Car Shipping - Registration of the Imported Vehicle in Germany

If your stay in Germany is not only temporary - a stay of more than one year will certainly be considered as "not temporary" - your car must be registered at the Motor Vehicle Registration Office ("Kraftfahrzeug-Zulassungsstelle") at your place of residence in Germany. You can obtain the address and telephone number from the municipal or local authority.

Prior to registration, the Technical Control Board ("Technischer Überwachungsverein", TÜV) must check whether your type of car is basically eligible for licensing in Germany. Furthermore, your car will be tested for defects impairing its safety (so-called main test). The annual special exhaust emission test ("Abgasuntersuchung", ASU) is also carried out by the Technical Control Board. If the car fails the test, you must have the defects rectified and then return to the Technical Control Board. When approved, you are issued with the TÜV certificate required for registration.

If a friend does this for you, he will need an authorization, signed by you, and your passport or identity card.

You must present the following documents to the registration office:
- your passport or identity card;
- confirmation of registration with the Residents' Registration Office;
- a cover-note from a German insurance company;
- depending on the country of origin, two customs clearance certificates (it is easiest to obtain these when crossing the frontier, otherwise go to the customs office at your place of residence in Germany);
- a statement from the Federal Motor Vehicle Office ("Kraftfahrzeugbundesamt") that no German car ownership certificate has been issued for the car;
- the TÜV (Technical Control Board) certificate;
- the car registration documents from your own country and the car's number plates.

At the registration office you complete an application for allocation of a German number and issue of a car ownership certificate. There may be problems if the car papers issued in your country differ considerably from those valid in Germany. If no difficulties arise, you will be given a registration number and a certificate to be taken to a nearby workshop to have authorized number plates made. With the number plates, you return to the registration office to collect your German car documents (including the car registration certificate). The registration office will affix badges to your number plates certifying that the car has been properly registered and indicating the dates when the next main test by the Technical Control Board (in two years' time) and the special exhaust emission test (ASU) are due.

Fees are payable at both the Technical Control Board and the registration office. In addition, you must buy the number plates.

<< Vehicle Import to Germany Regulations