Anyone buying used cars in Germany knows the problem: before export, the vehicle is supposed to be registered on the European Commission’s F-gas Portal, and until the identification number arrives the car sits idle. In our latest cases that took up to ten days. For many used cars, though, the step can be skipped altogether.
Two thresholds – one is enough
No F-gas registration is needed for the German export declaration if the vehicle meets at least one of these conditions:
- Registered for more than 6 months: the vehicle has been permanently registered for longer than 6 months. Mileage then does not matter.
- More than 6,000 km on the clock: the vehicle has covered more than 6,000 km. How long it has been registered then does not matter.
Two examples: a car with 3,000 km that has been registered for eight months needs no F-gas registration. Neither does a four-month-old vehicle with 12,000 km. Only new and near-new vehicles that stay below both thresholds have to be registered.
It does not matter who takes the car across the border
Whether you drive the car over yourself or hire a freight forwarder makes no difference. Only the vehicle counts.
Our experience at the customs offices
Our vehicles were recently handled this way at the following offices:
- At the border: Weil am Rhein, Bietingen, Neuhausen/Blumberg
- Inland: the export customs office in Bonn
This is our practical experience, not legal advice. Handling can differ between customs offices and individual officers, so we cannot guarantee that your export will be treated the same way.
When the F-gas registration is needed after all
If your vehicle is below both thresholds, we take care of the F-gas registration as part of our purchase handling in Germany. Not sure which side your vehicle falls on? Send us the first-registration date and the mileage via the contact form – we will clarify it before the export declaration.