Buying and registering in Germany w/o residency
 

IS THIS TRUE? Are there any "GOTYAs" I should know about?

I've been told by ADAC (Germany's Autoclub) that you can purchase and register a vehicle in Germany without having residency.

1. You purchase insurance (liability) at $55Eu/month. You need your passport when filing.

2. You take your insurance card to vehicle registration and file for an "Exportation License Plate." With this you must leave the country within 2 weeks of registering the vehicle. And there is no problem coming back to Germany to sell the vehicle.

One Gotcha: the vehicle is deleted from the rego database, requiring a somewhat more complicated re-registration procedure. You need to get new blank rego papers from the rego office, then visit the infamous TÜV for a full compliance check, then go back to the rego office for your final paperwork and new plate. Expect at least €150 and a full day.

If you bike is in order (no illegal mods!) it won't be a problem, though.

I didn't think you were allowed to re-enter Germany with those plates, though...

From what I have read it's easier and cheaper to do this in GB. I think similar discussions have already taken place here, look through the recent topics.

------------------
Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Hi Euroexplorer,

I am german, travelling through CA and the US, but willing to help. Just send me ur email address and I send u back some friends email addresses who are going to help you with that and even might help u to sort all things out with the famous german Tuev.

cu
Martin

[This message has been edited by Twintraveller (edited 27 April 2004).]

you are allowed to re-enter as long as you plate is not outdated.

It's dead easy
 

Like ADAC said it really is dead easy. If the car/truck/bike is already on German plates you trot down to the local DMV office or whatever it's called in Germany (I forget) armed with the vehicle registration document, bill of sale and your insurance certificate, passport etc. You can get 'export' insurance from any insurance office. Someone from the DMV office may come out and check that the chassis number matches that in the registration document but assuming all is OK you'll get issued with a registration document with your details in it there and then (it took me about 30 mins) and armed with that you trot over to the small hut nearby (every office has one close to) who will make you up some 'export' plates which have a sticker on them showing how long they're valid for. Export plates are a different colour from normal German plates and aren't geographical-if you see what I mean. I managed it all (for a truck) and without hardly speaking a word of German.

Reselling in Germany
 

Did you return the car to Germany after your trip to sell it? If so, was this an easy process?

Currently the German DMV say they will only offer export plates for 1 month, no longer. What did you ask for to get longer?

Many thanks,

Anthony

Hallo Anthony,

I think it is generally more difficult in Germany to sell a car that is
on export plates than to sell a car that is on normal number plates. If
the new owner wants to register the car he has to pay tax for duration
of the export plates. Otherwise Germans would register their cars on
export plates (which are exempted form normal taxation, ) instead of
registering them in the standard procedure. And in addition to the tax
issue a car on export plates sold in Germany would look slightly doggy.
See: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...d-carnet-36143


Export plates for periods exceeding one month are a little uncommon but
any “Zulassungsstelle” (the place you register the car=DMV) can process
them. The problem is the insurance. Many shops for number plates only
sell insurance for one month. But you can go to a bigger town and buy
the insurance there or simply order the insurance online.

I don’t know what kind of car you want to buy, if it is an old car
around 1000 Euro I suggest the following procedure.

Buy insurance for 1,2 or 3 Month for example at this long established
online shop:
Home - Deckungskarten und eVB-Nummern für Kurzzeit- u. Ausfuhrkennzeichen
(not the cheapest but a good one, they will post the proof of insurance
to your country of residence).
. Buy the car in Germany with TÜV (MOT) for alt least the period you
want to register the car on export plates.
. Make you trip.
When you are back in Germany sell the car to an export dealer. These
dealers have no intention of registering the car in Germany again,
therefore they don’t care about the export plate. The disadvantage is
that they don’t give you a very good price. You do not loose much money
if you buy the car for a good price and if it is a sought after model.

Greetings
Hans