Buying a Car in Europe as an Australian: Complete 2026 Guide

1. Buying vs registering: two different problems

Most Australians who contact us have already solved the first problem. They found a car in Germany, Austria or Italy and the seller is willing to sell. The second problem is the one that stops the deal: once the vehicle is yours, it needs a registration, plates, insurance and a lawful administrative home. Those are decided by German registration law, not by the seller.

2. Why Germany is the relevant country

Germany combines three things an Australian buyer needs: the deepest European market for Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ferrari and collector vehicles; a central road position with Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and the Benelux within a day's drive; and a registration framework that also contemplates applicants without an ordinary German residence.

3. Registration without moving to Germany

The standard procedure assumes a German-resident keeper. German registration rules, however, also address applicants who have no residence, registered office or establishment in Germany. In those cases the competent registration office can be determined through an authorised German recipient (Empfangsbevollmächtigter) for official correspondence. Eligibility remains case dependent — see German registration without residency.

4. Using your own Australian address

In eligible cases the customer remains the registered keeper with their actual Australian address, and GermanCarRegistration acts only as the authorised German correspondence recipient. We do not buy the vehicle, do not become its owner and do not use a trust structure. Owner (Eigentümer) and keeper (Halter) are distinct legal roles.

5. Finding the car: mobile.de and AutoScout24

You choose the vehicle. The two dominant European listing platforms are mobile.de and AutoScout24; marque dealers and specialist collector-car traders make up the rest. We are not a dealership and receive no commission on your choice.

6. Dealer vs private seller

A dealer typically provides an invoice, clearer VAT treatment and some statutory warranty. A private sale is usually cheaper and usually sold as seen. From a registration point of view, what matters is the completeness of the paperwork you receive at handover.

7. The document check before you pay

• Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (Fahrzeugschein)
• Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (Fahrzeugbrief) — the ownership document
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC) where available
• Valid HU / TÜV report
• Service history and, for collector cars, provenance documentation
• A purchase contract naming you as the buyer

8. VIN and vehicle review

Send the VIN before you transfer money. It identifies the exact specification, the original market and the type approval situation, and it is the fastest way to spot a vehicle that will be difficult or expensive to register.

9. We can speak to the seller

On request we can contact the seller, ask for the missing documentation and coordinate the practical handover — useful when the timezone difference between Australia and Europe turns every question into a lost day.

10. Paying from Australia

International transfers to a German seller are routine, but exchange rate and transfer fees are real money on a six-figure car. Never pay a deposit before the documents are verified, and never use a payment method the seller proposes as a "safety" workaround.

11. German insurance and the eVB

A German-registered vehicle must be insured with an insurer licensed in Germany. The insurer issues an electronic confirmation number (eVB) which the registration office requires before plates are issued. An Australian policy does not satisfy this.

12. German vehicle tax

Kfz-Steuer is assessed on engine displacement and CO₂ emissions and is collected by direct debit. It is payable to the German authorities and is separate from our service fees.

13. TÜV and technical inspection

A valid periodic technical inspection (HU) can be necessary depending on the vehicle and the case. Where a standard inspection service is needed, it costs €200.

14. The CoC and type approval

A Certificate of Conformity confirms the car matches an existing European type approval. With a CoC the registration is documentation work. Without one, an individual technical approval route may be required, and the cost and timeline become vehicle specific.

15. EU-spec vs Australian-spec vehicles

Australian-delivered cars can differ from European-delivered cars in lighting, emissions documentation, instrumentation and equipment. Right-hand drive alone is not a general bar to German registration, but the specification has to be reviewed individually.

16. Importing a car from Australia

Possible, and occasionally the right answer for a car you are emotionally attached to. It adds sea freight, customs clearance, import VAT, specification review, possible modifications and possible individual approval.

17. Customs duty and import VAT

As a general reference for a standard passenger car entering Germany from outside the EU: 10% customs duty and 19% German import VAT. The exact treatment depends on the vehicle, its classification, the customs value and any applicable relief, and import VAT is calculated on the relevant customs/import taxable base rather than simply on the Australian purchase price. Check the current position with German Customs.

18. Modified vehicles

Aftermarket exhausts, suspension changes, non-standard wheels, ECU tunes, lighting and body modifications all affect approval and TÜV. Tell us before you buy or ship — a modified car is not automatically impossible, but it is never a formality.

19. Storage between trips

The car does not have to be sold or shipped home each time you leave. Indoor storage in an insured building in Germany costs nothing extra during the active registration procedure and €250 per month afterwards. See vehicle storage in Germany.

20. Transport and collection

If the vehicle is elsewhere in Germany or elsewhere in Europe, collection or transport can be arranged and is quoted individually. We do not publish flat transport prices.

21. Driving across Europe

A German-registered, German-insured car can generally be driven across Europe. Check your insurance cover area, and remember that German registration does not override another country's own registration, tax or permanent-use rules.

22. Your own stay: the 90/180 rule

Australian passport holders can normally visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. That limits your stay, not the car's — which is exactly why storage between trips is the usual arrangement.

23. A typical sequence

An Australian owner finds a Porsche listed in Germany, sends us the listing and VIN before paying, and we review the documentation and the likely registration route. The purchase is completed, insurance is arranged, the registration file is submitted, plates are issued and the car goes into indoor storage. On the next European trip the owner flies in, collects the car, drives for three weeks and returns it to storage before flying home.

24. What it costs

• €500 one-time setup
• €1,188 per year correspondence service (12 months upfront)
• €400 one-off foreign-paper processing where applicable
• €200 standard TÜV / inspection service where applicable
• No storage charge during the active registration procedure
• €250 per month storage afterwards
• Transport, insurance, German vehicle tax and customs: individually quoted

Full pricing FAQ · German car registration for Australians

25. Next step

Send the vehicle before you commit to it. A listing link, the VIN and your situation are enough for us to say whether German registration is realistic for your case.