Update: This article was reviewed for validity on 05/04/2026 and remains current in 2026.

• There are 3 types of transfer plates
  • Short-term plates
  • Customs or export plates
  • Dealer plates

Every vehicle driven on public roads in Germany requires registration and liability insurance.

Depending on the use case, a different license plate is needed:

Short-term plates

These plates are valid for 5 days and are intended for private transfer journeys.

The registration expires automatically.

Example: You have bought a car and want to drive it from the dealer to your hometown to register it there.

Cost: €70.00 - €120.00

You can find out more about the costs in our article: What do short-term plates cost?

Savings tip: If you buy the short-term license plate insurance separately, you not only save money, but you can also decide later where you want to insure the vehicle.

Customs plates / Export plates

You need these plates if, for example, you have sold a vehicle abroad and now want to transfer it there (permanently).

Example: You have sold your car to someone residing abroad. You now want to transfer the vehicle abroad to keep it there permanently.

Cost: Approximately €120.00

Dealer plates / Red plates

These plates can only be applied for by dealers, workshops, inspection centers, or classic car owners at the registration office and are intended for test drives, for example.

Example: A car dealer with several locations wants to move his vehicles from one location to another.

Cost: Approximately €500 per year

The following applies to all license plates:

• Insurance
• All vehicles require liability insurance
• Restriction of use
• There are usually restrictions on these plates. For example, car sharing is generally not permitted.
• Validity period
• The validity of transfer plates is limited. For short-term plates, for example, to 5 days.
• Deregistration
• Short-term plates expire automatically, as do export plates.

Registration

The license plates must be applied for at the responsible authority.
You must bring the following documents:

• Valid identity card/passport
• Valid HU (main inspection)
• For companies/registered businesses
  • For dealer plates:
  • Registered motor vehicle business
• Business registration
• Commercial register extract
• For associations
• Association register extract
• EVB (electronic insurance confirmation)
• SEPA direct debit mandate for vehicle tax
• Possibly a certificate of good conduct
• Possibly driving aptitude register information