| Documents Required for Importing a Vehicle in Germany |
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| The following documents are required to import a used vehicle from another EU country: |
 Proof of Vehicle Ownership (For example an original bill of sale or receipt) - Original Vehicle Registration Documents
- Current Vehicle Insurance Documentation
- If applicable, EU certificate of conformity or a certificate of exhaust emission testing which conforms to German TÜV/DEKRA standards.
- Certificate of exhaust emissions test for all vehicles over three years old.
- Certificate of exhaust emissions test for all vehicles over three years old.
- A tax clearance certificate from the Federal Motor Vehicle Authority to confirm that the vehicle has not already been registered in Germany.
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| Documentation to register your vehicle in german |
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If you want to bring a car into Germany from outside the EU (Europe), it must have been registered in your name and home country for a minimum of 6 months prior to your arrival. Otherwise import tax and VAT is payable. For customs the car has to be declared as removal good to avoid paying import taxes.
- Application form to the German Department of Motor Vehicles
- Proof of identity and residence e.g. passport and residence registration receipt. Only residents and resident companies may register a car, either by themselves or through an authorized representative, who must submit a letter of attorney,
- US title or MSO
- Customs clearance certificate stating payment of or exemption of relevant taxes and duties (see Section 2.b Customs Tariffs and Import Taxes),
- Department of Motor Vehicles information
- Vehicle fact sheet
- Necessary certificates and the emissions certificate
- Refitting of the vehicle to meet German standards
- Application for the German vehicle registration document
- TUV presentation and inspection (inspection of road worthiness)
- Drawing up of the German title and approval of the exception authorities
- Emissions tests (AU), required for used vehicles with petrol driven motors with catalytic converters built after the 1st of July 1969 and diesel engines after the 1st of January 1977.
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| Motor Vehicle Tax |
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Every motor vehicle registered in Germany is automatically subject to a special motor vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer). The first payment must be paid soon after registering the vehicle (Kfz-Steuerbescheid). |
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The yearly rates are high compared to other countries. They are grouped between approx. DM 11.00 and DM 30.00 for every 100 cc of cylinders. A different calculation is used for trucks depending on the size of its loading surface. |
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Rates differ depending on certain engine specifications, such as whether the car is equipped with a catalytic converter or whether it is gasoline or diesel powered. For example, the rate is DM 11.80 for a car with U.S. standard catalytic converter and DM 28.40 for a new car without any emissions reducing devices. For diesel engines the rates are even higher. For a 3.0 litre gasoline engine the payable tax would be 30 times DM 11.80, giving a total of` DM 354.00 per year. |
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Recently, political discussion has surfaced calling for a reorganization of the rate categories. It has been suggested to classify only according to a car’s effects on the environment. |
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