Studying Abroad in Germany ► Moving Around ► How to Register Your Car ✅ 5-Step Process ✅

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Studying Abroad in Germany – Registering Your Car

If you want to take part in ICV’s international student program and are looking to spend a semester or more in Germany, there are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for your arrival there. A cross-country move is challenging, and there are many culture and bureaucratic differences you might not expect. If you want to take your own car or buy one there, for example, you will need to inspect, register, and insure it, and pay the accompanying taxes. Here are some hints that can make the process easier.

Registering a Car in Germany

If you plan to stay for a while and want to be mobile, getting your own car might be a good idea. You could import your own car or buy one there.

• Students in Germany are not exempt from registering their car and paying the corresponding taxes. 

If you choose to take your own car, you can drive the imported motor vehicle for up to 12 months with your home license plates and (translated) registration documents. You will only need to visit the ‘Zulassungsstelle’ after a 6-month period and declare you want to keep using your US documents and registration. This requires proof of you staying less than a year. If you stay longer, you will have to register your car at the local ‘KFZ-Zulassung’.

Registering Your Car

Typically, this leaves you with a 5-Step Process:

1. Appointment to Register Your Car

It can take some time to get an appointment to register your car at the appropriate ‘Zulassungsbehörde’. Google which one is responsible for registrations in your location. If you buy a new car, you will need a ‘Neuzulassung’, for used cars it’s an ‘Umschreibung eines Fahrzeugs’.

Typically, you can book these appointments online. Book them some time in advance with enough time to get your insurance, inspection, and license plates prepared in the meantime.

2. Purchasing License Plates

You will need two license plates, one for the front and one for the back. To save time when registering your car, you can buy them online in advance. You can also buy them in local shops. Buying the license plates costs you about €20 to €40.

Which options of letter and number combinations are available to you depend on the local ‘KFZ-Zulassungsstelle’ and the letters tied to the area. For example, license plates in Berlin will start with the letter B. The following letters and numbers can be customized, as long as they aren’t already registered to somebody else. Here is a website that lists the letters and their corresponding districts in Germany: wunschkennzeichen-reservieren.jetzt.

You can use these services to make a reservation for a specific license plate for up to 90 days. If you don’t buy it in the meantime, it might be unavailable afterwards.

3. Inspection

Unless you buy a new car or a car with a valid pre-existing inspection certificate, you will need to pass a ‘Hauptuntersuchung’ at a certified workshop. Possible providers are: TÜV, DEKRA, KÜS & GTÜ. You will need to book an appointment and bring all your car papers with you.

It will cost you about €70 to €150. With the certificate, your car is proven to be roadworthy and safe. If they find any problems, you will have to have them repaired before receiving the certificate.

4. Purchasing Car Insurance

In Germany, as a car owner, you are legally required to have a car liability insurance. When your car is insured, the insurance provider will give you an ‘eVB Nummer’. You will need this policy number for registering your car.

How much the insurance will cost is dependent on factors like your age, the age of the vehicle, and the type of insurance.

• The basic mandatory liability insurance will cost you about €280 a year.
• There are possible add-ons, like the partial cover (~€85) or fully comprehensive insurance (~€329) that will add to the cost. These are completely voluntary.

5. Registering Your Car

When you are on your way to the ‘Zulassungsbehörde’ or ‘KFZ-Zulassungsstelle’, you will need all your documents on hand. This includes:

• your German residence card
• your passport
• the eVB number (proof of car insurance)
• your license plates
• FORM 032021, filled out in advance, allowing them to charge the tax money from your bank account via direct debiting payments
• [for new cars] COC-Papiere (Certificate of Conformity) from the car manufacturer
• [for used cars] the inspection certificate & the registration certificate part I or de-registration documents

Some Zulassungsbehörden, in Berlin, for example, offer the forms you require on their websites and expect you to print and fill them out yourself before your visit. You will find the information about this process online.

If you have a digital ID card, you might be able to register your car online, as long as it isn’t a used car that was first registered before January 2015.

If everything is in order, you will have to pay the registration fee. Be aware that many governmental offices do not accept credit cards. Bring cash or a debit card instead. How much it costs is dependent on your location. It ranges between €30 and €60.

In many German cities, especially bigger ones, you will also need an ‘Umweltplakette’. This emission sticker will be put in the lower right corner of your windshield. Without the right color of Umweltplakette, you are not allowed to drive into some cities, to reduce the emissions in city centers.

Conclusion

Bureaucratic processes in Germany can be challenging. If you want to take your own car or buy a new or used one in Germany, and you are staying for a while, you will have to register it. First, when using a used car, you will have to make sure it is road-safe and passes an inspection. Then, you will need to buy license plates and car insurance. Finally, a successful appointment at the Zulassungsbehörde, or if you are lucky an online registration, will allow you to drive your car while you are living in Germany, without trouble.