APK expired? Here is what to do in Rotterdam

Book an APK appointment as soon as possible. According to the ANWB (in Dutch), you may then only drive to the inspection, within two months of the expiry date and with your appointment confirmation with you. Do not use the car for anything else until then. You can book your APK online or call us during opening hours on +31 10 479 00 00.

The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the Dutch periodic roadworthiness test, comparable to the MOT in the United Kingdom. Cars registered in the Netherlands need a valid APK to be driven or parked on a public road. Read more on our English APK (MOT) page.

No. Driving without a valid APK is not allowed. There is one exception: according to the ANWB, you may drive to an inspection appointment within two months of the expiry date, if you can show the appointment confirmation. Other trips are not allowed, not even a short one to the shops.

The RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority, lists a fine of € 190 for a car up to 3,500 kg without a valid APK. Check the current amount on the RDW website (in Dutch). According to the ANWB, the police can fine you each time you drive with an expired APK. If the APK expired more than two months ago, the RDW can also send you a fine, even if the car is only parked.

That is not certain. According to the ANWB, your insurer may decide after a collision that you were not insured at that moment. You may then have to pay for the damage yourself. Check your policy, and do not drive with an expired APK.

No. According to the ANWB, you are not entitled to help from the Wegenwacht, the ANWB roadside assistance service, with an expired APK. This also applies on the way to an inspection appointment.

According to the ANWB, the RDW sends a reminder letter in Dutch about six weeks before the expiry date. It goes to the address registered with your car, so it may not reach you if you have moved. You can check the expiry date yourself on the RDW website by entering your number plate. The date is also on your previous APK report.

That depends on how busy we are. Call us during opening hours on +31 10 479 00 00 and we will tell you straight away when we can fit you in. You can also book your APK online. The APK is on weekdays only. Our team speaks English.

An APK costs € 50 for a petrol, hybrid or electric car, € 60 for a diesel with a factory-fitted diesel particulate filter (DPF), including the particle counter test, and € 125 for a van. For a motorhome it is € 100 to € 125. These prices include VAT, the inspection report and registering the result with the RDW. If you combine the APK with a major service, the APK is free. An expired APK costs the same as one on time.

If you will not use the car for a while, you can suspend its registration with the RDW. In Dutch this is called schorsen. A suspended car does not need a valid APK, but it may not be driven or parked on a public road. Read how it works on the RDW website (in Dutch).

The APK is only for vehicles registered in the Netherlands. A car with a foreign number plate cannot get an APK. We can service and repair it. Read more on our car repair page.

Check with your lease company or employer. They often arrange the APK or decide where it may be done. If you may come to us, we will carry out the APK and register the result with the RDW.

You get a list of the points that need repairing, and we tell you what the repair costs. Small points can often be repaired during the inspection, if you agree. After the repair, the car is inspected again. We do not replace or adjust lights or headlights. Read more about a failed APK (in Dutch).

Have a towing company bring it to us. With an expired APK, the ANWB Wegenwacht will not help. We do not have our own tow truck. Outside opening hours, the car can be parked in front of the garage at the owner’s risk, with the key in an envelope through our letterbox. Read more on our car breakdown page.

You can pay by debit card or in cash. We do not accept credit cards. Please keep this in mind if you only have a credit card with you.