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Einfach Germany
Cars & Driving · Ownership

Registering a vehicle

What the Zulassungsstelle needs, in what order, and why insurance and a direct debit mandate have to be arranged before you turn up rather than after.

Reviewed · Last updated August 2026

8 min read

Einfach Germany editorial team

Quick answer

Registration happens at the Zulassungsstelle for your registered address. You need both registration documents, a valid HU certificate, photo ID, your address registration certificate, an eVB insurance number and a SEPA mandate for vehicle tax. Plates are made at a shop nearby and sealed at the office. Many offices require an appointment, and waiting times can run to weeks.

Important

Vehicle rules, taxes and licence conversion requirements depend on your federal state, your nationality and the vehicle itself. Confirm the details with your local registration office (Zulassungsstelle) or driving licence authority before relying on them.

1. What to bring

The registration office will not improvise. If one item is missing you will be sent away and, given appointment waiting times, that can cost weeks. Assemble everything before booking.

  • Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and Teil II, the Fahrzeugschein and Fahrzeugbrief
  • A valid HU certificate showing the roadworthiness inspection is current
  • Your passport or identity card
  • Your address registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
  • An eVB number from your insurer
  • A completed SEPA direct debit mandate for vehicle tax
  • The purchase contract, for a change of keeper
  • Old plates, where the vehicle is already registered
  • A power of attorney, if someone is registering on your behalf

The two items people forget

The eVB insurance number and the SEPA mandate. Neither can be sorted out at the counter, and without either the registration cannot proceed.

2. The process

Registration is one appointment plus a trip to a plate shop, and the plate shops are always immediately next to the registration office for exactly that reason.

The German words you will see

Zulassungsstelle
The vehicle registration office, part of your district or city administration.
Ummeldung
Re-registration: updating the registration after you move, or transferring a vehicle to a new keeper.
Abmeldung
Deregistration: taking a vehicle off the road, which also stops the vehicle tax.
i-Kfz
The online vehicle registration service, which now covers many procedures without an appointment.

  1. Get an eVB number

    From the insurer you have chosen. Compare cover before committing: the excess and the classification matter more than the headline premium.

  2. Book an appointment

    Most offices require one and waiting times of several weeks are common in cities. Some smaller offices still take walk-ins.

    Owning a vehicle — official services (opens in a new tab)

  3. Choose your registration number

    You can reserve a specific combination online in advance for a small fee. The area prefix is determined by where you are registered.

  4. Have the plates made

    At a shop beside the office, once you know the number. They are cheap, and you pay per plate.

  5. Complete the registration and get the seals

    The office applies the registration seals to the plates. Without the seal, plates are not valid.

  6. Wait for the tax assessment

    Customs issues the vehicle tax assessment and collects by direct debit. Check the figure against the official calculator.

    Official vehicle tax calculator (opens in a new tab)

3. Doing it online

Germany has progressively extended online vehicle registration, known as i-Kfz. It now covers a good range of procedures including deregistration, re-registration and in many cases new registration.

It requires the online identification function of your ID card or residence permit, with a PIN, plus the concealed security codes on the registration documents and plate seals. Those codes are under a scratch-off layer, and scratching them off means the document can no longer be used for a counter appointment, so read the instructions before you scratch.

Good to know

If you have the online ID function active, deregistering a vehicle online takes minutes rather than an appointment. It is much the easiest of these procedures to do digitally.

4. Moving house, and selling

Moving to a different district means re-registering the vehicle. You may usually keep your existing registration number, which was not always the case, but the registration record still has to be updated.

When you sell, the crucial step is making sure the vehicle is properly transferred or deregistered. Until that happens you remain the registered keeper, which means you remain liable for the vehicle tax and receive any penalty notices for offences committed by the new driver.

  • Re-register after moving district; you can normally keep the same number
  • Selling: either the buyer re-registers, or you deregister before handover
  • Notify your insurer either way
  • Send the registration confirmation to your insurer to close the policy correctly
  • Keep a copy of the purchase contract with the buyer’s details and the handover date
  • Vehicle tax stops from deregistration or transfer, not from the date you handed over the keys

Do not hand over a car without settling the registration

If the buyer never re-registers, you stay the registered keeper: liable for the tax, and the recipient of any fines. Either deregister before handover, or go to the office together, or get written proof of re-registration.

5. Frequently asked questions

Both registration documents, a valid HU certificate, photo ID, your address registration certificate, an eVB insurance number and a SEPA direct debit mandate for vehicle tax. The eVB and the mandate are the two people most often forget, and neither can be arranged at the counter.

No. The eVB number confirming cover is a precondition, and the office will turn you away without it. Insurers issue it quickly, often within minutes online.

Usually yes, and waiting times of several weeks are common in cities. Some smaller offices take walk-ins, and many procedures can now be done online through i-Kfz.

Generally yes, you can keep your existing registration number when moving to another district, though you still have to update the registration record.

By direct debit only. A SEPA mandate is required at registration, and there is no option to pay by bank transfer. Customs administers the tax and issues the assessment.

You remain the registered keeper, liable for the vehicle tax and the recipient of any penalty notices. Either deregister before handover, go to the office together, or obtain written proof of re-registration.

Many procedures, including deregistration and re-registration and often new registration, are available through i-Kfz. It requires the online ID function with a PIN and the concealed codes on your documents and plate seals.

Official information

Rules and amounts change. Always verify current requirements using official sources.

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Amounts and legal requirements can change. We verify this information against official sources and show when each figure was last checked, but always confirm important requirements with the responsible authority before you apply.

Einfach Germany is an independent information platform and is not affiliated with the German government.