NLDocumented route
Registering a new food trailer in the Netherlands
The RDW individually approves a trailer brought in from outside the EU, and publishes a public checklist. The requirement binds selling as well as driving: a unit that fails cannot lawfully be offered for sale, not merely left unregistered.
Documented route
The route exists and is documented. It is a step in the delivery, not a barrier to entry.
Requirements
What the authority requires
| Requirement | Evidence | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing conditions shipment or EU customs entry on vehicle approval. The vehicle is physically inspected in the Netherlands after arrival. | verified | 2026-09-04 |
| Article 45(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/858 names the importer among the parties that may apply for national individual vehicle approval. | verified | 2026-09-04 |
| The requirement binds selling, not only registering. The RDW states the vehicle must be approved before it may be driven or sold, and Article 48(1) conditions making available on the market on a valid Certificate of Conformity. | verified | 2026-09-04 |
| A trailer over 750 kg including maximum load needs its own registration certificate. | verified | 2026-08-31 |
| Without original vehicle documents or a CoC, the RDW asks for documentation on coupling and drawbar, brakes, steering and underrun protection, and states approval is less certain. | verified | 2026-08-31 |
| Published fees observed: EUR 58.50 or EUR 120 identification, EUR 50 certificate, EUR 13.10 registration in name, EUR 72.50 individual approval certificate. Inspection, transport and plates are additional. | observed | 2026-08-31 |
| Holding trailers in Dutch business stock and registering them in the company's own name requires RDW erkenning Bedrijfsvoorraad and TVBI, which require establishment in the Netherlands, an off-public-road parking location and a lockable document safe. This is closed to a non-Dutch entity, but avoidable by having the end customer apply as owner or by routing through an RDW-recognised Dutch dealer. | verified | 2026-09-04 |
Sources
- RDW, getting a trailer or caravan from outside the EU approved
- RDW, how to obtain a type approval
- Regulation (EU) 2018/858
Primary sources only. Where a summary here and the source differ, the source is right.
For your order
How we handle it
Documented end to end by the regulator. The unit is inspected in the Netherlands after it arrives, and it is registered in your name or through a recognised Dutch dealer once the RDW has approved it.
Confirmed for your configuration
- Individual approval outcome for your exact configuration
- Inspection scope, and any rework, before handover
- Whether registration is in your name or through a recognised dealer