Does an EU import need a new general inspection?

Only if one would have been due under German deadlines in the meantime and no inspection under Directive 2014/45/EU from another EU state is proven.

What happens to the foreign registration document?

The registration authority withdraws it, keeps it for 6 months and then destroys it.

What applies if part II of the foreign documents is missing?

Registration is then only possible if confirmation of the earlier registration from the foreign authority has been obtained via the Federal Motor Transport Authority.

What applies to vehicles from a state outside the EU?

An inspection under § 29 StVZO must be carried out before registration.

Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany

In short: Anyone importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany must prove the numbers of the foreign registration certificate. A general inspection is needed if it would have been due under German deadlines in the meantime and no valid inspection from another EU state is proven. The authority withdraws the foreign documents and keeps them for 6 months. With Zevra, registration costs from €10 per case.

Re-imports and purchases from other EU countries are everyday business in the trade. All details come from § 8 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV).

Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for car dealers, registration services and fleets: cases are entered in the dealer portal and filed nationwide by power of attorney with qualified electronic signature – from €10 per registration, no base fee, no minimum volume.

Last updated: 2026-10-10 · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by Mohamed Gabal, owner

Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany: what dealers need to know

Which documents does the registration authority require?

the number of the foreign registration certificate – for two-part documents the numbers of part I and part II
proof of when the vehicle was first put into service
if part II of two-part documents is missing: confirmation from the foreign authority of the earlier registration, obtained via the Federal Motor Transport Authority

When is a general inspection needed?

Origin of the vehicle	Inspection before registration
EU or European Economic Area, deadline under the German rule not yet expired	not required
EU or European Economic Area, an inspection would have been due in the meantime	required – unless an inspection under Directive 2014/45/EU is proven
First entry into service cannot be proven	required
State outside the EU and the European Economic Area	always required

The rule applies to vehicles with EU type approval. For a new car the first general inspection would be due after 36 months under the German rule.

What happens to the foreign documents?

The registration authority withdraws the foreign registration certificate, keeps it for 6 months and then destroys it. The Federal Motor Transport Authority is informed electronically within one month at the latest.

The authority may obtain information from foreign registers to check the earlier registration.

Can the first German registration be done online?

Because the authority withdraws the foreign documents, the first registration in Germany takes place at the registration authority. After that the vehicle has German documents with a security code – every further case works digitally.

What does this mean for the dealership?

Zevra handles the cases after the first registration in Germany: transfer to the buyer, deregistration and re-registration.

With Zevra, registration costs from €10, deregistration from €2 per case, net and plus official fees.

Sources: Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 8 – Zulassung nach vorheriger Zulassung in einem anderen Staat · Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) Anlage VIII – Untersuchung der Fahrzeuge

Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany: what dealers need to know