To make the road even safer, you should have your car regularly checked for legal safety and environmental requirements. This mandatory inspection is the general periodic inspection (algemene periodieke keuring): the APK.
When it is time to have your car inspected by a recognized APK company, you will receive a reminder by post from the RDW (Rijksdienst voor Wegverkeer, National Road Transport Agency).
The owner of the car is responsible for doing the APK inspection in time. ‼️
| Car type | When |
|---|---|
| Petrol car or electric car | First inspection after 4 years. Second inspection after 6 years. Third inspection after 8 years. After that, the APK is once a year. |
| Diesel or LPG car. | First inspection after 3 years. After that, the APK is once a year. |
| Car 30 years or older. | APK is required once every 2 years. |
| Car from before 1960. | The car no longer needs an APK. |
Safety and environmental requirements
An APK inspector checks whether your car meets the applicable safety and environmental requirements and whether it is correctly registered in the vehicle registration register. If your car has been approved, you will receive an inspection certificate.
APK expired
If your car has not been inspected before the prescribed date, it is legally no longer allowed on the road.
The exception is the trip to the APK inspection. After your car’s inspection certificate has expired, you have two months to have it inspected. Your car must then be approved or you must have applied for a temporary suspension from the RDW.
Suspension
A car that is suspended does not have to comply with the APK obligation for the time being. You do not pay motor vehicle tax during that period and your car does not need to be insured.
You are of course not allowed to drive it during the suspension. Your car is also not allowed to be parked on public roads. xD
After the suspension, your car must still receive a valid APK.