The Process
How German car registration actually works.
Complete transparency, no black-box "handling fee". Below is exactly what happens between the moment you send us your first WhatsApp and the moment you drive away with German plates — including the legal framework we operate under.
You send your case
A short WhatsApp message with your country of residence, the vehicle you want to register and how you plan to use it. Within one business day we confirm — in writing — whether the keeper model, the personal model, or neither is right for your specific situation. If we can't help legally, we tell you upfront.
Documents & insurance quote
We send a plain-English checklist: passport copy, signed Kaufvertrag, the vehicle's Certificate of Conformity (COC) for new cars or existing Fahrzeugbrief for used cars, and a filled-in SEPA mandate for KFZ-Steuer. In parallel we bind an insurance quote with AXA or Zurich and issue your eVB number — you see the raw insurer rate with zero markup.
Filing at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle
Our Brandenburg team files the Zulassungsantrag at the local Kfz-Zulassungsstelle under §6 FZV. In the keeper model, the UG appears as Halter on the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and Teil II; in the personal model, you appear as Halter directly, through apostilled ID, a notarised power of attorney and our written service framework.
Vehicle tax & TÜV
We register your KFZ-Steuer with the Hauptzollamt via your SEPA mandate — the tax is passed through at the rate the customs office charges us, cent for cent. If TÜV / HU is due (new cars: after 3 years; used: every 2 years), we schedule the inspection with a partner Prüfstelle and forward the report to you.
Plates shipped, you drive
Sealed German license plates and the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I are couriered — to you, to your dealer, or direct to the delivery point (BMW Welt, Werks1, factory collection). From that moment the car is fully street-legal across all 27 EU states plus Switzerland, UK and Norway. No 30-day export limit, no annual re-registration.
The legal framework in one paragraph
German vehicle law separates the Halter (registered keeper — the party the Zulassungsstelle records) from the Eigentümer (legal owner — established by the Kaufvertrag). The Halter must have a German address; the Eigentümer can be anywhere. This is the same structure used by leasing companies, corporate fleets and dealer courtesy vehicles every day. Codified in the Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV). We are the Halter in the paperwork; you are the Eigentümer via your purchase contract. Read more on our car registration service page or the German version at Kfz-Zulassung ohne Wohnsitz.
GermanCarRegistration is a service provider, not a law firm. Your specific residency, tax and insurance situation determines what is possible for you — we always confirm in writing before starting a file.