The ultimate guide to leasing a car in the Netherlands

Moving to the Netherlands can be a stressful affair: from finding housing to finding a job, there’s a lot to organise. Luckily for you, though, there’s one aspect of this whole process that can be simplified: getting yourself a car.

You might have thought— as we once did— that the only way to get a car for a longer period was to, well, buy one. But actually, there’s another way: and one that is really suitable for life as an international in the Netherlands; (private) leasing a car. Yes, it’s a grown-up thing, and yes, it’s complex at times but also very advantageous for some of you reading this. So we’ve partnered up with Bynco to tell you all about getting a private lease for a car as an expat in the Netherlands.

First of all, what is a private lease? 

A private lease allows you to rent a car for a particular period of time. Most leases will be for a number of years, but there are shorter leases available. You can choose between a new car or a used car, and the amount you pay each month will depend on that, as well as the type of car you choose.

Another massive advantage of a private lease is that all monthly costs, except for fuel, are covered under the monthly fee you pay to the company you lease the car from. That includes the car itself, road tax, liability insurance, accident insurance for occupants (optional), legal assistance, body damage, maintenance, repairs, tires, breakdown assistance, the car sharing module, replacement transport after 72 hours and the possibility of cancellation without penalty in the event of divorce, death or dismissal from work.

And finally, importantly for expats who might want to return home at some point, you can just give the car back to the lease company at the end of your lease: no worries about selling it on when you want to move away from the Netherlands.

Why is a private lease for cars especially suited to expats?

At this point, the reasons why this is a great option for expats are probably already standing out to you. First of all, the flexibility offered by a private lease is far greater than if you were to simply buy a car. You can choose how long you want to have the car for: one year, two years, anywhere up to five years.

When you move away again from the Netherlands, you would usually have to figure out what to do with your car. With a private lease, that’s not something you need to worry about. You can give your car back to Bynco when you want to move away, no hassle required. Overall, sometimes it can work out to be cheaper to take a private lease instead of buying a car, depending on your personal situation.

How do you lease a car? What are the requirements for a private lease?

Ok, so we’ve convinced you. Welcome to the grown-up club! The next step is figuring out how you can lease a car in the Netherlands. There are some requirements that you’ll need to meet: after all, you are being entrusted with a pretty valuable object. Bynco asks for the following requirements to be met by its customers:

Most companies that lease cars will require you to have a Dutch residence address, a valid passport/ID, and a driving licence that is recognised by the Netherlands. You’ll also need a permanent or temporary employment contract. A lot of car lease companies will require a Dutch driver’s licence, but as an expat, that’s not something you will have. For the companies, including Bynco, who don’t have this requirement, you still need to get your driver’s licence recognised by the Dutch authorities.

Getting your driver’s licence recognised in the Netherlands

If you’re from the EU, then this is a simple process: your EU driver’s licence is valid in the Netherlands for as long as it is valid in your home country, with a 15-year limit on this.

If you’re from outside the EU, you can use your old driver’s licence for six months in the Netherlands. During this time period you should apply for a Dutch driving licence. If you wait longer than that, you’ll need to do a Dutch driving test- which honestly, we would wish upon no one. You might also be able to apply for an International Driver’s Licence, which some car leasing companies will accept instead of a Dutch driver’s licence.

The benefits of leasing a car with Bynco

Now, we teamed up with Bynco to write this article for a reason. They offer a truly premium service, which makes the entire process of leasing a car much easier. First of all, they’re open 7 days a week, which is super handy if you work full time during the week, for example. They also offer you a 14 day reflection period, so if you choose a car and realise it doesn’t work for you, you can just exchange it within two weeks. That ensures that you’re really going to be leasing a car you’re happy with.

There is also flexibility when it comes to switching between cars and bundles. When you first lease a car with Bynco, you might not be fully sure how much you’ll use the car, especially if you’ve just moved to a new country. There are several tiers with Bynco, each of which give a particular allowance for the number of kilometres you can drive without incurring extra costs. If you realise you’re driving more than you expected, you can just switch up to the next tier. Similarly, if you’re driving less than expected, you can switch down.

The same idea applies when your private lease comes to an end. So, when you lease a car, the lessor estimates the number of kilometres you will probably drive with the car, and the depreciation that causes is included in your monthly payment. But maybe you’ve driven the car way less than that, so the car is actually in better condition than the car lease company expected. In that case, you can actually get money back from Bynco at the end of the lease, if you don’t want to change your monthly bundle along the way.

Bynco also doesn’t require a deposit on the car you lease, which is great for those of us who don’t have a whole chunk of money chilling in our bank accounts. Furthermore, they have the Quality Mark for Private Leasing (in Dutch: Keurmerk Private Lease – yes, we know, Dutch is wild).

What’s the difference between leasing a car and buying one?

So, let’s get into the nitty gritty. What are the main differences between leasing a car and buying one? Well, it comes down mostly to ownership and responsibility. So, when you own a car, you need to buy it yourself, and pay all the costs associated yourself. You also need to sell it on if you move away, for example.

When you rent a car via private lease, you pay a monthly fee to the car lease company. With that fee, you’re paying for the car, and most of the monthly costs of the car in one go. You can rent the car for an agreed-upon time, usually between a year and five years. That also means you give back the car at the end of the lease, and don’t need to worry about selling it on.

What is an occasion private lease?

Sometimes, you might need a car urgently: maybe you didn’t expect to need one, and suddenly realise you do, or maybe there’s a special occasion that requires it. In any case, if you need a car quickly, Bynco offers an “occasion private lease”. This type of lease offers you a second hand car, which you can drive for a reduced cost each month. This is definitely a cheaper option than running out and buying a new car in a panic, and it has all the advantages that a regular private lease does: your monthly costs, apart from fuel, are covered, and it’s very flexible.

What are your experiences with driving in the Netherlands? Still wondering about getting a private lease on a car in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below.

Feature Image: JESHOOTS.com/Pexels