When does your car need an APK (MOT)? Dutch intervals by fuel and age

The RDW decides how often your car needs an APK, based on the fuel and the age of the car. The RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) is the Dutch vehicle authority that keeps the vehicle register. The APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) is the compulsory periodic inspection of your car’s safety and emissions. On its English pages the RDW calls it the Periodic Technical Inspection (PTI). The intervals below apply, according to the RDW, to cars, motorhomes (campers) and three-wheel motor vehicles up to 3,500 kg.

Source: RDW, When and how often should a PTI inspection be performed. The fuel groups are given here in the RDW’s own words. Applies to cars, motorhomes and three-wheel motor vehicles up to 3,500 kg.

The age counts from the date of first admission (in Dutch: datum eerste toelating). The RDW’s English pages call it the date of first registration. It is the date on which the car was first given a registration number (in Dutch: kenteken). The year the car was built does not decide it. A car built in December and registered in February therefore counts from February.

A new car on petrol or electricity needs its first APK on the day it turns 4 years old. A new diesel or LPG car needs it at 3 years. In the first years you do not need to arrange anything for the APK. Servicing according to the manufacturer’s schedule is still needed in those years.

An example makes it clear. Say your car was first registered on 15 March 2023. Then these dates apply:

Worked example by Autobedrijf Willemsbrug based on the RDW intervals, assuming the car is inspected on the expiry date.

In practice many people have the APK done a little earlier, for example together with a service. Within 2 months before the expiry date, the date does not move. You can read more about that further on in this article.

A car on petrol or electricity needs an APK every year once it is 8 years old. A diesel or LPG car needs one every year straight after the first APK at 3 years. For a car of 30 years or older the interval becomes longer again: once every 2 years.

Wear increases over the years. Brakes, suspension, rust and leaks are more often an issue on an older car. Everything the inspector looks at is in our APK checklist.

For cars up to 3,500 kg, the RDW sets the interval using two fuel groups. One group is called “petrol, alcohol and/or electric”. The other is called “diesel, gas or other (possibly in combination with electric)”. The RDW does not list a hybrid separately. This grouping leads to the following:

On an electric or hybrid car the inspector looks at a few extra points, such as the high-voltage cables. Read more in our guide to the APK for electric and hybrid cars. Our mechanics hold the GMTO certificate, the Dutch qualification for working on high-voltage systems. You can read how the APK works at our garage on our English APK page.

According to the RDW, a car of 30 years or older needs an APK once every 2 years, whatever the fuel. A car of 50 years or older no longer needs an APK. Here too, the date of first admission counts. A 31-year-old diesel therefore goes once every 2 years, the same as a 31-year-old petrol car. You can read more about the inspection of a classic car on our page about the APK for a classic car.

A motorhome up to 3,500 kg follows the same intervals as a passenger car. A diesel motorhome therefore needs an APK at 3 years and then every year. For a heavier vehicle over 3,500 kg, the RDW sets the first APK at 1 year and then every year, until the vehicle is 50 years old. We inspect motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. We do not inspect heavier motorhomes. More on our motorhome APK page.

A van up to 3,500 kg falls under the RDW’s group of cars up to 3,500 kg. Here too, the fuel counts. Most vans run on diesel, so they need an APK at 3 years and then every year. For taxis, buses and vehicles carrying hazardous substances, the RDW sets the first APK at 1 year and then every year, whatever their age. For a van registered as a commercial vehicle (grey number plate), see our van APK page.

Registering the result with the RDW is included.

You can find your car’s APK date with the RDW registration check on ovi.rdw.nl, under the tab with expiry dates and history. All you need is the registration number. The date is also on the report of the previous APK.

1. Go to the RDW registration check at ovi.rdw.nl.
2. Enter your car’s registration number.
3. Open the tab with expiry dates and history. There you will see the APK expiry date.
4. Put the date in your calendar and book the inspection in the 2 months before it.

The RDW sends one reminder letter 6 weeks before the expiry date, by post or through the Berichtenbox, the government’s digital Message Box (in Dutch only). You can also set a reminder in the RDW Vehicle App. If you do not receive a letter, the RDW says you are still responsible for having the car inspected on time. According to the RDW, you do not need to bring documents such as the registration certificate to the inspection.

You can have the APK done from 2 months before the expiry date without losing any time. According to the RDW, the new expiry date is then the old expiry date plus 1 or 2 years, depending on your car. With a yearly APK, the ANWB says your car is then approved for a maximum of 14 months.

The RDW gives this example. If the APK expires on 20 September 2025 and you have the car inspected on 23 July 2025, the new date becomes 20 September 2026 or 2027. If you have the car inspected on 19 July 2025, so more than 2 months early, the new date becomes 19 July 2026 or 2027. You then lose a few days.

According to the RDW, you cannot get a postponement of the APK. We advise you to book the inspection well in time. That leaves time to have any rejection point repaired before the date expires. If the date has already passed, read what to do if your APK has expired.

No. The interval counts from the date of first admission (in Dutch: datum eerste toelating), the date on which the car was first registered. You can see that date in the RDW registration check.

No. A plug-in hybrid on petrol follows the interval of a petrol car: at 4, 6 and 8 years and then every year. A hybrid on diesel does need an APK every year from 3 years.

Yes. The RDW sends one reminder letter 6 weeks before the expiry date, by post or through the Berichtenbox. Even without a letter, you are responsible for having the car inspected on time.

No. According to the RDW, postponement is not possible and there are no exceptions. If you cannot have the car inspected on time, you can have it suspended (in Dutch: schorsen) with the RDW. A suspended car may not be driven or parked on a public road.

No. According to the RDW, the APK is no longer required for cars of 50 years or older. A car between 30 and 50 years old needs one once every 2 years.

No, there is no separate interval. For an imported car, the date of first admission also counts for the age. The RDW registration check shows the date of first admission and the date of first registration in the Netherlands (in Dutch: datum eerste tenaamstelling in Nederland) separately. The steps for bringing a car into the country are in our guide to importing a car and the APK.

The APK costs € 50 for a car on petrol, petrol hybrid or electric and € 60 for a diesel with a factory-fitted DPF. For an LPG car or another diesel, we tell you the price in advance. Registering the result with the RDW is included.

• RDW: When and how often should a PTI inspection be performed
• RDW: About the Periodic Technical Inspection (reminder, early inspection and postponement)
• ANWB: APK-vervaldatum (in Dutch)