Ukrainians who arrive in Germany by their own car can use it freely on the country's roads for a limited period. After that, the vehicle must be registered. Find out more about how to re-register a Ukrainian car in Germany and what you need to do

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Ukrainians have the right to drive a car with Ukrainian licence plates in Germany for one year after first arriving in the country. After this period, the vehicle must be re-registered. However, the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport and the federal states have recently agreed to extend the period of stay of cars with Ukrainian licence plates in Germany without re-registration. We will tell you how long Ukrainians still need to register their cars in Germany, how much the procedure costs and where to go in this article.

Car with Ukrainian registration in Germany: what do you need to know?

The German authorities have recently extended the period of legal stay of Ukrainian cars in the country until 31 September 2024. However, after this period expires, all Ukrainian vehicles in Germany will be subject to the general registration rules set out in the Vehicle Registration Ordinance.

This means that in order to be legally used on German roads, a Ukrainian car must be re-registered in Germany. After customs clearance, you will be able to obtain German number plates and a registration certificate.

Keep in mind that ignoring the re-registration of a car is considered an offence and entails the payment of appropriate fines.

Registration of Ukrainian cars in Germany: step-by-step instructions

Technical inspection in Germany

First of all, you need to contact TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ or KÜS to have your vehicle inspected. Keep in mind that if you have a European Union type-approval certificate (Konformitätsbescheinigung), you only need a general technical inspection. However, in the absence of this document, it is necessary to make an appointment for a special inspection of the technical condition of the vehicle (Vollgutachten technischem Datenblatt gem). The cost of the inspection is the same - about 259 euros.

For the technical inspection, the driver must provide one of the following documents:

- Certificate of Conformity, Konformitätsbescheinigung - a certificate of compliance with EU standards;
- Datenbestätigung des Herstellers or Datenblatt - a certificate from the manufacturer of compliance with standards. You can obtain this certificate on the TÜV SÜD website by filling out the form. The cost of the document is about 270 euros.

Compulsory carinsurance in Germany

To re-register a Ukrainian car in Germany, you need to take out compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (KFZ-Haftpflichtversicherung).

The insurance contract can be concluded online - on the websites of insurance companies, and offline - in the respective offices.

Important! Before concluding a contract, it is recommended to compare prices from different companies to find the best deal.

Compulsory motor insurance in Germany covers the repair or replacement of property damaged in an accident, medical expenses in case of injury, etc.

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Certificate of car registration in Germany

In order to successfully complete the re-registration procedure, you need to apply to the vehicle registration centre (KFZ-Zulassungsstelle) to obtain a German licence plate and the relevant certificate. The cost of the service is about 110 euros.

The following documents are required for this purpose:

- an application form (a sample will be provided to you when you contact the authority);

- an identity document;
- proof of car insurance (KFZ-Haftpflichtversicherung);
- Ukrainian technical passport (Hauptuntersuchung);
- a certificate of successful technical inspection.

When registering a car, you must provide your German bank account number. This information will be transferred to the customs office, which will automatically debit the annual amount of transport tax from the account.

Please note:

- the vehicle tax will be debited annually from the specified account;
- in case of closing or opening a new account, you must immediately notify the customs office;
- failure to update the information on bank details in a timely manner may result in a delay in debiting funds and accumulation of penalties.

Green Card for travelling abroad

Please note that in order to travel from Ukraine abroad and to legally move around Europe, you need to take out a Green Card insurance policy.

The policy is valid on the territory of the member states of the Green Card system, namely, in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Spain, Malta, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Norway, Norway, Norway, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary, France, Finland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Turkey.

If you have a Green Card, if you get into an accident abroad, you can expect to receive compensation from an insurance agent.

It is better to buy insurance online, as it is quick and easy. On the Visit Ukraine portal, you can take out a Green Card policy from a licensed insurer. Packages are available for different periods from 15 days to 1 year for cars and trucks, trailers and semi-trailers for trucks, as well as motorcycles and scooters.

Just a reminder. Ukrainians who currently reside in Germany and want to obtain a driving licence should find out everything about this procedure in advance. You can find out how to get a driving licence in Germany and how much it costs here.

Photo: Freepik

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