When should a car undergo an MOT inspection?
When a car requires MOT testing depends on the vehicle's date of first admission.
If a car has been previously MOT approved, you can assume the date listed on the MOT inspection report. The car must have been retested before that date.
Inspection frequencies
Three or four years after a car is first allowed on the road, there is an MOT inspection requirement. This depends on the type of fuel:
| Personenauto’s en lichte bedrijfsvoertuigen (<3.500 kg) | Fuel | When to inspect? |
| Date of first admission after Jan. 1, 2005 | Gasoline and/or electric motor | First MOT after 4 years, then twice after 2 years, then every year thereafter |
| Diesel, gas or other (possibly combined with electric) | First MOT after 3 years, then every year thereafter | |
|
Date of first admission before Jan. 1, 2005 |
All |
First MOT after 3 years, then every year thereafter |
|
Vehicle 30 years old or older, but under 50 years old |
All |
MOT once every 2 years |
|
Vehicle 50 years or older |
All |
No MOT requirement |
* No MOT requirement for a vehicle 50 years or older applies since 1-1-2021
Vehicles prior to Jan. 1, 2005
All passenger cars and light commercial vehicles admitted to the road before January 1, 2005, have an annual MOT requirement. Special purpose vehicles, such as cabs and buses, are always subject to annual MOT inspection. See table below.
| Special vehicles | When to inspect? |
| Cab, ambulance, bus and hazardous materials transport vehicles | Every year MOT |
MOT for vehicles over 30 years old
As of January 1, 2008, the MOT frequency has been reduced for a number of categories of vehicles. Previously, all vehicles older than 3 years had to undergo annual MOT.
The changed inspection frequency affects gasoline cars from January 1, 2005, as well as certain categories of older vehicles with the exception of vehicles with a special purpose (such as cabs, buses, ambulances and transportation of hazardous materials). These vehicles must undergo annual MOT approval.
Category |
Inspection frequency |
| Older than 30 years, but from after January 1, 1960 (and lighter than 3500 kg) | Once every two years, starting in 2008 |
| All vehicles before January 1, 1960 (light and heavy) | exempt from the MOT requirement |
Six weeks before the MOT expiration date, you will receive a reminder letter from the RDW. Make sure you get your vehicle approved on time. If your vehicle is approved too late, you will be fined.
To fall within the changed inspection regime of once every two years, the vehicle must be inspected once more before the next MOT expiration date in 2008.
Inspection up to two months in advance
You can have the car inspected up to two months before the next MOT expiration date. The old expiration date will then be extended by 1 or 2 years.
What is "date of first admission"?
The first registration date is the date the registration certificate was issued. This date is shown on the registration certificate. Unless a different date is listed under the 'particulars' section. This applies, for example, to registration certificates issued after April 1, 1999 on which the 'date of first admission' and 'date of first issue in the Netherlands' are stated.
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