Getting my TVR to Germany

[ColdoRS]

Hello all,

I’m working out in Germany for a while.

I had the idea to bring my Tuscan out for the summer (<4months) however the first transport company I have spoken to reckon I have some customs implications if they bring it? Obviously none if I fly home and drive it out but I’m not sure I want to do that/have time.

Is he mistaken? He’s talking about dropping it at Dover, driving onto ferry and driving off again in Calais - he seems to be making a big deal about nothing but maybe I’m wrong!

Any information would be excellent.

[Munich]

I can't say 100%, but this doesn't sound correct. I need to import a couple of cars from the UK to Germany and I have been told (by the local Zulassungsstelle) that I will not have to pay import tax until I register the car in Germany (which requires a TÜV, etc). You are not importing the car permanently or longer than 6 months, you are just transporting the car, so I don’t see why import tax is a consideration. There will be additional paperwork to fill out (vs. pre-Brexit) when transporting the car, but there should be a lot of transport companies that do this sort of thing (for people who want their pride-and-joy transported to their holiday location instead of them having to drive them there) that will be able to arrange everything.

What might be confusing the matter is your place of work. If you are registered as living and working in Germany, then driving a UK registered car can be a bit of an issue, especially if you have transferred your driver’s licence to Germany. My understanding is that technically you are not allowed to drive a car on Germany soil that is registered to you and registered in a foreign country. I nearly fell foul to this when I first moved to German. For the first couple of years I continued working in the UK, and my company cars were all UK registered. My company cars used to spend a lot of time located with my family in Germany, especially during COVID, and the local police didn't always take kindly to this.

[ColdoRS]

Hi mate, sorry for the slow reply.

It turns out there are some customs issues to overcome, maybe only post Brexit? Looks to be about 400EUR or so.
The big transport companies sort this out for you but with added costs and they seem expensive to start with - obviously comparing to a 'man with van' outfit.

So, flights booked, I'll go home and get it and suck up the 14hour mostly motorway journey next weekend!!

Thanks for your information, much appreciated.

[BOR]

Munich said:

I need to import a couple of cars from the UK to Germany and I have been told (by the local Zulassungsstelle) that I will not have to pay import tax until I register the car in Germany

How deep have you gone into this process out of interest?

I would like to buy a UK car, register at a UK address and use for 6months+ then register in Germany without having to pay any tax , but it seems to be a very grey area as to whether that is legit or not.

I don't think there is any import tax as such, just 20% VAT to pay on the purchase price of the car.

In theory, if you already own the car in the UK for 6months +, you should be able to register in DE without any additional tax payments.

Let us know how you get on.

[LLantrisant]

if you are a british resident, with british passport, and a car with british registration which is your car and you just want to use YOUR car in germany, there arent any import taxes or customs to be paid.

no matter if you bring the car to germany "on the road" or a company using a trailer

[ColdoRS]

Cheers all.

In the end I just flew home for a weekend and drove back out; chunnel on the way out then just last week I came back via Hook of Holland -> Harwich. Much more fun than paying a transport company.

[Trash_panda]

ColdoRS said:

Hello all,

I’m working out in Germany for a while.

I had the idea to bring my Tuscan out for the summer (<4months) however the first transport company I have spoken to reckon I have some customs implications if they bring it? Obviously none if I fly home and drive it out but I’m not sure I want to do that/have time.

Is he mistaken? He’s talking about dropping it at Dover, driving onto ferry and driving off again in Calais - he seems to be making a big deal about nothing but maybe I’m wrong!

Any information would be excellent.

Hello,

Just resurrecting an oldish thread but wondered if you applied for a Green Emissions sticker or just risked it for a biscuit? Did you go with ADAC for breakdown cover as well? Im not too stressed about the oily bits of my car as its been rebuilt recently but thinking more along the lines of a puncture and im only carrying the emergency foam in a can

I looked into the Nationwide Flex account but you need to be a UK resident for atleast 6+ months a year, which isnt going to be applicable to me for the foreseeable future.

Thanks

[ColdoRS]

Trash_panda said:

ColdoRS said:

Hello all,

I’m working out in Germany for a while.

I had the idea to bring my Tuscan out for the summer (<4months) however the first transport company I have spoken to reckon I have some customs implications if they bring it? Obviously none if I fly home and drive it out but I’m not sure I want to do that/have time.

Is he mistaken? He’s talking about dropping it at Dover, driving onto ferry and driving off again in Calais - he seems to be making a big deal about nothing but maybe I’m wrong!

Any information would be excellent.

Hello,

Just resurrecting an oldish thread but wondered if you applied for a Green Emissions sticker or just risked it for a biscuit? Did you go with ADAC for breakdown cover as well? Im not too stressed about the oily bits of my car as its been rebuilt recently but thinking more along the lines of a puncture and im only carrying the emergency foam in a can

I looked into the Nationwide Flex account but you need to be a UK resident for atleast 6+ months a year, which isnt going to be applicable to me for the foreseeable future.

Thanks

Hello, I didn't apply for a green emissions sticker - I ignorantly only realised it was a thing when I drove into the centre of Bremen and realised it was a low emission zone - no one said anything, no fines arrived. As far as I can see it it only a sticker, so they would have to catch the car parked somewhere and ticket you.

With regards to breakdown, I actually have a Nationwide Flex Plus Acc, so that done the job for me.

[Trash_panda]

ColdoRS said:

Hello, I didn't apply for a green emissions sticker - I ignorantly only realised it was a thing when I drove into the centre of Bremen and realised it was a low emission zone - no one said anything, no fines arrived. As far as I can see it it only a sticker, so they would have to catch the car parked somewhere and ticket you.

With regards to breakdown, I actually have a Nationwide Flex Plus Acc, so that done the job for me.

Yeah, I think they have to catch the car out in the open static to do something but not sure if they'll bother with a uk car. I've not seen any traffic pol about though the works bus got towed last night for not having a rear plate

Ah, so you didn't become a german resident then and stayed in the UK for 6+ months or just risked it?