Driving in the Netherlands from the UK: tolls and rules

The Netherlands has no vignette or motorway toll for cars; the Kiltunnel near Dordrecht charges 2 EUR cash and the Westerscheldetunnel is free for vehicles under 3 metres. Amsterdam, Arnhem, Utrecht and The Hague restrict older diesel cars (fine 130 EUR), with no advance registration needed. Most motorways are 100 km/h between 6am and 7pm.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against official sourcesPrices in EUR unless shown otherwise

Toll system: No motorway toll or vignette
Vignette: None
Low-emission zones: Yes6 listed below
Currency: EUR

On this page

How do tolls work in the Netherlands?

Cars do not need a vignette and we found no distance toll for cars. Two tunnels charge tolls. The Kiltunnel (Dordtse Kil, near Dordrecht) charges every motor vehicle. The Westerscheldetunnel in Zeeland has been free since 30 December 2024 for categories 1, 2 and 5 (vehicles under 3 metres high); only vehicles over 3 metres (categories 3 and 4) still pay.

Who runs the roads

How to pay

Kiltunnel: pay at the toll plaza in cash (notes over 50 EUR are not accepted), by Maestro, V Pay, Visa or Mastercard, or with a Telecard.^[1]
Westerscheldetunnel: cars, motorcycles and other vehicles under 3 metres pass free. Paying traffic (over 3 metres) uses toll lanes 4, 6 and 7 and can pay with a t-tag, contactless bank or debit card, credit card, fuel card, smartphone or smartwatch; cash is accepted Monday to Friday outside the rush hours.^[2]

Bridges, tunnels and other tolls

Kiltunnel (Dordrecht), vehicle under 2.30 m including load, cash
2.00 EUR^[1]
Vehicle: Car under 2.30 m high (Telecard 1.45 EUR)
Kiltunnel (Dordrecht), vehicle over 2.30 m including load, cash
5.00 EUR^[1]
Vehicle: Any vehicle over 2.30 m high including its load (Telecard 3.80 EUR)
Westerscheldetunnel, categories 1, 2 and 5 (under 3 m)
0.00 EUR^[2]
Vehicle: Cars, motorcycles and other vehicles lower than 3 metres
Westerscheldetunnel, category 3 (over 3 m)
18.20 EUR^[2]
Vehicle: Vehicle higher than 3 metres, category 3
Westerscheldetunnel, category 4 (over 3 m)
25.00 EUR^[2]
Vehicle: Vehicle higher than 3 metres, category 4

Special tolls in Netherlands
Toll	Vehicle	Price
Kiltunnel (Dordrecht), vehicle under 2.30 m including load, cash	Car under 2.30 m high (Telecard 1.45 EUR)	2.00 EUR^[1]
Kiltunnel (Dordrecht), vehicle over 2.30 m including load, cash	Any vehicle over 2.30 m high including its load (Telecard 3.80 EUR)	5.00 EUR^[1]
Westerscheldetunnel, categories 1, 2 and 5 (under 3 m)	Cars, motorcycles and other vehicles lower than 3 metres	0.00 EUR^[2]
Westerscheldetunnel, category 3 (over 3 m)	Vehicle higher than 3 metres, category 3	18.20 EUR^[2]
Westerscheldetunnel, category 4 (over 3 m)	Vehicle higher than 3 metres, category 4	25.00 EUR^[2]

Changes coming

Eindhoven will introduce a blue low-emission zone for passenger cars from 1 January 2027 (diesel cars must be emission class 5 or higher).^[4]

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Low-emission zones and stickers

Four cities have low-emission zones (milieuzones) for diesel cars: Amsterdam, Arnhem and Utrecht (blue zones, diesel Euro 5 or newer) and The Hague (green zone, diesel Euro 4 or newer). Petrol, LPG and electric cars may enter every zone. Foreign vehicles must follow the same rules but do not need to register in advance (except for the Maasvlakte port area). Several cities also have zero-emission zones, but these apply to vans and trucks, not cars.

Amsterdam: Milieuzone (blue)
Diesel passenger cars and vans need emission class (Euro) 5 or higher; diesel classes 0 to 4 may not enter. Petrol, LPG and electric cars are allowed. Fine 130 EUR plus administration costs.^[4]
Official page (opens in a new tab)
Arnhem: Milieuzone (blue)
Diesel passenger cars need Euro 5 or higher. Since 1 June 2026 Arnhem's zone covers passenger cars only (vans fall under the zero-emission zone). Fine 130 EUR plus administration costs.^[5]
Official page (opens in a new tab)
Utrecht: Milieuzone (blue)
Diesel passenger cars need Euro 5 or higher (vans fall under the zero-emission zone). Fine 130 EUR plus administration costs.^[4]
Official page (opens in a new tab)
The Hague (Den Haag): Milieuzone (green)
Diesel passenger cars need Euro 4 or higher; diesel classes 0 to 3 may not enter. Petrol, LPG and electric cars are allowed. Fine 130 EUR plus administration costs.^[4]
Official page (opens in a new tab)
All Dutch milieuzones: Enforcement and fines
Enforcement is by the municipality, usually with cameras that recognise number plates or special enforcement officers. From 26 November 2025 the fine for cars and vans is 130 EUR, plus administration costs.^[6]
Official page (opens in a new tab)
All Dutch milieuzones: Foreign vehicles
The low-emission zone rules also apply to foreign vehicles. There is no need to register in advance to drive in a municipality with a low-emission zone; advance registration is only needed for the Maasvlakte industrial area.^[3]
Official page (opens in a new tab)

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

What must I carry in the Netherlands?

Warning triangle.^[7]
FCDO travel advice: always carry your driving licence, insurance documents, vehicle documents and photo ID such as a passport. If the vehicle is not yours you may need written permission from the registered owner.^[9]

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Speed limits and alcohol

Built-up areas: 50 km/h^[7]
Outside built-up areas: 80 km/h^[7]
Motorways: 130 km/h^[7]
Drink-drive limit: 0.5 g/l (0.2 g/l for novice drivers with less than 5 years' driving experience)^[7]

130 km/h is the standard motorway maximum, but on most motorways 100 km/h applies between 06:00 and 19:00, with 120 or 130 km/h allowed outside those hours where signed; some N roads are 100 km/h (Rijkswaterstaat, see source 8). Watch overhead lane signals.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

What UK drivers need

You can drive in the Netherlands on a UK driving licence (FCDO). Provisional licences are not allowed.^[9]
You do not need an international driving permit in the EU if you have a UK photocard driving licence.^[10]
Display a UK sticker unless your number plate shows the UK identifier with the Union flag.^[11]
Take your log book (V5C) and your insurance certificate; you do not need a green card in the EU but must have valid insurance.^[12]
FCDO travel advice: trams have priority, you must stop if a tram or bus stops in the middle of the road for passengers, and cyclists and mopeds have right of way over motor vehicles in many places. Speed cameras and unmarked cars are widely used.^[9]

For documents, insurance, pets and border checks that apply to every country, see the driving to Europe checklist.

Checked on 11 November 2026 against the official sources linked in this section.

Not confirmed yet

We could not confirm these points on an official page, so this guide does not state them as facts. Check them with the operator before you travel.

A Dutch government page explicitly confirming that there is no general motorway toll for cars could not be loaded (rijksoverheid.nl and government.nl returned Access Denied); the tunnels are the only tolls found.
How foreign-registered cars are checked against milieuzone rules (the enforcement page describes camera matching against the Dutch RDW register, which covers Dutch plates) is not explained for foreign plates.
Westerscheldetunnel category definitions beyond the 3-metre height split (for example where a car towing a caravan falls) were not loaded; the full rates table page returned no content.
The Your Europe Netherlands page was last updated by the Commission on 18 September 2024.

Official links

Sources

Every fact above links to one of these official pages. The numbers match the small links next to each fact.

1.
Toltarieven Kiltunnel (opens in a new tab)
Wegschap Tunnel Dordtse Kil (Province of South Holland and municipalities), kiltunnel.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
2.
Rates and ways to pay; Gedeeltelijk tolvrij (partly toll-free since 30 December 2024) (opens in a new tab)
N.V. Westerscheldetunnel, westerscheldetunnel.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
3.
English: low-emission zones and foreign vehicles (opens in a new tab)
Milieuzones in Nederland (official Dutch low-emission zone portal), milieuzones.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
4.
Personen- en bestelauto's (opens in a new tab)
Milieuzones in Nederland (official Dutch low-emission zone portal), milieuzones.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
5.
Locaties milieuzones (opens in a new tab)
Milieuzones in Nederland (official Dutch low-emission zone portal), milieuzones.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
6.
Handhaving (enforcement and fines) (opens in a new tab)
Milieuzones in Nederland (official Dutch low-emission zone portal), milieuzones.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
7.
Road rules and safety - Netherlands (opens in a new tab)
European Commission, Your Europe (content supplied by Dutch authorities), europa.eu. Checked on 11 November 2026.
8.
Maximumsnelheden op auto(snel)wegen in Nederland (opens in a new tab)
Rijkswaterstaat (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management), rijkswaterstaat.nl. Checked on 11 November 2026.
9.
Netherlands travel advice: Safety and security (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK (FCDO), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
10.
Driving abroad: check if you need an international driving permit (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
11.
Displaying number plates: flags, symbols and identifiers (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK (DVLA), gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.
12.
Driving abroad; Vehicle insurance: driving abroad (opens in a new tab)
GOV.UK, gov.uk. Checked on 11 November 2026.