EX-A export declaration with Dutch Customs for cars from Enschede

The Dutch government sets out the rule: if you take a vehicle to a country outside the European Union or EFTA, you must also file an export declaration with Customs, as Business.gov.nl explains. That declaration comes on top of the RDW export.

Typical non-EU destinations include the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Morocco and countries in Africa or the Middle East. What is required on arrival differs from country to country. We cannot promise anything about the rules there, so please check with the authorities of your destination.

Germany is in the EU, so a buyer from Gronau or elsewhere in Germany does not need an EX-A. The buyer exports the car in their own name with the RDW export document and, when driving it home, also needs white export plates with temporary insurance. The same goes for buyers from other EU countries, such as Poland. Not sure whether your destination is inside the EU? Just ask; advice is free.

The card above lists what we need. Here is the reason behind each item:

1. The vehicle is in the Netherlands, with its Dutch registration certificate. Customs may carry out a spot check and inspect it.
2. The last border crossing from the EU to a non-EU country. This is where the vehicle leaves the EU, the office of exit. It is not always close to home: a car driven via Germany to Serbia only leaves the EU at the Serbian border.
3. An invoice naming the buyer abroad. The person or company abroad appears as the buyer, which shows who the vehicle is delivered to.
4. A valid EORI number of the seller. The selling party is the exporter, and an EORI number is needed for customs formalities.

An EORI number is used for all customs operations, including exporting a vehicle. It is free of charge, and the selling party applies for it with Dutch Customs; Business.gov.nl describes the EORI application. We do not apply for it on your behalf. If you already have one, send it along with the other details.

With the four details complete, we submit the application to the customs officer. This is only possible Monday to Friday, between 08:00 and 16:00. Our desk is also open on Saturdays, so you can arrange the RDW export then, but the customs application follows on a weekday.

Once the application is approved, we receive the EX-A customs document. We cannot predict how long the assessment takes, and approval is a decision for Customs. Provide complete details and avoid planning your departure too tightly.

Studying or working at the University of Twente or Saxion and moving on to a country outside the EU? You will need both the RDW export and the export declaration. Because a move is not a sale, we discuss in advance which details are needed in your case.

Driving there yourself? Then you also need white export plates and temporary export insurance with a Green Card. Your policy and Green Card state which countries you are covered in. The rules for a Dutch export registration also differ per country, so check your destination and every transit country beforehand.

The EX-A customs document costs from €150, including VAT where applicable. It comes on top of the export document for RDW deregistration, from €50. If the car will be driven to its destination, the complete export package with insurance and white plates is often more practical, with the EX-A added. We always confirm your price in advance, and you pay in cash or by bank transfer. All rates are listed on our page about car export paperwork costs.