Buying a car in Romania and importing it to Germany: RAR Auto-Pass and export documents

Before buying a car from Romania, compare the vehicle identification number (VIN), check authority to sell, and have the available history and present condition examined. At the same time, establish which original documents you will receive and how the vehicle will reach Germany. A RAR Auto-Pass alone is insufficient.

This guide covers a used passenger car already registered in Romania which you, as a private buyer resident in Germany, intend to register there. With CarAudit, you can have the car inspected directly at the seller's premises in Romania before paying and setting off to collect it. See what we inspect for the scope.

Contents: RAR Auto-Pass · Originals and tax documents · Export and collection · Condition inspection · Checklist · Registration in Germany · FAQ

What does RAR Auto-Pass show, and how do you obtain it?

Request the report through the official RAR website using the VIN. Either buyer or seller can apply online. Compare the number in the document with the vehicle papers and directly on the car. Start with the official provider, not a website imitating its name or design.

Where recorded, the report contains mileage, serious safety-related damage and recalls that have not been attended to. The seller must provide a valid Auto-Pass or the official confirmation that no data is available. Auto-Pass is valid for 60 days from issue. Articles 8 and 9 of Law 142/2023 govern this.

Read the information alongside service records: do dates and mileages fit chronologically? Are there repair invoices following documented damage? A discrepancy should be explained before payment, not brushed aside because the rest of the report appears unremarkable.

What does a document with no recorded history mean?

If the RAR database contains no information for the VIN, a free confirmation of that fact is issued. It means data is missing, not the car is accident-free. A failed online query, in turn, is not such a confirmation. The basis is Article 8 of Law 142/2023.

Ask whether the vehicle was registered in another country before Romania. Request any available previous registration documents and original service records. Today's sale location does not explain the whole earlier history. Undocumented periods remain open; even a report containing entries is not a complete lifetime record.

Which originals should be agreed before the contract and payment?

Before travelling, ask to see the Romanian registration certificate, certificat de înmatriculare, and vehicle identity card, cartea de identitate a vehiculului (CIV). Also obtain the draft contract or invoice and the seller's identity. If the seller is not the owner, you need clear evidence of authority to sell. A registration certificate alone does not replace this check. Refer to the ADAC guide and Romanian registration documents under Ordin 181/2024.

Record VIN, price, stated mileage, known damage, promised documents and handover conditions in writing. Also establish who will handle each authority procedure. Originals retained by an authority must not simply disappear from your document plan: agree which cancelled papers or official replacement evidence your German registration authority will accept.

Distinguish dealers from private sellers. Your German residence alone does not make every German warranty rule applicable to a Romanian contract. Have unclear clauses explained before signing; ADAC describes the particularities of foreign purchase contracts.

Which tax documents matter following the 2026 change?

The Harghita prefecture's explanation of OUG 7/2026 states that a certificat de atestare fiscală must be presented for deregistration and temporary export registration. It proves settlement of the applicant's relevant local payment obligations. It is neither a German import tax nor evidence of the vehicle's condition.

Before concluding the contract, establish with the seller and the Romanian registration authority, SPCRPCIV, who will make each application and whose tax certificate is required. The authority notice does not explain in detail how a buyer without Romanian residence provides this evidence. Have the procedure for your case confirmed. Do not assume without checking that the seller's documents or a German tax certificate are suitable substitutes.

Which registration permits the planned export?

Explicitly apply for temporary registration for export, not merely provisional permission to drive. Article 2(3) of Ordin 181/2024 provides for an application to an SPCRPCIV by an owner not resident in Romania. Under Article 8(3)(b), export registration is limited to no more than 30 days. Article 9 documents include proof of acquisition, proof of identity, CIV and the prescribed fee evidence; the 2026 tax requirements apply in addition.

The ordinary autorizație de circulație provizorie, often associated with red provisional plates, is a different procedure. Under Article 15(4), it permits driving only in Romania. Insurance does not extend that geographical scope. The document issued is decisive, not the plate colour.

What must be settled at collection?

Before departure, check original papers, plates, validity dates, technical roadworthiness and insurance for the whole route. Also establish recognition of the actual export registration in transit countries and Germany. Do not rely on the seller's previous plates or insurance continuing. If there is no workable solution, choose carriage on a suitable transport vehicle instead of driving. ADAC provides transfer guidance.

For deregistration due to export, Article 24(2)(b) specifies an application deadline of 30 days from moving the vehicle out of Romania. This is not additional permission to drive. Agree how any outstanding deregistration will be completed and evidenced; transport does not replace it.

What should be inspected before you pay?

Bodywork, underbody and powertrain

Arrange access to the vehicle and its underside. Have repair traces, corrosion, brakes, tyres, suspension, leaks and powertrain examined. Paint measurements must be assessed in relation to the panel, material and other findings, not a universal threshold. Request photographs and clear findings. The CarAudit inspection scope describes the examination of the vehicle.

Test drive, diagnostics and remaining limitations

Agree on a test drive, insurance and diagnostic access beforehand. Inaccessible components and omitted inspection steps must be explicitly documented as unchecked. A fault code is not yet a repair quotation; an empty fault memory does not confirm a fault-free car.

A mandatory technical inspection does not replace a pre-purchase assessment of wear and repairs, as TÜV NORD also explains in AutoKaufCheck. The additional pre-purchase inspection is a recommendation for your decision, not a general legal condition of purchase. For unresolved identity, a blocked transfer, missing essential papers or a serious unexplained technical finding, we recommend: suspend payment and departure until the specific point is resolved.

Your checklist before purchase and collection

The following overview brings together six areas to check. In an interactive version, you can choose “Open”, “Evidence reviewed” or “Discrepancy to resolve”. These selections record only what you have personally seen. Even six reviewed items do not automatically clear the purchase.

How do you prepare for costs and registration in Germany?

VAT: both used-car criteria are decisive

The vehicle is used for VAT purposes only if it has travelled more than 6,000 km and is supplied more than six months after first registration. At no more than 6,000 km or no more than six months, it is new for tax purposes even if the advert says “used car”. German acquisition taxation must then be considered; establish the procedure before buying. Your Europe explains the distinction.

The ordinary used-car purchase within the EU described here incurs no customs duty. As a private buyer, you do not pay German VAT again merely because the car is transferred. A dealer's invoice depends on the VAT regime applied, including possible margin taxation. There is no automatic entitlement to a net price. The EU car-buying guidance applies here too.

Check documents with your registration authority in advance

As a local example, Service Berlin lists original foreign registration documents, purchase contract or invoice, proof of identity, eVB electronic insurance confirmation, SEPA mandate and technical data. For type-approved vehicles, a COC or manufacturer confirmation may be used.

The required evidence of a valid HU inspection is also needed unless an exception applies, for example because of the vehicle's age. Have the usability of existing Romanian inspection documents checked in advance. Without corresponding type approval, an expert report under section 21 StVZO may be necessary; a missing COC alone does not automatically determine that route. Berlin also notes that its notification to the country of origin does not ensure automatic deregistration. Plan the Romanian process separately.

Calculate using documented costs

Add the price, pre-purchase inspection, collection or transport, insurance and export formalities, possible document procurement, HU inspection or expert assessment, German registration and specifically established repairs. Recurring insurance and vehicle-tax costs additionally belong in the running budget. Where a quotation is missing, the amount remains open instead of entering the calculation as zero. Relevant cost areas follow from the ADAC import guide and registration procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Does a RAR document without entries prove a clean history?

No. It confirms a lack of available data, not an accident-free history or correct mileage. Add service and previous-registration records and a condition inspection. See RAR Auto-Pass.

Are Romanian provisional plates automatically valid in Germany?

No. Ordinary provisional driving permission under Article 15 applies only in Romania. A different temporary registration exists for export; its documents, recognition and insurance must fit the entire route. See Ordin 181/2024.

Why is a tax certificate relevant to export in 2026?

The official explanation of OUG 7/2026 lists it for deregistration and temporary export registration. Establish the applicant and specific evidence procedure before buying, particularly if you live only in Germany.

Have the car inspected before travelling to Romania

Send us the advert, vehicle location and seller's contact details. Our technician visits the car in Romania. You receive documented findings as a basis for your decision before payment and travel. You can read the inspection scope and limitations beforehand; a technical inspection does not replace an authority's document or registration decision.

Arrange a CarAudit inspection in Romania