What a car from the Netherlands costs to export and register in Germany

The full tariff list is shown below. In short:

• export document from €50: export certificate (kentekenbewijs deel II), vrijwaringsbewijs and RDW processing;
• export insurance with white plates from €100: 14 days of third-party cover with a Green Card, without the export document;
• complete export package from €150: everything above together;
• extension from €120 per 14 days, after approval by the insurer: see extending export insurance;
• BPM refund service €149, a fixed fee, export document not included;
• CoC assistance on request.

These are starting prices including VAT where applicable, always confirmed in advance. They can be higher outside office hours, for delivery by post and for heavy or unusual vehicles. On Sunday we open by appointment at a higher rate, so call or send a WhatsApp message first. You pay in cash or by bank transfer.

Documents and plates are sent insured and with tracking. The export document by post costs €120 with a standard insured DHL shipment (about 5 working days) and €150 with DHL Express (about 1 working day); the rate is the same for the Netherlands and Germany. Export insurance and plates by post cost €150 on top of the document service, and the complete package by post costs about €270 to €300. Is the car already in Germany? The export by post is possible then too: contact us first, and we confirm the price in advance.

These costs are not ours, and we do not collect, calculate or pay them:

• Zulassung: the federal basic fee is €30 (GebOSt no. 221.1). The total at the counter varies by Zulassungsstelle (vehicle registration office) and can be higher.
• Kfz-Steuer: the annual vehicle tax, set by the Zoll (German customs) after the Zulassung (see below).
• HU: only if a new roadworthiness test is needed.
• CoC or Datenbestätigung: only if it is missing; our CoC assistance is on request.
• Number plates: you have German plates made, and the Zulassungsstelle stamps them.
• German insurance: the Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung with the eVB.
• VAT: 19 per cent; a private buyer only pays it on a new vehicle.

We give no amounts for the HU, CoC, plates or German insurance, as official sources do not set them. Our guide on how to register a car in Germany explains the steps.

The Kfz-Steuer is an annual tax, as a rule paid a year in advance by SEPA direct debit. For a passenger car it depends on engine size, fuel, CO2 emissions and the date of first registration. The Zoll sets the amount after the Zulassung and usually sends the assessment about two weeks later. Which rate or exemption applies to a car that was first registered in the Netherlands is not something we can state, so we give no figures or examples.

A vehicle counts as new if it has travelled no more than 6,000 km, or if its first use was no more than six months before the purchase. In that case German VAT of 19 per cent is due, also for private buyers. The buyer files a separate return with the Finanzamt (tax office) and pays the tax no later than the tenth day after the day of purchase. A private buyer of a used car outside these limits does not pay this German VAT. The BPM refund in the Netherlands is a separate matter: see the BPM refund on export.