Buying a car in Slovakia and importing it to Germany

Before paying for a car in Slovakia, check the vehicle identification number (VIN), authority to sell, documented history and present condition. ODO-Pass and AUTO-Pass provide different register information. Kontrola originality is a separate inspection for the export process, not a mechanical pre-purchase check. Also agree with the registered owner how export, document handover and transfer to Germany will work.

This guide concerns a used car already registered in Slovakia which you buy as a private individual resident in Germany and intend to register there. With CarAudit, you can have the car examined directly at the seller's premises before paying the price or travelling to collect it. Our vehicle inspection supplements the documents with recorded findings for your decision.

Contents: History · Check the extract · Condition and payment · Originality check · Export and documents · Transfer · Checklist · Germany · FAQ

How do ODO-Pass and AUTO-Pass differ?

The ODO-Pass shows historical odometer entries. Depending on the extract, the AUTO-Pass also provides available information such as origin, ownership history, restrictions, leasing and reported damage. Request both appropriate extracts and check what information they actually contain. The RPZV register operator explains the differences under checking a vehicle before buying.

The recorded periods are decisive. A car advertised in Slovakia today may previously have been registered elsewhere. Ask about earlier countries of registration and corresponding records. Missing entries are not a positive finding: an absence of recorded accident damage does not prove an accident-free history, and an unremarkable report does not replace clarification of authority to sell.

How do you check the extract presented?

Do not rely on a cropped screenshot. Request the complete ODO-Pass and use the information on it for verification with RPZV. Compare the VIN with the car, check the issue date and compare odometer readings with maintenance invoices and other service records.

Even a steadily increasing sequence does not prove the actual total mileage. Tampering between two entries or before the first available entry remains possible. A larger gap is therefore an open question, not automatically established tampering. Have the seller explain discrepancies with evidence before continuing negotiations.

What should be inspected before you pay?

First establish your contractual partner: the registered owner, an authorised seller or a dealer. Compare identity and authority with the original documents. Whether you buy privately or from a business, and which law applies to the contract, affects your rights. Your German residence does not automatically apply all German warranty rules to a Slovak purchase contract. ADAC's guidance on buying a used car abroad in the EU addresses this.

Bodywork, underbody and powertrain

Arrange underbody access, preferably on a lift, and a cold start in advance. Have repair traces, corrosion, brakes, tyres, suspension, leaks and powertrain examined. Paint measurements must be assessed in the context of the panel, repair pattern and other findings, not a universal threshold. Request clear photographs and an inspection report. A statutory roadworthiness inspection does not address the same questions as a pre-purchase check of care, repairs and wear; TÜV NORD explains this distinction.

Test drive, diagnostics and remaining limitations

Agree on a test drive and diagnostic access with the seller. A fault code is not yet a repair-cost calculation; an empty fault memory does not prove the absence of defects. If a test drive was impossible or the underbody concealed, that must remain apparent in the result. The actual inspection conditions on site therefore always supplement the CarAudit inspection scope.

Record resolved defects, promised documents, final price and handover process in writing. Our recommendation: do not pay or set off while identity, a transfer restriction, essential papers or a serious technical finding remain unresolved. A price reduction does not remove such obstacles.

What role does Kontrola originality play in export?

For a normal export with a change of registered keeper, a valid Kontrola originality (KO) report forms part of the documents. It must be no more than 15 days old at the export procedure. According to the Slovensko.sk export guide, original registration documents parts I and II, the new owner's third-party liability insurance and the administrative fee are also needed. Do not therefore schedule KO long before the agreed authority appointment.

The requirement is not without exceptions: section 119(9) mentions export without a change of keeper and vehicles first registered no more than 60 days earlier. For a recently registered car, establish the exception's applicability in advance; a fresh Slovak document alone should not carry your decision.

KO remains distinct from a voluntary technical pre-purchase inspection. A report accepted for export does not answer whether the gearbox, suspension or an earlier repair justifies your price. That requires examination of the current condition, not another mileage extract. For the distinction, see TÜV NORD: AutoKaufCheck.

Who handles deregistration for export?

Make firm arrangements with the registered owner. Under section 119 of the Slovak Road Traffic Act, the owner or registered keeper can initiate deregistration for export. As a foreign buyer, do not expect to complete it alone without the necessary participation or representation documents.

If you are absent from the authority appointment, a power of attorney or proof of acquisition with your certified signature is normally required. Statutory electronic powers of attorney have separate rules. Establish the correct form before travelling, not at the counter. The new owner and keeper details must be correct. Legal basis: section 119(1) and (5).

Under the officially described process, you receive part II; the personalised part I card is passed on or forwarded after delivery. Agree who will receive it and when you will get the original. Do not plan a foreign journey merely assuming part II will be sufficient everywhere in the meantime.

How do you arrange collection and transfer?

Under section 119(2), export documents and issued export plates are valid for no more than 30 days from deregistration for export. The recorded expiry date matters, not your collection date. Plan sufficient time for transfer. We recommend completing German registration within the validity period if possible too. Later delivery of documents does not restart the period.

Driving requires a permitted registration and plate status, necessary vehicle documents, technical roadworthiness and insurance for the whole route, including transit countries. The seller's plates and previous insurance do not automatically remain valid after sale or deregistration. Have cover for the actual transfer confirmed. If these requirements are unresolved, carrying the car as a load on a suitable transport vehicle is the alternative. Export and document handover must still be arranged. See ADAC: transfer when buying abroad in the EU.

Your checklist before purchase and collection

Use these six questions before payment and departure. Reviewed evidence confirms neither its validity nor the car's condition; outstanding points need specific resolution.

How do you prepare for costs and registration in Germany?

Which taxes apply when buying a used car in the EU?

For VAT purposes, a car is used only if it has travelled more than 6,000 kilometres and, at delivery, more than six months have passed since first registration. Exactly 6,000 kilometres or no more than six months results in classification as a new vehicle. Taxation in Germany as the destination country must then be established, including declaration and payment. Do not wait until after registration. Your Europe explains the distinction.

An ordinary purchase of a car that is used for VAT purposes within the EU incurs no customs duty. As a private buyer, you do not pay German VAT again merely because it is transferred. A dealer's invoice depends on the VAT procedure applied, such as margin taxation. There is no automatic entitlement to a net price. EU rules for car purchases.

What does the registration authority need?

As a specific authority example, Berlin's EU/EEA used-vehicle procedure lists original foreign documents, purchase contract or invoice, proof of identity, eVB electronic insurance confirmation and a SEPA mandate for vehicle tax. Technical data, such as a COC or manufacturer confirmation for a type-approved car, and required evidence of a valid HU inspection are also needed. An HU may not yet be due for a young vehicle.

Before buying, submit the available documents, including a Slovak inspection report, to your responsible registration authority for preliminary clarification. A foreign report is neither universally sufficient nor universally unusable. A missing COC does not automatically mean an expert report under section 21; without appropriate type approval, that assessment may become necessary. German registration also does not reliably replace Slovak deregistration: Berlin explicitly notes that notification to the country of origin does not ensure automatic deregistration. Documents and guidance from the Berlin registration authority.

Which costs belong in your comparison?

Include the price confirmed in writing, register extracts, pre-purchase check, KO where required, export fees, documents, insurance and transfer. Add any HU inspection, technical evidence or expert assessment, German registration and documented repairs. Ongoing insurance and vehicle tax belong in the subsequent running-cost calculation. Procedural items are based on guidance from Slovensko.sk, ADAC and Service Berlin.

Obtain specific quotations. An unknown transport price or unresolved repair remains an outstanding amount, not zero euros. Only with those items included can you meaningfully compare the car with one already offered in Germany.

FAQ

Are ODO-Pass and AUTO-Pass the same?

No. ODO-Pass shows odometer entries; AUTO-Pass provides further available register information. The actual extract's contents remain decisive. RPZV.

Does Kontrola originality replace a technical pre-purchase inspection?

No. KO required for export replaces neither examination of wear and repairs nor a test drive. Slovensko.sk and TÜV NORD.

Can I plan export without the registered owner's involvement?

You should not rely on that. The owner or keeper can initiate the procedure; participation, representation and required signatures must be established beforehand. A purchase contract alone does not resolve every export formality. Section 119.

May I drive to Germany immediately with export plates?

Not just because of the plates. Validity, vehicle documents, technical requirements and insurance must fit the whole route. In particular, resolve any outstanding handover of part I. Slovensko.sk and ADAC.

Have your chosen car inspected before travelling

Send us the advert, vehicle location and seller's contact details. Our technician visits the car in Slovakia; you receive documented findings before deciding on price and collection. Anything that cannot be examined on site remains identified as a limitation. More about the CarAudit inspection scope.

Arrange a CarAudit inspection in Slovakia