White Dutch export plates and Norwegian temporary plates (prøveskilt)

The export registration is the car's existing Dutch registration number on white plates with black characters, which must stay readable in all weather. A car gets two plates; a motorcycle, scooter, moped, caravan or trailer gets one, at the rear. The RDW rules are strict:

• after deregistration you may drive on Dutch public roads for 14 days;
• never longer than the APK (the Dutch periodic roadworthiness test) is valid; without a valid APK you may not use public roads at all.

At our desk in Hengelo we supply the plates together with 14 days of third-party insurance and a Green Card, arranged through our insurance partner, from €100, or as part of the complete package with the export document from €150.

The RDW points out that the rules for using a Dutch export plate abroad vary by country, and advises checking in advance which rules apply in every country you travel to or through. NederlandWereldwijd gives the same advice: ask the local authorities whether you may drive there with an export plate. The EU's Your Europe portal adds that temporary number plates are not harmonised in the EU, and that your insurance must be valid and the plates recognised in every country you drive through.

As an indication, the road route runs through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, through Germany and Denmark with a ferry crossing, or by ferry from Germany to Oslo. For Germany, the motoring club ADAC lists 'Niederlande (export kenteken)' among foreign export plates, without saying explicitly that they are recognised on German roads. For Denmark and Sweden, ask before you travel.

In Norway, valid foreign plates may be used up to the customs office where you declare the car, provided the vehicle is insured. After customs clearance a car may be driven for up to 30 days on valid foreign plates if it is insured and roadworthy. Whether Dutch white export plates with the export certificate count as valid foreign plates in Norway, especially after the RDW's 14 days, is not clear, and the rules vary by country: ask Tolletaten or Statens vegvesen in advance. Without valid plates, registration papers and insurance, the car may only be driven on prøveskilt.

Prøveskilt, also called dagsprøvekjennemerker, can only be used on vehicles that have been deregistered or have never been registered in Norway, for example for driving in connection with customs clearance, approval and registration. As a rule, they are issued for 24 hours. According to Statens vegvesen they cost NOK 340 per day, are not refundable and include zero-excess third-party insurance. Longer use is only possible on application at the counter of a trafikkstasjon, and then limited to what is normally needed. For a vehicle that has never been registered in Norway, prøveskilt are only issued at a trafikkstasjon counter by appointment, and Statens vegvesen needs documentation of the chassis number.

Plates alone are not enough: the insurance and Green Card must cover the whole drive. The policy and Green Card determine which countries and which driver are covered, so check them against your route. If the Norwegian steps take longer, extend the export insurance in time; the export plate itself is not extended, and the rules for driving on it after the first 14 days vary by country. More about cover on our page about export insurance with a Green Card.

If you would rather not drive, the car can travel on a trailer or car transporter. It then usually does not need driving insurance, but the export document and the EX-A export declaration are still required. Norwegian number plates only come at registration, at the end of the import into Norway. The table below shows how many white plates each vehicle type gets.