Importing a Car from Germany

Germany is the automotive country of Europe, leading to many cars being imported from Germany to England. Do you also want to import a car from Germany but are unsure about what to pay attention to? On this page, you will find the different steps for importing a car from Germany. We are happy to take care of the car transport for you, ensuring your new car is delivered safely, quickly, and efficiently.

Step 1

Finding a Car in Germany

You can visit a dealership in Germany to pick out your new car or browse various brands and models on the internet. Websites like mobile.de or autoscout24.de have a wide selection of cars. Generally, official dealers are more reliable than independent traders.

Before searching for a car in Germany, decide on:

your budget;
your requirements;
your preferences.

Consider factors such as fuel type, transmission, and body type. Also, look at the year of manufacture, mileage, and warranty to see if they match the car’s price.

Step 2

Test Drive or Independent Inspection

Have you found the car you want to import from Germany? Then, you can choose to view the car and take it for a test drive. If this is not possible, for example, because the destination is too far away, you can also have an independent inspection carried out. This ensures that you won’t face any unexpected surprises when importing your car from Germany.

Step 3

Calculating Costs

Importing a car from Germany also involves certain costs. For example, you will pay a vehicle excise duty. This is a one-time tax when you import a passenger vehicle or motor vehicle. You can use websites like Autotelex to make a free estimate of how much vehicle excise duty you need to pay.

Besides vehicle excise duty, there are other costs involved in importing a car from Germany. Think about costs for car transport, the DVLA inspection, and purchasing license plates.

Step 4

Purchasing the Car and Checking Documents

Have a sales agreement drawn up by the seller. This agreement should contain information about the buyer, the seller, and the car, along with other terms and conditions such as the warranty.

Before transferring the money, it’s important to check if all necessary documents are present and in order. The German vehicle registration document is one of the most important documents. It consists of two parts, both of which are green. Officially, this is called ‘Zulassungsbescheinigung’.

Part 1 is the ‘Fahrzeugschein’, which includes details about the vehicle, such as the chassis number, brand, type, and weight. Part 2, the ‘Fahrzeugbrief’, includes information such as the registration.

Also check if the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is present. This contains all relevant vehicle data and the data of the European approval. In Germany, this CoC document is also known as COC (Certificate of conformity) or EWG-Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung.

If the car has recently been inspected, try to get the documents of the inspection as well.

Step 5

Importing the Car from Germany to England

Checked everything off the list? Then it’s time to transport your car from Germany to England. We would be happy to assist you! We transport your car safely, quickly, and efficiently from A to B. Want to know the costs and conditions for your car transport from Germany to England? Make a request and receive an offer for your car transport directly or within three office hours at the latest.

Step 6

Arranging Vehicle Registration and Car Insurance

Before you can drive your new car, you need to arrange for a British registration certificate. This can be done at the DVLA Inspection Station. If you’re driving there, you can apply for a one-day registration via the DVLA’s website. At the DVLA, you fill in a form, and then you receive your registration certificate within one to two weeks. Don’t forget to take out car insurance so you can then drive your new car!

Submit your request right away

On business days, within 3 hours, a non-binding suitable offer