Germany is developing a simplified mechanism for re-registration of cars from Ukraine: details
The German government is actively working to create a simplified procedure for re-registering vehicles that came from Ukraine. This initiative is intended to make life easier for Ukrainians who were forced to leave their country due to the war. Read more about the update
Germany has become one of the main countries that provided temporary shelter to Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland because of russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Ukrainians in Germany received not only temporary shelter but also social protection. However, in order to stay in Germany, it is necessary to comply with local legislation.
Recently, an online meeting was held between representatives of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine in Germany and relevant German ministries. The meeting discussed important issues, including the use of Ukrainian driving licenses and the registration of vehicles owned by Ukrainians, hsc.gov.ua reports.
Registration of vehicles of Ukrainians in Germany: new rules and simplified procedures
Main provisions of vehicle registration in Germany
According to German law, which is based on the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968, Ukrainian cars can stay in Germany with Ukrainian license plates for no more than one year. After this period, the vehicle must be registered with the competent German authority.
After the car is registered in Germany, the owner will receive new registration documents and license plates. The Ukrainian documents are returned to the owner with a note of invalidity. This will facilitate the process of re-registering the car in Ukraine when the owner decides to return to his or her homeland.
Starting from October 1, 2024, Ukrainians staying in Germany for more than a year will need to register their vehicles in accordance with the new requirements.
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Simplified registration procedure
Ukrainian vehicles may not meet all technical and environmental standards applicable in Germany. In this regard, the German side is introducing a simplified registration procedure.
Dr. Frank Albrecht, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport, said that exceptions are made for Ukrainians regarding old cars and the scope of environmental and safety standards is expanded.
In particular, the absence of environmental standards is accepted for Ukrainian cars, provided that their first registration in Ukraine took place no more than 15 years after the date of termination of the relevant standard in the EU. For example, the Euro 3 standard has not been recognized in the EU since 2006. If such a car is registered in Ukraine before 2021, it can be registered in Germany with an individual permit.
The German Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport is currently consulting with the federal states on the introduction of a simplified procedure for the registration of Ukrainian vehicles. After the final approval, detailed information will be published on the website of the competent German authority with explanations of the required documents and registration features.
It is emphasized that Ukrainians returning home will be able to restore their Ukrainian registration documents and license plates without paying any customs or tax fees.
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