Cars from Germany to Poland: customs clearance and registration

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

When buying a car for Poland, compare specific offers: condition, documents and the full cost of getting the car home. Help from a specialist can make the checks easier, but it does not remove the risks of the deal.

During an inspection the visible condition, the results of the checks available and the questions for the seller are recorded. An inspection does not guarantee that every hidden defect will be found. Agree the scope of the check and the help with documents in advance.

Before you buy, work out the full cost of the car for Poland: the price, delivery, the applicable taxes and registration.

What to check before registering in Poland

The cost of registration depends on the specific car and deal. To check VAT and Polish excise duty, have the following information ready:

• the country of purchase and the tax regime of the deal;
• the status of the seller and the buyer;
• the date of first registration and the mileage;
• the engine type, its capacity and the other data needed to calculate excise duty.

When buying a car in Germany, deregister it, arrange insurance and buy temporary plates. You will also need a translation of the German documents. And to register the car in Poland you will have to pass a technical inspection.

Taxes and registration costs

No customs duty is charged when a car is moved between EU countries. VAT and national registration taxes are checked separately. For VAT purposes a car counts as new if it has no more than 6,000 km on the clock or is supplied within six months of its first registration. For a used car both conditions must be the other way round. These guidelines apply to a private buyer; a purchase in a company's name is checked separately. Polish excise duty has its own conditions, including those on the engine and hybrid drive. Do not apply a single set of “10% duty, 23% VAT and 136 dollars for age” to a purchase from Germany. The calculation must be made for the specific deal.

The age of the car alone does not determine the cost of registration. Calculate VAT and excise duty for the chosen car and the terms of the deal before you pay.

Check the history and condition of the car regardless of the country of purchase. Save the listing, compare the seller's information with the documents and record the result of the inspection.