White Dutch export plates for your drive from Enschede across the border

Planning to drive your car out of the Netherlands after export? You cannot use the yellow Dutch plates for that, because they are handed in at export. Instead, the car gets an export registration on white number plates, together with temporary third-party liability insurance for 14 days.

We arrange these white plates for customers from Enschede and the surrounding area at our RDW-approved export desk in Hengelo. Buyers from Germany who collect a car themselves are welcome too. Below you can read how Dutch export plates work, which rules apply and what to watch out for on the way.

What is a Dutch export registration?

The export registration is your existing registration number, but on white plates. The export plate is white with black letters and numbers, and it must stay readable in all weather. So you do not get a new number, just different plates. How many plates you receive depends on the type of vehicle, as the table further down shows. The RDW covers the export procedure in English on its page Exporting a vehicle.

Getting export plates in four steps

1. Contact us. Call or message us with your preferred start date, destination and route, plus the details of the policyholder and the driver.
2. Come to the desk. It is at Slachthuisweg 135 in Hengelo, about 20 minutes from the Oude Markt. Bring your ID, the registration card and the yellow plates. For a business buyer, also the company name, address and VAT number.
3. We handle the rest. The vehicle is deregistered for export, and through our insurance partner we arrange the temporary insurance with a Green Card. With complete documents, a standard request is usually ready in about 15 minutes.
4. You set off. You leave with the white plates and the papers, and you may drive on Dutch public roads for 14 days.

Do not have the export document yet? First read which papers belong to the export documents.

Crossing the border at Glanerbrug or Gronau

Enschede sits right on the German border: Glanerbrug borders directly on Gronau. From our desk in Hengelo, Gronau is about 29 km away, roughly 25 to 30 minutes by car. Heading for Bad Bentheim? Take the A1, which becomes the German A30 at De Lutte. That is about 35 km, roughly 30 minutes.

Across the border, that country's own rules apply. The rules for a Dutch export registration abroad differ from country to country, so check beforehand what applies in your destination country and in every country you pass through, even if you only cross Germany. The RDW explains this (in Dutch) on its page about special registration certificates. Which countries your insurance covers is shown on your policy and Green Card.

14 days on the road, but not without a valid APK

After deregistration for export, you may drive on Dutch public roads for 14 more days. The export registration is valid for 14 days, but never longer than the APK, the Dutch roadworthiness test. Without a valid APK you may not drive on public roads. Whether a vehicle needs insurance and an APK depends on its type:

Not sure which row applies, for example with a heavy motorhome or a semi-trailer? Ask us first. For heavy or non-standard vehicles, the price is on request.

What do white export plates cost?

Export insurance with white export plates starts from €100. It includes 14 days of third-party liability cover, the Green Card and the white plates. The export document is not included; if you need everything, the complete package from €150 is more practical.

You always know the price in advance, also for a truck or another heavy vehicle. Read more about the cover on our export insurance page.

On the road: what to watch

• Readable plates. Keep the white plates clean and clearly visible, also in rain or snow.
• The right driver. The policy and Green Card determine which driver is insured, so do not simply let someone else take the wheel.
• The deadline. Plan your trip within the 14 days and keep the APK expiry date in mind.
• Papers at hand. Keep the export certificate, the registration card and the Green Card in the car.

Questions about your trip? Our contact page shows how to reach us.