How to Register a Car in Germany as a US Citizen | 2026 Guide
Can a US citizen register a car in Germany without German residency? Learn about German plates, insurance, documents, US imports and vehicle registration.
13 min·
Insights & Guides
German Car Registration Blog & Guides
Real-world guides from the team that registers the cars — 23 published articles on registration, storage, tax and cross-border use.
Register a German-Bought Car in France, Italy, Spain or NL (2026)
Bought a car in Germany? Compare re-registering at home (quitus fiscal, IVA, RDW, malus) against keeping German plates — documents, timelines and costs for both routes.
10 min· ·
Storing a Car in Germany as a Non-Resident (2026 Guide)
Long-term car storage in Germany without residency: deregistered vs season plate vs fully registered, what each costs over 12 months, and the re-registration trap that catches non-residents.
11 min·
Why €50 Car Storage Costs More Than €290 Storage
Budget car storage in Germany looks five times cheaper. Priced against what eight months of standing actually breaks — battery, tyres, brakes, inspection — the gap closes, then reverses. The full arithmetic.
11 min·
What Actually Happens to a Car That Sits for Six Months
A month-by-month account of what standing does to a car: fuel ageing, battery sulfation, brake corrosion, flat spots, drying seals. What a proper movement drive prevents — and why idling it monthly does not.
11 min·
The Summer Car Problem: Where Do You Keep It for the Other Nine Months?
A summer car is driven three weeks and stored forty-nine. How to choose the storage window, prepare the car properly, and why a non-resident should pick their season by flight schedule, not by weather.
10 min·
Car Registration in Europe Made Easy for Foreigners
How foreigners register a car in Europe without local residency: why standard EU registration blocks you, how the German route under §75 FZV works, what it costs and how long it takes.
6 min·
Schengen 90/180 Rule and Owning a Car in Europe (2026)
You can own a car in Europe indefinitely — but you can only be there 90 days in 180. Here is how non-EU owners actually run a European car around the visa limit.
11 min·
Andorra MT Plates vs German Registration (2026 Comparison)
MT tourist plates or German plates as a non-resident? A side-by-side comparison of cost, legality, EU access, insurance and resale — with the risks nobody mentions.
12 min·
Does Owning a Car in Germany Make You a Tax Resident? (2026)
Registering a car in Germany does not create German tax residency. Here is what actually triggers it, what the Zulassungsstelle reports, and how to keep the two separate.
10 min·
Can You Register a Car in Germany Without a German Address? The 2026 Guide for Non-Residents
German car registration without residency explained for 2026: §75 FZV, the Empfangsbevollmächtigter, required documents, EU vs non-EU imports and cross-border use.
12 min·
Buying a Motorcycle in Germany as a Foreigner (2026 Guide)
Ténéré 700, BMW GS, KTM Adventure — how non-residents buy, register, insure and export a motorcycle in Germany, and ride Europe legally.
8 min·