Your Guide to Getting Your Vehicle on the Road in Germany
The third item on my bucket list once I landed in Germany, immediately after finding a food source and securing shelter, was getting the means to take advantage of the autobahn to its full potential.
Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, because one would wish a Ferrari to accomplish that. I don’t think any writer here has anything beyond a Porsche Turbo. A good clarification of that statement would be: I intended to seek out something that moved me from A to B with four wheels, would accelerate with fuel within the tank and resembled a car to a sufficient degree as to not attract the eye of the Polizei.
In Australia, that might mean finding out the classifieds, buying the car, registering it at VicRoads and turning the switch . Well, that and not drag racing within the town limits. it had been with these presumptions that I entered into this venture. Unfortunately, the result was half-baked: A car that gathered dust for months while I floundered with the German regulations. So, within the spirit of community, I will be able to share my hard-earned license to drive in Deutschland.
Step 1: Find the car!
This part may be a no-brainer. you discover a car, you purchase a car, then you drive it away. that ought to be easy, right? Well, not exactly. But before we get into the bureaucratic jungle that stands between you and therefore the road, you’ll get to know where to look for your dream machine. Aside from the apparent dealership auctions, it's worthwhile finding out about the web portals. The most important online car portals are listed at the rock bottom of this text . except for the simplest bargain, the brave attend eBay's German car auctions. Believe it or not, eBay in Germany is the second largest within the world and it's a powerful car section for those willing to require an opportunity on the auctions. My BMW was bought on auction and I got it at a bargain price. Mind you, all of my German friends shake their heads in disbelief once I tell them where I bought my car. therefore the question you would like to ask yourself is:
(Cue the Clint Eastwood accent) “Are you feeling’ lucky, punk?”
Step 2: Before you purchase , know what you would like to urge from the vendor .
Cars in Germany are subject to 3 important regulatory systems. If you purchase a vehicle that's outside the scope of what the regulations in these systems prescribe, you're left with three choices – fix it, sell it or dump it. Since none of these options involves actually driving it, understanding where your car fits into these systems is paramount when purchasing a vehicle. Often, you'll encounter a really cheap car that at face value looks like great value for money. Be wary when a suggestion looks too good to be true. Usually, these vehicles are devalued because they can’t be driven in major metropolitan areas or are otherwise unroadworthy thanks to the appliance of those rules.
The first system is the emissions standard. Germany, like most of the EU countries, is signatory to environmental treaties which compel them to scale back pollution in urban settings. Germany, unlike most of the EU countries, actually takes every treaty it signs seriously and has implemented a system to realize this that it strictly follows. The ins and outs of this technique are complex, but what you would like to understand is that the vehicle you're meaning to purchase must be rated a ‘4’ if you plan to drive it within city limits. you'll either have to have a certificate called an ‘Abgasuntersuchung’ (abbreviated to ‘AU’) delivered with the vehicle to determine compliance with this standard or have a professional mechanic issue a replacement certificate for the vehicle. it's safe to assume that if the vendor is hesitant to provide this certificate, he needs an emissions check of his own!
The second system is the mechanical standard. This is often a rigid and comprehensive system that's unique to Germany, for reasons I can only ascribe to their culture. Germans simply require excellence altogether. Before you'll register any vehicle (and this is applicable to registration renewals too), you'll have to acquire a ‘Hauptuntersuchung’ (abbreviated to ‘HU’) certificate. This technique is overseen by the Technischer Überwachungs-Verein (TÜV), a body that exists solely for this purpose. Obtaining the certificate involves a comprehensive safety check of the vehicle by a licensed mechanic, covering everything operational on the car. This includes glass, wheels, engine, brakes, lights, chassis and more. The great news is that if a seller can provide you with this certificate, the car should be in reasonable mechanical condition. The bad news is that it nearly always uncovers work that must be done before the car is often registered. it's going to sound draconian, but I actually find merit during this system because it maintains a safer road environment. On a peculiar note, you'll find an equivalent certification in elevators too. That random fact should give some comfort to those readers who have a fear of elevators descending faster than the speed of an ex-pat on the autobahn.
The final system is the registration standard. There are two documents that you simply will need here. the primary is that the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (a small, folded up piece of paper with the registration particulars of the car) and therefore the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (a certificate that confirms the ownership of the car within Germany). The previous must be kept within the vehicle at least times and produced to the Polizei on demand, while the latter should be stored safely elsewhere because it functions as a deed of ownership for the vehicle. you'll need both documents to transfer registration of the vehicle, so confirm they're provided and match the vehicle once you acquire it. If these are missing, the Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle (Vehicle Registration Office) may refuse to register your car or may deem the vehicle to be a far off vehicle, subjecting you to 10% duty and 19% VAT on the vehicle’s value. All of those papers with their extremely long names left me scratching my head in confusion once I received them. To think, we in Australia just take a sticker that Vic Roads (the registration department) prints out for us and easily stick it to the windshield. How very unsophisticated of us!
If you’ve got your pile of paper so as to , top it off with a typical contract for the sale of the vehicle and take the keys. You’re one step closer to stepping into that driver’s seat.
Step 3: The insurance hurdle – the way to avoid being busted right down to new driver status.
I’ve been driving for nearly 20 years accident free. That translates to about 7,300 days of driving genius, with a considerable dose of switching to different sides of the road as I changed continents. So I take a measure of pride in my safe driving record, especially considering a number of the places I even have driven in. Not surprisingly, the German registration rules required me to get my very own third party insurance from a German based insurer before my car registration would be processed. But imagine my surprise once I learned that no German insurer would recognise my driving record. Despite getting to every major insurer in Germany, the solution was always the same: We don't accept insurance records outside of the ecu economic area. With no thanks to verify my insurance history, the quotes I received were sky high – almost 30% of the vehicle’s value annually – and every one of that cash for just third party coverage . I used to be beyond words. The bureaucratic machine had busted me right down to an 18 year old, albeit without the youth to match!
It took me a couple of months of investigation to seek out how around this roadblock. If you discover yourself within the same boat, I like to recommend seeking out an insurance agent who has experience in handling US military personnel. I do know it's a touch ‘out of the box’, but it's an answer that worked on my behalf of me . The US has major military bases located in Germany and as a result an outsized number of service personnel are stationed there. As many of those soldiers got to arrange automobile insurance , they represent a big insurance market and therefore the major insurers in Germany make exceptions to their rules accordingly. With some work, the broker I found was ready to use their contacts to submit my Australian insurance history via these channels. A brief time later, I used to be holding my new and really acceptable insurance quote. i used to be given the second lowest quote possible, which was an excellent result. I used Culpeck Insurance and I am happy to recommend them for absolutely no financial reward. Their staff provided me with a service that saved me thousands of Euros. As far as i'm concerned, I owe them one. Their website link is listed at the rock bottom of this text .
Step 4: attend the registration office.
This step is easy! you'll need all of the paperwork above, your license and your passport. you'll find the closest Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle (car registration office) at the link available at rock bottom of this text . Once you are there, you'll choose your registration plate and afterwards you'll gotta catch on. However, the parents at the registration office will offer you all the help you would like .
One other point to remember: If you've got a suitable foreign license, you'll register your vehicle without a problem . However, remember that in Germany there are deadlines for driving under foreign licenses. Some licenses (such as Australian licenses) are often exchanged only within the period of time . Once the prescribed period of time expires, you'll be required to find out to drive through the German system. this may take months of lessons and price you a little fortune. increase the need of passing an exam that's written in German and you've got every incentive you would like to exchange your license during a timely manner.
Step 5: Start your engines!
Why are you continuing to sit here reading this? you ought to get on the autobahn by now! See you on the road.