Amsterdam LEZ (Milieuzone)
Good to knowOlder diesel cars (pre-2009) are banned from the city centre. Petrol cars are not affected. Sign-posted at zone entries.
← All country guides
Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in Netherlands
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Netherlands: 2 legal requirements + 5 other things worth knowing.
2
Required
1
Recommended
4
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for Netherlands
2 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
GB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering the Netherlands. Valid 4 months onward and for re-entry to GB.
Source: gov.uk: AHC for EU travel →Handheld phone use: €430 instant fine
Holding a phone (or any electronic device) while driving, including stationary at lights: costs €430 from 2024 onward. Cycling while phone-in-hand is also a €170 fine.
Source: Rijksoverheid: phone use →
Emissions / low-emission zones
Required equipment
Warning triangle + high-vis vest
RecommendedNot legally required, but strongly recommended. Police don't fine for absence on Dutch plates, but recommended for visiting drivers.
Tolls
Two tunnel tolls only
Good to knowWesterschelde Tunnel (€5) and Kil Tunnel (€2.20). Otherwise Dutch motorways are free.
Money
Customs allowance back to the UK
Good to knowPer person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Dutch cheese and gin (jenever) are taxed within the £390 cap.
gov.uk: customs allowanceDocuments
Pet travel: Animal Health Certificate
RequiredGB pets need an AHC from a UK vet within 10 days of entering the Netherlands. Valid 4 months onward and for re-entry to GB.
gov.uk: AHC for EU travelDriving rules
Handheld phone use: €430 instant fine
RequiredHolding a phone (or any electronic device) while driving, including stationary at lights: costs €430 from 2024 onward. Cycling while phone-in-hand is also a €170 fine.
Rijksoverheid: phone useCyclists have priority: even where you don't expect it
Good to knowOn urban junctions cyclists usually have right of way; bike paths often cross side streets at car-driver level. Right-turning drivers must give way to cyclists going straight on.
ANWB: cyclist priorityPlan your Netherlands road trip
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Netherlands.
Start planning →Popular destinations in Netherlands
Places to add to your Netherlands road trip.
Indicative budget
Rough cost for 1,000 km in Netherlands
A back-of-the-envelope estimate for a typical petrol car at 40 UK mpg, with 800 km of motorway driving. Real fuel prices move monthly: treat this as a ballpark.
Fuel
€144
~70.6 L · 1,000 km @ 40 mpg
Tolls
€0
800 km of motorways
Vignette
—
Not required
Total estimate
€144
1,000 km road trip
Don't get caught out
Watch out for these
Handheld phone use: €430 instant fine
RequiredHolding a phone (or any electronic device) while driving, including stationary at lights: costs €430 from 2024 onward. Cycling while phone-in-hand is also a €170 fine.
Rijksoverheid: phone use →On the way home
Returning to the UK
Customs allowance back to the UK
Per person on return: 18 L still wine + 4 L spirits + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Dutch cheese and gin (jenever) are taxed within the £390 cap.
gov.uk: customs allowance →