Buying a car in Germany is certainly the dream of many international students when they first come to Germany to live and work. But is buying a car in Germany the same as in Vietnam and how to buy a car in Germany? Let’s find out about this with My Career!

Can Foreigners Buy Cars in Germany?

Of course, as long as you are registered as a resident in Germany. Note that you will only be able to drive a car in Germany if your foreign driving license is valid in Germany. 

What kind of car to buy in Germany?

New Car

If you have your heart set on a brand new car, you should choose a car dealer to discuss all the details and configurations. 

Used Cars

Used cars are quite popular in Germany, as new cars depreciate very quickly, especially in the first years. You can buy it from a dealer (Gebrauchtwagenhändler) or from a private person. 

Jahreswagen (A Vehicle That Has Been Used for a Maximum of One Year)

A Jahreswagen is a mix between a new and a used car, as it is only a year old at most, hence the name. The advantage is that it is still in great shape, is mostly used by car dealership employees, and you don’t have to deal with the high depreciation that occurs in the first year after a car is registered. Jahreswagen are only sold by branded dealers. 

How to Buy a Car in Germany

Here are 9 detailed steps that take you from wanting a car to owning a car in Germany.

1. Find the Car You Want

Of course, it all starts with finding the right car for you. The best sites to research and find car dealers in Germany are mobile.de and autoscout24.de. Both allow you to search for new and used cars. Once you have set up your profile, you can enter all the details you want your new ride to have. Whether you need a family car with more than five seats or four-wheel drive, you can filter for each detail.

You can also save your favorite searches and vehicles and set reminders in case new cars that match your search become available. Both sites have iOS and Android apps.

Specifications to Look for on a Used Car

• Mileage ( Kilometerstand ) ? 100,000 km is usually an important standard
• First registration (Erstzulassung ? EZ) ? date indicating the age of the vehicle
• Previous Owner Number (Vorbesitzer)
• Fuel type (Kraftstoffart) ? Gasoline (Benzin) or Diesel
• Engine power (Leistung) ? PS in German stands for horsepower
• Next periodic technical inspection date (Hauptuntersuchung ? HU) ? you should look for cars that have at least a year until the next HU or ideally a new HU when purchased.
• Accident free car 
• Gearshift mechanism (Getriebe) ? Most cars in Germany have a manual gearshift function (Schaltgetriebe), so keep that in mind if you are just learning to drive an automatic (Automatik)
• Service records (Checkheft gepflegt) ? Only look for cars that provide complete service records, because without them, it will be difficult for you to maintain your car.
• Air conditioning (Klimaanlage) ? note that not all car manufacturers and used cars are equipped with AC.
• Emissions sticker (Umweltplakete) ? Most German cities are environmental zones, which means that only cars with a green emissions sticker (Euro 4) are allowed to enter. So make sure to look for a car with a green emissions sticker.

2. Visit a Car Dealership

Once you have found a car you like, call the dealership or private seller to double-check that it is still available and make an appointment. A good dealership will let you test drive the car and inspect it to your liking. If you are looking at a used car and you know nothing about cars, you might consider bringing a friend who does know. 

3. Buy a Car 

Once you’ve decided to buy a car, you’ll sign a binding purchase order with the dealership and make a down payment. However, you won’t just be able to drive your new car. Before you can do that, you’ll need to insure and register the car. Some dealerships will provide you with the registration service, either for free or for a fee.

This is also the time to discuss payment options and their interest rates. 

Used Car Warranty

When you buy a used car in Germany from a car dealer, you will receive a one-year warranty as part of the dealer’s legal framework. The warranty means that the dealer must cover the costs of repairing any faults that appear within the first few months after purchase if the source of the fault existed before the purchase. 

Used Car Guarantee

Your car dealer may offer you a one- to three-year warranty in addition to the warranty for an additional fee. This warranty also covers defects that did not exist before purchase. Warranties can range in scope from purely mechanical to electrical. Typically, the warranty covers 100% of labor costs and 30% to 100% of material costs, depending on the mileage at the time of the defect. 

4. Get TÜV Tested

All vehicles in Germany must pass a comprehensive inspection every two years. The official term in German is HU (Hauptuntersuchung). The unofficial term is TÜV inspection. TÜV is simply the most common organization that carries out this comprehensive inspection on vehicles, hence the popularization of the term.

If your vehicle passes the overall inspection successfully, you will receive a valid sticker to affix to your rear license plate.

Workshops certified by TÜV, Dekra, KÜS or GTÜ can carry out this inspection at a cost of 70 to 150 euros.

If the car dealer sells you a new vehicle that has had a comprehensive inspection, it is the dealer’s responsibility to have it inspected.

Once the overall inspection is complete and the dealer receives your deposit, they will send you the vehicle registration documents (Zulassungsbescheinigung I and Zulassungsbescheinigung II) along with the TÜV certificate by post. 

After receiving the vehicle registration, you can transfer the remaining amount to the car dealer if you have agreed to pay directly. 

5. Make a Vehicle Registration Appointment

After purchasing your car, you should make an appointment online at the vehicle registration office (Kfz-Zulassungsstelle). You can only register your car in the city where you registered it. Please allow some time for the above documents to be sent by post.

6. Buy Car Insurance

To register your car, you need a so-called eVB number (elektronische Versicherungsbestätigung), which you will receive online after purchasing car insurance, from Getsafe or through a comparison tool such as Tarifcheck .

There are three different types of car insurance in Germany:

• Liability on cars (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung)
• Partial protection (Teilkasko )
• Total protection (Vollkasko)

7. Purchase Your Licenses

You can save time and money by pre-ordering and purchasing your new license plates online. You can choose a license plate combination of your choice, if available. For the first letter(s), you must enter the abbreviation that indicates the city in which you and your vehicle are registered. If you do not want to purchase your license plates online, there are many license plate manufacturers in and around the registration office. 

8. Vehicle Registration

Bring all your documents and your license plate to the registration office at the appointed time and buy the Umweltplakete directly from the salesperson, as it is much cheaper than online. The salesperson will print out the new vehicle registration ? Fahrzeugschein (also known as Zulassungsbescheinigung I) and add your name to the vehicle title ? Fahrzeugbrief (also known as Zulassungsbescheinigung II). They will also affix your city label and the HU/TÜV label to the license plate.

9. Pick Up

Now it’s time to pick up your new ride. Ideally, you’ll want to let your dealer know about your new license plate number so they can prepare all the paperwork. When you pick up your car, you’ll receive all the paperwork from the dealer, such as the sales contract (Kaufvertrag), service records, warranty if you’ve added one, final invoice, and owner’s manual.

Car Buying Process in Germany

The actual time you can drive your vehicle from the time you sign the order depends on whether the vehicle is legal and how soon you can get an appointment at the registration office. 

Day of the week	Action taken to purchase a car in Germany
Tuesday	Go to the car dealership, inspect, test drive and buy the car Make an appointment to register at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle in Dusseldorf next Tuesday
Wednesday	Pay a portion of the cost in advance
Thursday	The car dealer has completed the TÜV inspection and then sent the car registration and TÜV certificate by post. Order and buy license plates online
Friday	Car registration papers arrive by mail License plates printed and sent via DHL Buy car insurance through Tarifcheck Register with ADAC Automobile Club
Saturday	License plate arrives via DHL
Tuesday	Come to the registration office with all the papers and pick up the car Go to the car dealer and pick up the car

Can You Buy a Car in Germany Online?

Yes, you can! If the process described above sounds too complicated and troublesome for you, then buying a car online is another option. In fact, it is a much more convenient one.

Over the past year, online platforms like Instamotion have entered the used car market. You can search for the car you want on their website and place an order online. The car will be delivered to you registered and ready to drive. They offer used cars up to 5 years old with a maximum mileage of 100,000 km. The cars are quality inspected and come with a minimum one-year warranty and guarantee.

If you are not satisfied with the vehicle, you can return it within 14 days with a 100% money back guarantee.

InstaMotion ? Online Cars

• Premium Used Cars
• Registration includes
• Deliver to home
• 14 Day Money Back Guarantee

How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a Car in Germany?

In addition to the actual cost of the car, you should consider spending around €1,000 on things like car registration, car insurance, car tax and car club membership. Below, My Career breaks down each cost of buying a car in Germany. 

Car Prices In Germany

The average price of a new car in Germany is around 36,300 euros, while the average price of a used car in Germany is around 18,750 euros. However, of course, these figures vary greatly, depending on the make, model and configuration of the car. 

Car Tax In Germany

Every vehicle owner must pay car tax in Germany. The amount of tax, of course, depends on the make, model, and engine. The average car tax for a new car is around 200 euros per year. Remember that when you register your car, you will have to provide your bank details to the registration office so that the federal customs office can collect the tax directly from your bank account.

Car Insurance Costs in Germany

After the purchase price of the car, car insurance is definitely one of the more expensive expenses for an owner. For liability car insurance, the average cost is 258 euros per year. Let’s say you want to add a part of insurance (Teilkasko) to it. In that case, you have to pay an average of 89 euros, and if you want full comprehensive insurance (Vollkasko), you have to add an average of 329 euros to the liability insurance. Therefore, comprehensive car insurance costs an average of 587 euros per year. 

Car Registration Fees in Germany

To register your recently purchased vehicle, you will need to pay for a license plate, emissions sticker, registration fee, and possibly a TÜV inspection. Prices vary slightly between cities and providers. 

Cost of Becoming a Member of an Automobile Club

As a car owner in Germany, you might consider joining an automobile club, such as ADAC . The number one reason is to get a breakdown cover (Schutzbrief) for Germany, Europe or even the whole world. Membership for one person starts at 54 euros per year .

So, buying a car in Germany is not too different from buying one in Vietnam. And you can do it! By following all the steps in this guide, you will own one of the 48.25 million cars registered in Germany and be able to drive the German Autobahn whenever you want. 

Tip: My Career strongly recommends that you take a safety driving training course (Fahrsicherheitstraining), to learn the driving characteristics of your new ride and to perfect your skills in handling stressful driving situations. ADAC has 60 different locations in Germany where they offer different forms of safety driving training. They are fun and really improve your car handling skills.

Happy and safe driving!