Buying a car in Germany: from Mobile.de to plates

Where to look

Germany's used-car market is huge and online-first:

• Mobile.de and AutoScout24 - the two dominant platforms, hundreds of thousands of listings from dealers and private sellers, with filters for everything.
• Kleinanzeigen - more private sellers, often cheaper, more risk (and more scams - see below).
• Dealer forecourts (Autohäuser) - pricier, but you get the statutory warranty and often a serviced, HU-fresh car.

The average used car sold for ~€18,000 in recent data, but the market spans everything from €1,500 beaters to premium. New cars are bought from dealerships or via Tageszulassung (day-registration) discounts.

Dealer vs private: the warranty difference that matters

This is the decision that changes your risk profile:

• Dealer (Händler): by law owes you a statutory warranty (Gewährleistung) - a minimum of 1 year on used cars - covering defects present at sale. More expensive, much safer.
• Private seller (Privatverkauf): no warranty at all. German private sales are "gekauft wie gesehen" (sold as seen) - once money changes hands, defects are your problem. Your only protection is what you inspect and verify beforehand.

So a private sale can save real money but demands due diligence; a dealer costs more but carries a safety net. For a first car with no German-market experience, many newcomers pay the dealer premium for the warranty and the HU-fresh handover.

What to check before you buy

Whatever the source, verify:

The purchase and the paperwork

1. Agree a price and use a proper Kaufvertrag (sale contract - ADAC provides a free standard template). It records the "sold as seen" clause, mileage, and known defects.
2. Verify the seller owns the car (Teil II / Fahrzeugbrief matches their ID) - critical on private sales to avoid buying a stolen or financed vehicle.
3. Handover: get both registration parts, all keys, the service book, and the HU report.

Never send money before seeing the car and seller in person - the same "abroad seller, pay first, shipping arranged" scams that plague housing hit cars too (Rental scams in Germany covers the identical pattern).

Registering it: insurance first, then plates

You can't drive it home unregistered. The sequence:

1. Get car insurance and an eVB number first - arrange Car insurance in Germany before the registration appointment; the eVB is your proof of the mandatory liability cover.
2. Book the Zulassungsstelle (registration office) appointment - bring your ID/passport, Anmeldebestätigung, the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I & II, the eVB number, a valid HU report, and your bank details (SEPA mandate for the Kfz-Steuer).
3. Get plates made - a plate shop (near every Zulassungsstelle) makes them for ~€20-35; the office then validates them with the registration seals.
4. Pay the fees: registration ~€26-30, plus plates. A change of keeper (Halterwechsel/Ummeldung) costs a similar ~€26.
5. Kfz-Steuer (road tax) is then billed automatically by customs (Zoll) via the SEPA mandate - based on engine size and emissions.

Many Zulassungsstellen now offer online registration (i-Kfz), but first-time newcomers usually do it in person.

Buy, finance, or lease: the expat decision, with real numbers

How you pay matters more for newcomers than for locals, because financing and leasing both run a Schufa credit check you'll fail in your first months (Schufa). Here's the honest breakdown:

Used, paid cash - the newcomer default. No credit check, no contract, no Schufa needed - the one route fully open to someone who arrived last month. The German used market is deep and honest by global standards (six million sales a year, strong TÜV documentation). The depreciation sweet spot is a 3-5 year-old car: the first owner has absorbed the brutal first-year value drop (a new car loses ~20-25% the moment it's registered), and you still get years of reliable use. Look specifically at:

• Jahreswagen: near-new cars (often ex-employee cars from VW/BMW/Mercedes/Audi) sold at 1 year old with big discounts and full history - excellent value.
• Tageszulassung: a dealer registers a brand-new car to themselves for a day to hit sales targets, then sells it as "used" with ~0 km - you get a genuinely new car for often 10-20% off list. Technically it costs you one owner on paper and a slightly shorter warranty window.
• EU-Reimporte: identical models imported from other EU countries, sometimes thousands cheaper - just verify the equipment matches German spec.

New from a dealer. Full manufacturer warranty (usually 2 years, extendable), you configure exactly what you want, and finance is easy to arrange *there* - but you eat the ~20-25% first-year depreciation. Rarely the rational choice unless you'll keep it 10+ years. Negotiate: German dealers routinely give 10-15% off list (Nachlass) on a new car, more at quarter-end.

Financing (Finanzierung). A loan from the dealer's bank or your own bank. Two common structures:

• Classic annuity loan: fixed monthly payments until you own it outright.
• Drei-Wege-Finanzierung (balloon financing): low monthly payments plus a large final "balloon" (Schlussrate) you either pay, refinance, or settle by returning the car - popular but you own nothing until the balloon is paid.

Financing needs a decent Schufa and residency/income history, so it's realistically off the table for your first 6-12 months. While financed, the lender holds the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (the ownership document) and requires Vollkasko (Car insurance in Germany).

Leasing. You rent the car for a fixed term (usually 24-48 months) at a low monthly rate, then hand it back. The catch nobody mentions until signing:

• You need strong Schufa and stable income - hardest of all for newcomers.
• Mileage is capped (e.g. 10,000-15,000 km/year); every extra kilometre is billed at the end (~5-15 ct/km), and you're charged for wear beyond "normal" at return.
• It's a binding multi-year contract - early exit is expensive.
• Vollkasko is mandatory.
• It makes most sense for the self-employed and companies, who deduct it as a business expense (Freelancing in Germany) - far less so for a private individual who'd own a used car cheaper.

Bottom line for a first year in Germany: buy a used car outright. It's the only option that needs no Schufa, and a well-chosen 3-5 year-old car or Tageszulassung is the best value on the market anyway. Revisit financing or leasing once you have German credit history.

Two things every German car needs: badge and winter tyres

Newcomers get fined for missing these:

• Umweltplakette (environmental badge): most city centres are Umweltzonen (low-emission zones) you may only enter with a coloured windscreen sticker - almost always the green one (for cars meeting the emission standard). Buy it once (~€6-20) at TÜV/DEKRA, many workshops, or the Zulassungsstelle; driving into a zone without it is a fine. It stays with the car.
• Winter/all-season tyres: legally required whenever conditions are wintry (snow, ice, slush) - not by date, but summer tyres in snow means a fine and voided insurance in a crash. Locals swap "O bis O" (October to Easter). Budget for a second set of tyres (and storage, or seasonal changeovers at a garage ~€30-60).

Electric cars and charging

If you're considering an EV:

• Public charging works via apps/RFID cards (EnBW mobility+, Ionity, and many others); pricing varies wildly by network - a roaming card that works across operators saves hassle.
• Home charging (Wallbox): great if you own, harder as a renter - though the same 2020 law that eased tenant rights gives you a strengthened claim to install one with the landlord's consent.
• Costs: EVs carry lower Kfz-Steuer (electric cars have enjoyed road-tax exemptions, though the terms are being tapered - verify the current rule) and cheaper "fuel" if you charge at home, offset by a higher purchase price.

Importing a car (usually don't)

Bringing your own car from abroad is rarely worth it: a non-EU car needs a full type-approval / Einzelabnahme (individual TÜV assessment, often expensive modifications), plus import duty and VAT. EU cars are easier but still need re-registration and possibly a German HU. For most movers, selling at home and buying here is cheaper and far less bureaucratic - factor it into the Moving to Germany.

The true cost of ownership

Budget beyond the sticker price - a €10,000 car realistically costs ~€11,000-11,500 in year one once you add:

• Insurance: ~€300-600/year small car, up to €1,200+ mid-range (varies hugely - Car insurance in Germany).
• Kfz-Steuer: engine + emissions based, often €100-300/year for a normal car.
• HU/TÜV: ~€130 every 2 years, plus any repairs to pass.
• Registration + plates: ~€50-70 one-off.
• Fuel, parking, maintenance, winter tyres (a legal must in wintry conditions).

For many city dwellers, the The Deutschlandticket plus occasional car-sharing/rental beats owning outright - worth honestly costing before buying.

Frequently asked questions