For dealers and buyers5 min read
Buy a used car from Germany and import it to Slovenia: tax, plates, registration
- Author
- WeltScout editorial team
- Published
In short
A used car bought in Germany reaches Slovenia without customs duty, but you must file the motor vehicle tax (DMV) declaration within 15 days, report the VAT where it applies, get a Slovenian certificate of conformity and register the car at an administrative unit or an authorised registration organisation. The VAT rate is 22%, but a car that counts as used for VAT, with more than 6,000 km and more than six months in use, normally carries none in Slovenia. The DMV amount depends on the car; FURS publishes an Excel calculator. Status: 28 October 2026.
Contents
What you pay when you import from Germany
There is no customs duty on a car from another EU country; you pay tax and registration costs in the country where you register it (Your Europe, page checked 21 September 2026). In Slovenia that means DMV for every car and VAT only in some cases: a car counts as used for VAT if it is more than six months past first use and has more than 6,000 km (FURS, page updated 16 April 2025, read on 28 October 2026).
| Situation | VAT in Slovenia | DMV |
|---|---|---|
| Used for VAT, bought from a VAT-registered dealer or a private seller | None; the seller accounts for VAT under the rules of its own country | Declaration within 15 days of the date the tax arises |
| New for VAT (up to 6,000 km or up to six months) | 22%; report the acquisition on form DDV-PPS within 15 days, filed in eDavki; the car cannot be registered without it | Declaration within 15 days |
| Slovenian VAT-registered company buying for its own use | VAT in the VAT return and form DDV-PPS within 15 days | Declaration within 15 days |
| Slovenian VAT-registered company buying for resale | Declared in the VAT return for the period of acquisition; no DDV-PPS | Declaration within 15 days |
| German dealer uses the margin scheme | None on the acquisition | Declaration within 15 days |
For the DMV declaration you attach the purchase invoice showing the date of acquisition, the sales contract and the foreign registration document. FURS issues a DMV assessment, and registration is possible only once the vehicle is recorded in the tax authority's register. For vehicles acquired from 1 January 2021 FURS provides an Excel calculator; the result depends on the vehicle, so we state no amount.
How to bring the car home
You must not drive the car home on the plates of your old car: in Germany you need an export plate (Ausfuhrkennzeichen) or a short-term plate and insurance that are valid in every country on your route (Your Europe). The export plate is valid for the period of the insurance, at most one year (§ 45 FZV); the short-term plate is valid until the end of the fifth day after it is issued and is meant for test and transfer drives (§ 42 FZV). Berlin, as one example, charges at least 33.20 euros for the export plate, plus the cost of the plates (Service Berlin, read on 28 October 2026).
Registration in Slovenia
| Step | Where | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Slovenian certificate of conformity | Authorised technical service or professional organisation | Vehicle documents, EU certificate of conformity (COC) |
| 2. DMV and, where it applies, VAT | FURS, via eDavki | Invoice, sales contract, foreign registration document; within 15 days |
| 3. Technical inspection, insurance, annual fee | Inspection organisation, insurer | A foreign roadworthiness certificate from an EU or EEA state is accepted if the inspection was done at most 30 days before registration |
| 4. Registration | Administrative unit or authorised registration organisation | Proof of origin and ownership, conformity certificate, liability insurance, proof of the annual fee, roadworthiness certificate |
The sources on this page are the FURS page (updated 16 April 2025) and the GOV.SI page (updated 4 June 2026), both read on 28 October 2026. Our Slovenian guides go further: Uvoz avtomobila iz Nemčije and Izvozne tablice v Nemčiji.
What this means for buyers and dealers
For a private buyer
Before you pay, ask for the COC, both parts of the registration certificate and an invoice that shows how VAT was treated. File the DMV declaration within 15 days of acquisition.
For a dealer
Each car repeats the same steps: plates, DMV declaration, conformity. WeltScout helps with the finding: it saves your search, watches 50+ portals in 14 countries and sends new listings to WhatsApp or e-mail once or twice a day, depending on the plan. It does not handle tax or registration.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay VAT in Slovenia on a used car from Germany?
Not if the car counts as used for VAT (more than 6,000 km and more than six months since first use). If it counts as new, the VAT of 22% is reported on form DDV-PPS within 15 days (FURS).
How long do I have to file the DMV declaration?
Within 15 days of the date the tax obligation arises (FURS).
Can I register the car before the tax is settled?
No. A car that is new for VAT cannot be registered without the DDV-PPS form, and DMV registration requires the vehicle to be recorded in the tax authority's register (FURS).
Is a German inspection accepted in Slovenia?
A roadworthiness certificate from an EU or EEA state is accepted if the inspection was done at most 30 days before registration (GOV.SI).
This page is not tax or legal advice.
Sources
- Nakup rabljenih prevoznih sredstev v EU (page updated 16 April 2025) Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia (FURS),
- Tehnični pregled in registracija vozil (page updated 4 June 2026) GOV.SI,
- Buying and leasing a car in another EU country Your Europe, European Commission (page checked 21 September 2026),
- § 45 FZV - Fahrten zur dauerhaften Verbringung eines Fahrzeuges in das Ausland gesetze-im-internet.de, German Federal Ministry of Justice,
- § 42 FZV - Probefahrten und Überführungsfahrten mit Kurzzeitkennzeichen gesetze-im-internet.de, German Federal Ministry of Justice,
- Ausfuhrkennzeichen beantragen für Neu- und Gebrauchtfahrzeuge aus dem Inland Service Berlin, Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten,
Updates
- : Article published. Official sources read on 28 October 2026.
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