the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection, depends on your car and on the inspection station. In this article you can read what the APK costs at our garage, what is included in that price, which extra costs can arise and what an expired APK can cost you. This guide comes from the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, an RDW-approved APK station in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 4 November 2026

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The short answer

There is no national standard price for an APK in the Netherlands. According to the RDW, the cost varies from one company to another, and the ANWB gives prices from € 19 to € 70 (checked on 5 November 2026). At Autobedrijf Willemsbrug the APK costs € 50 for a petrol car, a petrol hybrid or an electric car and € 60 for a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF, including registering the result with the RDW. The APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla, and this also applies to a van up to 3,500 kg. Repairs after a failure are charged separately, and according to the RDW an expired APK can lead to a fine between € 180 and € 500.

What does an APK cost at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug?

At our garage the APK costs € 50 for a petrol car, a petrol hybrid or an electric car. For a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF (diesel particulate filter) you pay € 60, because a particle counter test is part of the inspection. The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the legal inspection of your car’s safety and emissions. These are our prices by type of vehicle.

Vehicle APK at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug
Petrol car € 50
Petrol hybrid € 50
Electric car € 50
Diesel with a factory-fitted DPF (with particle counter test) € 60
LPG car or other diesel You hear the price in advance
Van registered as a commercial vehicle, grey number plate (up to 3,500 kg) € 125
Motorhome up to 3,500 kg € 100 to € 125
Car or van up to 3,500 kg with a major service Free, except for a Tesla

Prices at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, including registering the result with the RDW. We do not inspect motorhomes heavier than 3,500 kg.

A factory-fitted DPF is a diesel particulate filter that the manufacturer fitted to the car. On such a diesel, the inspector uses a particle counter test to measure how many soot particles come out of the exhaust. What this test involves is explained in the particle counter test at the APK for your diesel. How the inspection works at our garage is on our page about the APK for all makes.

What is included in the APK price?

At our garage the inspection itself and registering the result with the RDW are included. Registering means the inspector passes the result on to the RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer), the Dutch vehicle authority, so that your new APK date is added to the vehicle register. This is what you get for the APK price:

  • The inspection: the inspector (in Dutch: keurmeester) checks the points set out in the legal requirements. According to the Dutch government (Rijksoverheid), these cover road safety, the environment and the registration of the car.
  • The particle counter test: on a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF, the particle counter test is included in the price of € 60.
  • Registering the result with the RDW: included.
  • The inspection report: you receive the report with any rejection points, repair points and advisory points.
  • The retest: if we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance.

What the points on the report mean is explained in rejection, repair or advisory point: how to read your APK report.

What does an APK cost on average in the Netherlands?

There is no national standard price for the APK. According to the RDW, the cost of an APK varies from one company to another. The ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, gives prices from € 19 to € 70 (checked on 5 November 2026). According to the ANWB, the APK for a diesel can cost more than for a petrol car.

At our garage, registering the result with the RDW is included in the APK price. If we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance. We only carry out repairs with your approval.

Which extra costs can come on top of the APK?

The biggest extra costs are repairs after a failure. If the inspector rejects a point, it must be fixed before the car can pass. The price depends on what is wrong. These are examples of points the inspector can reject.

  • Lights: a broken bulb or an incorrectly aimed headlight. We replace and adjust bulbs and headlights.
  • Tyres: a tyre with too little tread.
  • Brakes: a brake disc so worn that it could break, or one that is badly corroded.
  • Suspension and steering: a damaged rubber boot that no longer seals.
  • Leakage: excessive leakage of oil or another fluid, on cars first registered after 31 December 2017.
  • Windscreen and wipers: serious damage to the windscreen in the driver’s direct field of view, or wipers that do not give enough visibility.

You receive a quote in advance for every repair. We only carry out repairs with your approval. If we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest. We will tell you the cost of the repairs and the retest in advance. You are free to choose which garage does the repair. You can check many points yourself beforehand. How to do that is explained in how to prepare your car for the APK.

When is the APK free?

At our garage the APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla, and this also applies to a van up to 3,500 kg. You then only pay for the major service, and you receive a quote for it in advance. With a minor service you pay for the APK separately.

We carry out the combination Monday to Friday. You bring the car between 8.00 and 8.30 am. If you plan the combination in the 2 months before your APK date, your APK date stays the same, according to the RDW. How to plan it well and how the service and the inspection differ is explained in major service and APK together.

What does an expired APK cost?

An expired APK can cost you a fine between € 180 and € 500. That is the amount the RDW gives (checked on 5 November 2026). If you do not drive the car, the RDW allows the APK to lapse for a maximum of 2 months. If the car has still not been inspected after that, you receive a fine from the CJIB (Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau), the Dutch government agency that collects fines.

  • Even if you do not drive: according to the Dutch government, you also receive the CJIB fine if your car is not used on public roads.
  • Driving with an expired APK: driving without a valid APK is not allowed. According to the RDW, the police can then also fine you. The only exception is the trip to the inspection around the time of your appointment.
  • No postponement: according to the RDW, the APK cannot be postponed.
  • Suspension: if you will not use the car for a long period, you can have it suspended by the RDW. A suspended car may not be driven or parked on public roads.
According to the Dutch government, the current fine amounts are in the Boetebase of the Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie). Amounts can change from year to year. Has your APK already expired? Then read what to do when your APK has expired.

How do you book an APK at our garage?

We carry out the APK Monday to Friday, by appointment only. You can book your APK online or call +31 10 479 00 00. Would you like to combine the APK with a major service? Then call us, so that we can first prepare a quote for the service.

  1. Look up your APK date with the RDW registration number check or on your previous inspection report.
  2. Plan the inspection in the 2 months before the expiry date. According to the RDW, your APK date then stays the same.
  3. Bring the car on the agreed day. According to the RDW, you do not need to bring documents such as the registration certificate.
  4. Discuss the result: if everything is in order, we register the result with the RDW. If there is a rejection point, you first receive a quote for the repair.

How often your car needs an APK depends on the fuel type and the age of the car. You can read about this in when your car needs an APK. Autobedrijf Willemsbrug has been a family business since 1979, at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to De Kuip.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an APK cost for a petrol car?

At our garage the APK for a petrol car costs € 50, including registering the result with the RDW. The same applies to a petrol hybrid and an electric car. The APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla.

Why does the APK cost more for a diesel?

A diesel with a factory-fitted DPF needs a particle counter test. At our garage the APK for such a diesel therefore costs € 60, including that test. According to the ANWB, the APK for a diesel can generally cost more than for a petrol car.

What does a retest after a failure cost?

That depends on the failure points and on who does the repair. If we repair the items that failed, we will also arrange the retest, and we will tell you in advance what the repairs and the retest cost. We only repair with your approval. If you would like the repair done elsewhere, call us beforehand about the retest.

Can I come in for an APK without an appointment?

No. We only carry out the APK by appointment, Monday to Friday. You can book online or call +31 10 479 00 00.

What does the APK cost for a motorhome or a van?

A van registered as a commercial vehicle up to 3,500 kg costs € 125 at our garage. If you have a major service done on the van, the APK is free, except for a Tesla. A motorhome up to 3,500 kg costs € 100 to € 125. We do not inspect motorhomes heavier than 3,500 kg.

Can I drive to the garage with an expired APK?

Yes, under conditions. According to the RDW, you may drive a car without a valid APK, even a suspended one, to the garage for the inspection. You may then only drive from where the car is kept to the garage around the time of the appointment, carrying the appointment confirmation. The car must have third-party liability insurance on that day.

Is the APK cheaper if I combine it with a service?

Yes, with a major service. The APK is then free at our garage, except for a Tesla, and this also applies to a van up to 3,500 kg. With a minor service you pay for the APK separately.

APK in Rotterdam?

Book your APK online or call +31 10 479 00 00. The APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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