How to Register a Car in Germany: Documents, Steps, and Costs

If you bought a car in Germany, you need to insure it, register it at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle, and put it on record for motor vehicle tax. Without registration, the car does not receive valid license plates and cannot legally take part in road traffic.

The process usually comes down to five steps: check the inspection status, book the authority or use the online procedure, get an eVB number from your insurer, prepare your license plates, and submit your documents. You need an address in Germany for registration; a driver’s license is usually not required for the registration itself.

If you are moving from another EU country and bringing your car with you, the rule depends on the length of your stay and the status of the vehicle. If you move for more than six months, you usually need to register the car in Germany; for current details, it is best to check EU rules and your local Zulassungsstelle.

In short: what you need to register a car

Step	What to do	What you get
1	Check the valid Hauptuntersuchung inspection	HU report or confirmation of a valid inspection
2	Book an appointment at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle or check i-Kfz	An appointment or access to the online application
3	Arrange mandatory insurance	eVB number
4	Prepare license plates	Two plates, optionally with a reserved combination
5	Submit documents and pay the fees	Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I, stickers, and seals on the plates

Step 1. Check the HU inspection

For a used car, you need a valid general inspection, the Hauptuntersuchung, often simply called TÜV in everyday speech. The inspection is not carried out only by TÜV organizations, but also by DEKRA, KÜS, GTÜ, and other recognized inspection bodies.

If you buy a used car with a valid HU, you usually do not need to pass a new inspection just for registration. The important thing is that the seller gives you proof of the latest inspection along with the rest of the vehicle documents.

For normal passenger cars, the basic logic is:

a new car has its first HU 36 months after first registration;
after that, the inspection is usually repeated every 24 months;
for taxis, commercial vehicles, heavy vehicles, and some special categories, the rules may differ.

The cost of the HU depends on the region, the inspection organization, the type of vehicle, and whether an emissions check is included. That is why it is better to rely on the current price list of the inspection provider you choose rather than on outdated fixed sums.

Step 2. Book the Zulassungsstelle or check i-Kfz

Standard registration is handled by the local registration authority: the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle or Zulassungsbehörde. It is best to look for an appointment on the city or district website using terms such as:

Neuzulassung or Zulassung eines fabrikneuen Fahrzeugs for a new car;
Umschreibung eines Fahrzeugs mit Halterwechsel for a used car with a new owner;
Wiederzulassung for re-registration.

In many cities, open appointments disappear quickly, so it is worth checking as soon as you buy the car and receive the insurance eVB number. In larger cities, the process and the document list may vary slightly, so use the page of your own Zulassungsstelle as the reference.

Can you register a car online?

Germany offers online vehicle registration through i-Kfz. It can be used for certain operations online: registration, deregistration, re-registration, transfer with or without a change of owner, and some types of special plates.

But i-Kfz is not available in every situation. You usually need:

a German Personalausweis, eID card, or electronic residence permit eAT with an activated eID function and PIN;
the AusweisApp or a suitable card reader;
an IBAN for payment;
an eVB from your insurer;
a valid HU, if required;
vehicle documents with security codes: for some procedures, the issue date of Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I after 01.01.2015 matters, and for others, Teil II after 01.01.2018;
a printer for the temporary registration confirmation, if the procedure requires one.

Whether i-Kfz is available depends on the federal state and the specific local administration. If the online portal of your Zulassungsstelle does not support the operation you need, you will have to go in person.

Step 3. Arrange insurance and get the eVB

For registration, you need at least mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance, the Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung. Without it, the Zulassungsstelle will not register the car.

After you take out the policy, the insurer issues an electronic insurance number, the eVB-Nummer. This is not a paper policy but a code that allows the authority to see that the car has the required insurance. You can also choose partial comprehensive cover, Teilkasko, or full comprehensive cover, Vollkasko, but for registration the mandatory liability insurance is enough.

When choosing insurance, check:

the start date of the policy;
whether the owner’s and the vehicle’s details are correct;
coverage for young drivers or additional drivers;
the deductible, if you choose comprehensive cover;
the cancellation rules, if the car is bought from a dealer and the insurance is arranged in advance.

Step 4. Prepare your license plates

In Germany, a car normally needs two license plates: one in front and one in the back. The combination starts with the code for the city or district of registration, for example B for Berlin, M for Munich, HH for Hamburg, F for Frankfurt, D for Düsseldorf, or S for Stuttgart.

You can try to reserve the combination you want through the website of your Zulassungsstelle. After the city code, you usually choose one or two letters and a few digits, as long as the combination is available and not prohibited by local rules.

You can order the plates in advance online or buy them near the registration office. Ordering online is often cheaper, but it is important not to order plates until you are sure which combination is available and what your registration requires.

Step 5. Submit your documents to the registration authority

At the appointment, the clerk checks the documents, takes payment, enters the data into the system, and issues the registration papers. After that, the plates receive the city seals and the inspection sticker, the TUV-Plakette.

Which documents are usually required

The exact list depends on the city, the type of vehicle, and the situation, but for standard registration you will most often prepare:

passport, German ID, or residence permit;
proof of address registration, the Meldebescheinigung, if the authority requires it;
the electronic insurance number, the eVB;
Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II, formerly the Fahrzeugbrief;
for a used car: Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I, formerly the Fahrzeugschein, or a deregistration document;
proof of a valid HU;
for a new car: the certificate of conformity, the COC-Papiere;
IBAN and a SEPA mandate for collecting the Kfz-Steuer;
license plates, if they have already been made;
a power of attorney, if someone else is registering the car.

For an imported car, the list is longer: you may need foreign documents, proof of ownership, a COC, customs or tax documents, and translations. In such cases, it is best to check with your local authority in advance.

How much car registration costs

The costs are made up of several parts, and there is no single amount for all of Germany. In 2026, it makes more sense to plan your budget based on the current rates of your Zulassungsstelle, the cost of plates, and the price of insurance than on someone else’s receipt from previous years.

Cost	What affects the amount
Administrative registration fee	city, type of operation, in-person or online procedure
Reservation of a preferred plate number	local rates and reservation period
Production of license plates	online order or shop near the authority
Umweltplakette	whether you need the environmental sticker and where you get it
HU	vehicle type, region, provider, and scope of the inspection
Insurance	driving history, no-claims class, car, coverage, and deductible
Kfz-Steuer	engine size, CO2 emissions, fuel type, and first registration date

For the registration itself, excluding insurance and tax, the cost is usually in the tens of euros, but the total rises noticeably because of the plates, HU, and the insurance contract. The car tax is calculated separately and collected by customs through the SEPA mandate.

Common mistakes when registering a car

Booking the wrong service, for example choosing Neuzulassung instead of Umschreibung.
Arriving without an eVB or with an eVB that is not yet active.
Ordering plates before the desired combination has been confirmed.
Forgetting Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II or the COC for a new car.
Not checking the HU validity of a used car.
Assuming you can pay by credit card: many authorities accept girocard or cash, but payment methods vary by location.
Not checking the rules for powers of attorney if the car is registered by someone other than the owner.

Summary

Registering a car in Germany looks bureaucratic, but it becomes manageable if you follow the sequence: HU, appointment or i-Kfz, eVB, plates, documents, and payment. The most common delays come not from the procedure itself, but from a missing document, the wrong appointment type, or unsuitable plates.

After registration, you receive your papers, the seals on the license plates, and the right to legally drive on the road, including on the German Autobahn.