CAR REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS AND FORMALITIES

​In the following article, we are talking about the rules for your car registration.

---

As a general rule, in the EU, you must register your car in the country where you have your usual residence.
There is no EU broad law on vehicle registration. The following information reflects the practices in many EU countries.
You can check the rules which apply in your country and the country you are moving to. To register your car, you will have to submit some documents.
 

• Roadworthiness certificate and proof of roadworthiness
• Registration certificate
• Proof of ownership
• Proof of value-added tax (VAT) payment
• Proof of insurance cover
• Certificate of conformity for new cars

 
ROADWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND PROOF OF IT
As a car owner, you are responsible for keeping your car in a roadworthy condition and presenting it for roadworthiness testing four years after the first time it has been registered and every two years after that.
If you move to another EU country and want to re-register your car there, you will have to provide proof to the authorities that your vehicle has passed a roadworthiness test in your former country of residence.
The proof of roadworthiness should be displayed visibly in your car and include the test results, the vehicle's identity, and the next test date. The validity of the roadworthiness certificate should be recognised even if the ownership of the car changes.
REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE
When you register your car in the EU, the authorities will issue you a registration certificate. The registration certificate will have one or two parts. This varies according to national rules in your country. Your car registration certificate must be recognised by other EU countries when you travel or move to another EU country. If you need to re-register your car in another EU country, you will have to submit the original car registration certificate to the registration authorities in your new country. If your certificate consists of two parts, you must submit both details.
Some EU countries may require additional documents before re-registering your car, so you should check the exact requirements in your new country.
You should have your car registration certificate when travelling by car or when moving abroad. Part I is sufficient if the document has two parts.
PROOF OF OWNERSHIP
You may be asked to prove that you are the vehicle's legal owner. Invoices used as proof of purchase should clearly state the VAT number of the car dealer.
PROOF OF VALUE-ADDED TAX (VAT) PAYMENT
National authorities can check whether VAT has been correctly paid when you register your vehicle. VAT rules vary depending on whether your car is new or used and whether you buy it from a professional dealer or a private individual.
For VAT purposes, a new car has done no more than 6 000 km OR has been in use for six months. Check where you have to pay VAT for a vehicle bought in another EU country.
PROOF OF INSURANCE COVER 
When you register your car, you will have to present proof that you have insurance cover. The authorities should accept insurance cover from any insurance company:
 

• based in the country you live or which has a branch office, there
• without an office in your country but authorised to provide services there.

 
CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY FOR NEW CARS
The certificate of conformity is issued by the manufacturer and shows that the technical characteristics of the vehicle meet safety and environmental standards. It can be either a European (EC) or a national certificate.
EC certificate of conformity
The EC certificate of conformity is valid in all EU countries. Suppose your car has a valid EC certificate. In that case, national authorities cannot request any additional technical documentation. Unless your vehicle has been modified since leaving the factory, they can require it to undergo a new approval.

Do you nees assistance to translate your docuemts? See my website I can help you!
​  Translations