APK (periodic vehicle inspection)
The legally mandatory periodic RDW inspection for safety and environment; not a valuation or warranty.
The APK, the general periodic inspection, is the legally mandatory check of a vehicle for road safety and environment, in the Netherlands under supervision of the RDW. It tests against fixed inspection requirements, including brakes, tyres, lighting, suspension, soot emission and bodywork, and is the Dutch implementation of the European inspection directive.
The frequency depends on vehicle type, fuel and age. For many passenger cars it is roughly: first inspection after a number of years, then less frequent and from a certain age annually; for diesels and heavier vehicles deviating terms apply. The exact term for a specific vehicle is in the RDW register.
An APK is a snapshot against minimum requirements, not a valuation, not a service and not a guarantee that nothing can break. We use the APK only as a concept; the applicable term and requirements are those of the RDW on the reference date.
See also: Registration document, MRB (vehicle road tax), Timing belt or chain, Euro NCAP safety
Source: RDW; terms/requirements per reference date, factual explanation
No tax or financial advice. Every figure shows its source and reference date. Always compare with an independent adviser and the official source.