APK

APK (MOT) is the abbreviation for general periodic inspection. The APK is a legally required inspection in Europe to promote road safety and protect the environment. Once the car has been inspected, you will receive an inspection report. If the car has been approved, you don’t have to bring this inspection report with you in the car.

To pass the APK successfully, the car must be approved for all parts to be checked. The items to be checked include:

• Brakes
• Suspension
• Relief
• Steering
• Tires
• Bodywork
• Exhaust gases
• Registration papers and number plates
• Mileage

Only if the car is approved on all points will you receive an inspection report stating that the car has been approved.

You can have a car inspected up to two months before the next APK  date. The old expiry date is then extended by 1 or 2 years, depending on the applicable inspection frequency.

The table below shows when which type of cars with which type of engines must be inspected.

Standing still on a public road for two months

Due to certain circumstances it can happen that a vehicle is not approved in time. In this case the vehicle may be parked on the public road for a maximum of 2 months after the APK expiry date, without the RDW carrying out a register check.
After this period, the vehicle must be APK-approved or the license plate validity must be suspended. In the latter case, the vehicle may not be parked on a public road.