Registering a Foreign-Registered Car in Austria in 2026

If you move to Austria with a foreign-registered car, you cannot use it there indefinitely. The deadline depends on where your main residence is, while obtaining Austrian registration plates involves several clearly defined steps. This guide summarises the process for 2026.

How long can you drive in Austria with foreign registration plates?

The decisive question is where your main residence (Hauptwohnsitz) is.

• Main residence in Austria: the car may be used for one month from its first import into Austria. This can be extended once by a further one month if you can credibly show that registration could not be completed sooner.
• Main residence outside Austria: the car may generally be used for up to one year from its import.

If your main residence is in Austria, the period begins when the car is brought into the country for the first time. Temporarily taking the car out of Austria, for example for a short trip abroad, does not interrupt the deadline. There is no extension beyond the second month.

Even if your main residence is officially abroad, you should take care if your centre of life moves to Austria because of a longer stay. In that case, the car may also need to be registered in Austria.

Violating these rules can result in high administrative and financial penalties.

What is a CoC, and is new approval required?

The CoC (Certificate of Conformity, German: Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung) is an EU conformity certificate. It confirms that the vehicle has EU type approval (EU-Typgenehmigung).

Passenger cars that received an operating permit after 1 January 1996 have generally already gone through an EU type-approval procedure. This approval is recognised in all EU member states, so the vehicle does not need to be approved again in Austria. The CoC or the foreign vehicle registration certificate (ausländische Zulassungsbescheinigung) can be used as evidence.

The vehicle documents may indicate whether the car has EU approval or only national approval. You can also ask the manufacturer.

For a used car, Austria may require a technical inspection, but only if a similar inspection would also be mandatory for a used car purchased domestically in comparable circumstances, such as because of the vehicle’s age.

Who enters the vehicle into the Austrian approval database?

Initial registration in Austria is only possible once the vehicle data has been entered into the approval database. An extract from this database is then also accepted as proof of approval.

Entering the data is primarily the responsibility of the manufacturer’s authorised representative in Austria or the general importer (Generalimporteur). If there is no such representative, it has no authority to enter data, or it does not act without delay, the entry is carried out by the provincial technical inspection centre (Technische Prüfstelle des Amtes der Landesregierung). The centre in the province where your main residence is located is responsible.

The list of authorised representatives is available under the name Liste der Bevollmächtigten.

You will need:

• proof of ownership, such as an invoice, sales contract, gift agreement or foreign vehicle documents issued in your name,
• the CoC,
• a power of attorney if someone is acting on your behalf.

You do not have to handle the matter in person. A representative can act for you with written authorisation (Vollmacht).

What if the car has no EU type approval or has been modified?

A vehicle without EU type approval requires individual approval (Einzelgenehmigung). If certain equipment does not comply with Austrian requirements, an exceptional approval (Ausnahmegenehmigung) is required. In addition to the documents listed above, you may need photographs of the car and, in some cases, a technical data sheet. The inspection centre may request further evidence.

If the car has been modified from its factory condition in a way that could affect road safety or environmental characteristics, the change must be reported without delay to the provincial inspection centre. Examples include chip tuning, lowered suspension, spoilers, or wheels and tyres that differ from the type approval.

How much does it cost?

• Entry into the approval database for a car with EU type approval: up to 180 euros
• Individual approval without EU type approval: approximately 150 euros, depending on the required evidence
• Approval of a modification: approximately 26 euros per modification
• Entry in the approval document: 21 euros

There is no customs duty when importing a vehicle from an EU member state because the EU is a customs union. Other registration costs, such as NoVA, may also apply.

How do you obtain Austrian registration plates?

You can apply for registration (Zulassung) only once the vehicle approval has been completed. For a used car, the technical inspection must also have taken place.

Registration order

1. Provide proof of EU approval with the CoC and have the data entered into the approval database, or obtain individual approval.
2. Take out compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance in Austria (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung) with an insurer authorised to provide this service in Austria.
3. Complete Austrian registration and obtain the registration plates.
4. Hand in the foreign registration certificate and foreign registration plates to the provincial police directorate (Landespolizeidirektion) or the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft).

Frequently asked questions

Does the one-month period restart if I take the car abroad?

No. The deadline runs from the first import, and temporarily taking the car out of Austria does not interrupt it.

Is customs duty payable on a car imported from another EU member state?

No. There is no customs duty on a vehicle imported from an EU member state because the EU is a customs union.

What if I do not have the CoC?

For a car with EU type approval, the foreign registration certificate can also be accepted as proof. If the car does not have EU type approval, individual approval is required from the provincial inspection centre.

Can someone else handle the process?

Yes. A representative can act on your behalf with written authorisation.

Practical steps

1. Confirm where your main residence is and calculate the deadline from the car’s first import into Austria.
2. Collect proof of ownership, the CoC or foreign registration certificate, and a Vollmacht if a representative will act for you.
3. Check whether the vehicle has EU type approval and whether any modifications must be reported.
4. Contact the manufacturer’s authorised representative or Generalimporteur to arrange entry into the Genehmigungsdatenbank.
5. If necessary, contact the responsible Technische Prüfstelle des Amtes der Landesregierung in the province of your main residence.
6. Arrange any required technical inspection and take out Austrian Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung.
7. Complete the Zulassung, obtain the Austrian registration plates, and return the foreign documents and plates to the Landespolizeidirektion or Bezirkshauptmannschaft.

This information is based on publicly available sources and is not legal advice. For professional advice, contact a qualified specialist. Source: oesterreich.gv.at