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How to Register an Imported Car in Germany: Zulassungsstelle, COC & Fees (2026 Guide)
Germany’s registration system is famously thorough and, once you have the right papers, famously cheap: the Zulassungsstelle (local registration office) charges around €30 for the act itself, plates cost about €46, and the i-Kfz online portal now handles standard registrations for €27.90 without leaving home. The catch is the phrase the right papers. German offices don’t improvise, and for an imported vehicle the file stands on three legs: a valid roadworthiness test (HU), an insurance confirmation number (eVB), and proof of EU conformity — which means the COC (Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung) or, without it, an individual approval under §21 StVZO that costs multiples of the certificate and adds weeks.
Here’s the complete process for a car brought into Germany: documents, steps, real costs, and where files derail.
Who registers your car: the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle
Registration is handled by the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle of your district (Landkreis or city). You book an appointment — in the big cities, book early — bring the file, and leave with plates the same day if everything checks out. Standard cases can increasingly run through i-Kfz, the national online portal, at the reduced €27.90 fee.
For imported vehicles, the office verifies EU type approval before anything else. Germany runs the EU’s central type-approval authority (the KBA), and the local office’s job is matching your specific car to an approved type. The document built for exactly that is the COC. Without it, the road forks to §21 StVZO: a full individual technical assessment (Vollgutachten) at a testing organisation, typically €100–300+ depending on the case, plus the appointment lead times — for an outcome the certificate would have settled on paper.
One honest German nuance: acceptance of a printed PDF COC varies by office. Many Zulassungsstellen accept it without comment; some insist on the paper original. If you want certainty, bring the original; if you want to try the PDF route, one phone call to your local office settles it — the German answer is always whatever your local office says it is.
The documents: what goes in the file
| Document | Where it comes from | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign registration certificate — both parts where issued | Comes with the car | Plus deregistration proof where the origin country issues it |
| Purchase contract or invoice | Seller | — |
| COC (Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung) | Manufacturer or authorised provider | Proof of EU type approval; the alternative is §21 individual approval |
| HU report (Hauptuntersuchung) | German testing organisation — TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ or KÜS | A valid foreign test does not substitute; used imports need a German HU |
| eVB number | Any German insurer | 7-character electronic insurance confirmation, issued in minutes |
| ID + registration of address (Anmeldung) | — | Proof you’re resident in the district |
| SEPA mandate for vehicle tax | — | The Kfz-Steuer is collected automatically |
Field K of the foreign registration certificate tells you in advance which road you’re on: an EU type-approval number starting with a lowercase “e” means the car is EU-approved and a COC exists for it — orderable with just the 17-character VIN.
The process step by step: fees and timeline
Step 1 — eVB number. Request it from any German insurer, online, free, instant. It proves liability cover from the moment of registration.
Step 2 — HU. Book the Hauptuntersuchung at any authorised testing organisation (TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ, KÜS — around €100–150 for a passenger car). The car needs to pass before the office will register it.
Step 3 — The Zulassungsstelle appointment. Bring the full file. Fees: roughly €30 registration + ~€46 for a pair of plates (plus €12.80 if you want a Wunschkennzeichen — a chosen combination). If the file is complete, you leave with sealed plates the same day.
Step 4 — automatic aftermath. The vehicle tax runs via your SEPA mandate; the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (ownership document) arrives if it wasn’t issued on the spot.
The fees, itemised:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration (counter / i-Kfz online) | ~€30 / €27.90 |
| Plates (pair) | ~€46 |
| Wunschkennzeichen (optional) | €12.80 |
| HU (used imports) | ~€100–150 |
| §21 StVZO individual approval (no COC) | €100–300+, plus extra appointments and weeks |
Total for a COC-equipped import: roughly €180–230 including the HU. Without a COC, budget double or more, and — the greater cost — the §21 queue. Timeline: with a complete file, registration is a same-day event; the realistic schedule is set by the HU and Zulassungsstelle appointment lead times, typically one to three weeks combined.
Why files get rejected: the German classics
- No proof of EU conformity. No COC, no §21 report → no registration. The office won’t infer approval from a foreign document that doesn’t state it. The certificate itself costs from about €115 (excl. VAT) — far less than a §21 Vollgutachten. Here’s what actually happens when you try.
- Missing Teil II equivalent — the ownership part of the foreign papers. The seller has it; get it before paying.
- Foreign inspection assumed valid. The HU must be German for a used import — plan the test before the registration appointment, not after.
- No local Anmeldung. You register the car where you’re registered as a resident — new arrivals must do the address registration first.
- Data mismatches between contract, foreign papers and COC — German offices reconcile every field, and one inconsistent digit suspends the file.
Neighbouring Poland runs on the same fundamentals with a harder deadline — see our Polish guide, where late registration draws automatic fines. Westwards, Belgium’s insurer-filed registration takes a week or two, the Dutch RDW route is the fastest in this series, and Portugal’s legalisation process adds a customs declaration and the ISV tax on top.
FAQ: registering an imported car in Germany
Is the COC mandatory to register an imported car in Germany?
For a car with EU type approval, it’s the standard proof the Zulassungsstelle expects — the alternative §21 StVZO individual approval exists precisely for vehicles that can’t produce one, and it costs several times more. For newer cars, treat the COC as the default requirement.
Does the Zulassungsstelle accept a PDF COC?
It depends on the office — genuinely. Many accept a printed digital COC; some require the paper original. The safe play is the original; the quick check is one call to your local office. (From 29 November 2026, the EU’s e-CoC system makes electronic the standard for newly manufactured vehicles.)
How long does registration take?
The appointment itself: under an hour, plates in hand. The real timeline is the HU slot and the office appointment — one to three weeks in most districts. §21 cases add weeks on top.
How much does it cost?
~€180–230 all-in with a COC (registration, plates, HU). Without one: add €100–300+ for the §21 assessment — more than the certificate costs, for the privilege of waiting longer.
Can I drive the car before registration?
Not on expired foreign plates. The German bridges are short-term plates (Kurzzeitkennzeichen, ~5 days, for test drives and the trip to the HU) or export plates — both from the Zulassungsstelle with the eVB and ID.
What about US or Japanese imports?
No EU type approval means no COC exists — §21 StVZO with a full technical report is the only road, and modifications (lights, indicators) are commonly required before it passes. Budget accordingly before buying.
German offices reward preparation like nowhere else — a complete file means plates the same day. Enter your VIN in our free eligibility check: thirty seconds tells you whether a COC exists for your exact car, and you can walk into the Zulassungsstelle with the one document that closes every conformity question.