All three routes lead to the same decision by the registration authority. They differ in who does the work, which requirements apply and for which vehicles they are possible at all.
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: · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by Mohamed Gabal, owner
What are the three routes?
| Going to the authority yourself | Yourself in the i-Kfz portal | Digital registration service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requirement | appointment, original documents, keeper's power of attorney | company account (Unternehmenskonto BUND) with ELSTER certificate; documents with security code | dealer account; power of attorney with qualified electronic signature; documents with security code |
| Competence | authority at the keeper's place of residence or seat | portal of the competent authority in each case | one access for all districts |
| Vehicle ready to drive | after the appointment, with stamped plates | immediately with temporary proof, valid 10 days | immediately with temporary proof, valid 10 days |
| Older documents without code | possible | not possible | not possible |
| Costs | official fees + own working time and travel | official fees + own working time | official fees + price per case |
When does it have to be the authority?
Digital cases require the hidden security codes. For deregistration and transfer without change of keeper the documents must have been issued after 01.01.2015, for new registration, re-registration and transfer with change of keeper after 01.01.2018.
Vehicles with older documents are still handled on site. The same applies if a digital application has been finally rejected: it can then be submitted again at the authority.
When is the i-Kfz portal enough?
Since September 2023 legal entities can use the registration authorities' portals themselves. This fits when few cases arise and customers mostly live in the same registration district.
The limit lies in competence: each portal belongs to one authority. Those with customers from many districts work in many portals.
When does a registration service pay off?
- Customers come from different registration districts or federal states.
- The vehicle is to be handed over on the day of sale.
- Sales staff should not spend time in authority portals or on the way to the authority.
- The business is below the threshold of regularly more than 500 applications per year that applies to registering yourself at the KBA bulk-customer interface.
What does each route cost in official fees?
The official fee depends on the route, not on the provider. Example: Berlin vehicle registration authority, as of 10.10.2026:
| Case | at the counter | online |
|---|---|---|
| First registration (new registration) | at least 30.60 euros | 22.22 euros |
| Deregistration | 17.10 euros | 3.30 euros |
Online, the new registration there is 8.38 euros and the deregistration 13.80 euros cheaper than at the counter. The fee can be higher in individual cases; other authorities publish their own amounts.
What does the digital route cost with Zevra?
| Service | Price (net) |
|---|---|
| Registration / transfer / re-registration | €10 |
| Deregistration | €2 |
| Monthly base fee | €0 |
Official fees are added 1:1. All prices plus VAT.
Read more
- New registration online: register new cars digitally and hand over the same day
- Vehicle deregistration online: take vehicles out of service digitally – for dealers and fleets
- Transfer online: re-register a used car to the buyer digitally
- Re-registration online: put deregistered vehicles back into service digitally
- Day registration online: first registration for one calendar day – digitally from the dealership
- eVB number in vehicle registration: proof of third-party insurance in the digital application
- Digital registration power of attorney: how the dealership registers for the customer with legal certainty
- Vehicle registration without online ID: why the customer needs no eID when the dealership registers
- Number plates in the digital registration case: own press or order with shipping
- Digital vehicle registration in the dealership: the complete guide
- i-Kfz for companies and dealers: portal, large-customer interface or service
- Vehicle registration by the dealer – also in another federal state
- Who offers digital vehicle registration for companies in Germany?
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Registration certificate part II lost: procedure, deadlines and consequences for the trade
- Short-term plates or red plates: what dealers need for test and transfer drives
- Export plates: exporting vehicles – what dealers need to know
- Registering motorcycles and trailers online: what is the same for dealers – and what differs
- i-Kfz stage 4: what is new – and what does it mean for dealerships?
- Registering a company car: which documents does each legal form need?
- Registering a leased vehicle: who is the keeper – and where does the registration certificate part II stay?
- Registration service at the dealership: how does registration become a selling point?
- Registration for used-car dealers: which vehicles work online?
- Registration service costs: what does a dealership pay per registration?
- How long does online vehicle registration take in Germany?
- Seasonal plates, E plates and H plates: applying online in Germany
- Low-emission sticker (Umweltplakette): what dealers should know
- Change of address after a move: re-registering a vehicle online
- Registering motorhomes and caravans online: what dealers need to know
- Interchangeable plates (Wechselkennzeichen): one plate for two vehicles
- Vehicle registration in Germany: official figures, deadlines and key dates
- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Registration without a valid HU: what is possible when the inspection has expired
- Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany: what dealers need to know
- Registering an electric car in Germany: tax exemption and E plate
- Keeper's change of name: having the vehicle documents changed
- Documents for vehicle registration: printable checklist per case
- Reserving a number plate: term, fee and rules for personalised plates
- Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use and meeting deadlines
- Certificate of destruction (Verwertungsnachweis): scrapping and deregistering a car
- Green number plates: plates for tax-exempt vehicles in Germany
- Online registration rejected: common reasons and solutions
- Becoming a KBA large customer: requirements, details and duties
- HU intervals: when is the general inspection due for which vehicle?
- Vehicle tax at registration: SEPA mandate and tax arrears
- Temporary registration proof: content, validity and duties
- CoC (certificate of conformity): the proof at first registration
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Leasing companies
- Rental & car subscription
- Banks & insurers
- Manufacturers & importers
- Remarketing & resellers
- Pricing
Sources: Bundesministerium für Verkehr: Internetbasierte Fahrzeugzulassung – So funktioniert i-Kfz · Bundesministerium für Verkehr: Was ist neu mit i-Kfz Stufe 4? · Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt: Großkundenschnittstelle – Registrierung · Service Berlin: Erstzulassung eines Fahrzeugs (Neuzulassung) – Gebühren · Service Berlin: Außerbetriebsetzung – Gebühren