Cars from Germany to Moldova: customs clearance and paperwork

This article is dated as shown. Laws, fees and prices have changed since then. Check the figures before you rely on them.

Do you need to buy a car in Germany but are not sure exactly how to bring it into Moldova? Let us look at the most important questions and problems you will face, including the cost of excise duty.

Legal aspects of importing

To import a car into Moldova you need to determine the applicable regime and check the charges for the specific vehicle. General import and the separate reliefs for people returning to take up permanent residence should not be confused.

The article of 14.11.2018 described the age restrictions of that period. For a new purchase, check the vehicle's eligibility and the charges under the chosen import regime for Moldova.

The new schedule of excise duties divides cars into 7 categories:

• cars under two years old;
• 3-4 years;
• 5 to 6 years;
• built 7 years ago;
• over 8 years;
• over 9;
• 10 years.

The age conditions, amounts and reliefs are given as the content of the November 2018 article. They are not a current import calculation. From the article of 14.11.2018: “As a reminder, amendments were adopted at first reading that prohibit the import into Moldova of cars from Germany and other European Union countries that have previously been in use for more than 7 years.”

From the article of 14.11.2018: “As for classic cars, importing them requires a strictly fixed payment of 222,400 lei, which is more than 11 thousand euros.”

From the article of 14.11.2018: “If you wish to own a vehicle fitted with a hybrid engine, you can count on a 50% reduction in the excise rate. For goods vehicles, a VAT rate of 20% of the vehicle's value is paid.”

From the article of 14.11.2018: “At present the most favourable customs clearance option in Moldova is for petrol and diesel engines with a capacity of no more than 1500 cc. In that case customs clearance will cost you approximately 1000 euros.”

To work out exactly how much it costs to clear a car through customs, you can use a special calculator where you enter the year of manufacture, the engine type and the price of the car.

How to choose “helpers” for the deal

If you do not want to handle choosing a vehicle abroad and driving it to your own country yourself, it is better to turn to professionals. They will select a vehicle to your requirements, personally inspect it for faults, gather full information about the car and pass it on to you. Also make sure the complete set of documents to present at customs is prepared.