Applying for the first registration of a vehicle from an EU member state

Have you bought a vehicle in another European country and would like to use it in Germany? Then you must apply for a registration for German road traffic.

If you have purchased a new vehicle in an EU member state or a contracting state of the European Economic Area (EEA), you generally need a registration in order to use it on German roads.

New vehicles are vehicles that

• have never been registered in Germany or abroad.

Used vehicles are vehicles that

• have already been registered in an EU member state or in a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA) and therefore had at least one previous owner.

You or your representative submit the application for this initial registration to the local vehicle registration authority.

Once the vehicle has been registered, you may drive it on the road and park it in public areas.

All newly registered vehicles receive a license plate with a Euro field. You have the option of reserving a license plate of your choice for the vehicle if it is free and available.

• An EU type approval or foreign registration documents are available for the vehicle.
• You must be able to provide proof of a valid main inspection for the vehicle. This can be waived if you have a general inspection from the factory due to the vehicle's young age. In the case of a passenger car, for example, this is 3 years from the date of first registration.
• The vehicle meets the other requirements of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) and the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO).
• You must provide bank details and be able to agree to a SEPA direct debit procedure in the event of a tax liability.