How to Register a Car in Germany? – 4 Steps to Follow

If you plan to buy a new or used car in Germany, you must register it in your name at your local registration office before driving it. The detailed steps regarding how to register a car in Germany are covered in this article. The registration cost may vary slightly based on the region, but the procedure is the same all over Germany.

Step-by-Step Process for Registering a Car in Germany

Before applying for registration, you must follow some steps to register your car without any hassle, such as getting car insurance and a TÜV certificate. You can complete some procedures even before buying the car, for example, getting the license plates. Let’s look at the step-by-step process for registering your vehicle in Germany on your own.

1. Car Insurance
2. TÜV Certificate
3. German License Plates
4. Car Registration

How to Register a Car in Germany?

1. Take Car Insurance

If you own a car, you must have Car liability insurance in Germany. You can take this Online or Offline from any insurance provider of your choice. There are three types of car insurance, among which, Car Liability Insurance is the mandatory one. It covers the basic costs such as damages caused to others in case of an accident. The remaining two types are Partial cover insurance and Fully comprehensive insurance which are like add-ons to the Car Liability Insurance. As they are optional, you can voluntarily take them or you can just take the basic Car liability insurance.

Upon purchasing the Car Insurance, you will get an eVB number from your insurance provider. This is an electronic or digital insurance number and is required for verification during the registration process.

2. Get a TÜV Certificate

To register in Germany, your vehicle must pass a general inspection and receive a certificate that it is roadworthy. However, this applies only to used cars. New cars just need the COC (certificate of conformity) when registering. The manufacturer provides this COC when you buy the car.

The Roadworthiness certificate is necessary for new cars from their third year (after 36 months). For used cars, you need to take the vehicle for a general inspection every 2 years (24 months). If the previous owner or car dealer provided you with this certificate, a new inspection is not needed.

Who handles this inspection? Some certified companies, such as TÜV, DEKRA, KÜS, and GTÜ, will take care of this. In Germany, as TÜV is popular, they call it a TÜV certificate instead of a Roadworthiness certificate.

If they find any problems during the inspection you will have around one month (four weeks) to fix them and bring the car back for inspection. Ensure that your vehicle undergoes this inspection process as the Roadworthiness certificate is mandatory for car registration.

3. Get German License Plates

If your car doesn’t have license plates, you need to get two plates, one for the front side and one for the back. You can purchase them either online or offline near Zulassungsstelle (registration office). However, buying license plates online is a convenient and cost-friendly option in Germany.

To buy online, first, you need to reserve the license number (registration number) with your local vehicle registration office. This can be done on the official website of your local city or district office. Once you get the confirmation of the reserved plate number, you can order the license plates online. There are many online platforms from where you can order conveniently just by providing your registered license number, plate size/type, and address.

These license plates are necessary for registration. The registration office will affix official seals, such as TÜV and registration stickers, to the plates. Fun fact: You don’t require a car for this process. You can reserve the plates before buying the car, and the reservation is valid for up to 30 to 90 days. So, if you are planning to buy a car, you can start by reserving the license plates to speed up the process.

4. Apply for Car Registration

Once your car is ready; roadworthy and insured, you can book an appointment at Kraftfahrzeug Zulassungsstelle or Kfz-Zulassungsstelle (your local car registration office). Prepare all the required documents and proofs, along with registration fees, which vary from 30 to 60 Euros depending on the region.

If you bought the vehicle from the dealership, they may take care of this registration at an additional cost. However, for new cars, you need to complete this process yourself.

Documents Required for Car Registration in Germany

• ID – Passport or Residence Permit
• Proof of Address (Anmeldebescheinigung / Meldebescheinigung)
• Car Registration Certificate Part II (Fahrzeugbrief): For new cars, you will get this from the manufacturers or dealers. For used cars, previous car owners must hand over this certificate to you.
• Proof of Car Insurance with eVB number
• Form 032021 (Vehicle Registration Application): You can get this form from the registration office or download it from the official portal of your local Zulassungsstelle (registration office).
• SEPA Direct Debit Mandate Form (SEPA-Lastschriftmandat für Kfz-Steuer): This form allows the German customs office (Zoll) to deduct your vehicle tax from your bank account automatically. You can get this from the registration office or download SEPA from the official website of German Customs or your local Zulassungsstelle.
• TÜV certificate: If you have a COC-Papiere, this is not necessary for new cars. However, you must bring the valid and latest TÜV certificate for used cars.
• Certificate of Conformity (COC-Papiere) – For New Vehicles: This will be provided by the manufacturers or dealers for new vehicles. If you have this for your brand-new car, there is no need for a TÜV certificate.
• Registration Certificate Part I (Fahrzeugschein)—For Used Vehicles: This is proof of vehicle registration. The previous owner must give it to you when selling the car so that you can re-register it in your name.
• License Plates
• Foreign Registration Certificate – For Imported Vehicles

What happens at the Registration Office?

1. Visit the registration office on the given appointment date with all the required documents.
2. Take a token number and wait for the call.
3. When called, go to the counter and submit all the above documents to the officer.
4. They will verify all the documents and check for any issues or outstanding fines.
5. If everything is fine, they will ask you to pay the registration fee which ranges from 30 to 50 Euros. Payment is usually made in cash or sometimes by card.
6. After processing, you will receive the Registration Certificate Part I and the stamped Registration Certificate Part II. You need to carry Part I in your car and keep Part II safe at home.
7. Finally, they will attach the official stickers (registration seal and TÜV badge) to your license plates. Without these, the license plates are not valid. If you haven’t bought the physical license plates before going to the registration, you can still buy them at the license plate shop near the registration office.
8. Thats it! Now your vehicle is fully registered in Germany and you can start driving on the roads.

Later, you will receive a notification from the German customs office regarding vehicle tax. There, you can find the yearly tax amount and instructions for making the payment. However, while filling out the SEPA Direct Debit Mandate Form, you will provide your bank account number, which allows the customs office to automatically deduct the taxes from your account.

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