Car import and re-import: saving money on new cars?

Vehicle owners who are looking for inexpensive new cars will probably already have come across the terms import and reimport. Maybe you are also thinking about importing a car that. If and how you can save with a car import and which advantages and disadvantages are connected with it, you can read here.

Buying a car abroad can be worthwhile – but customers have to look carefully when buying and have to reckon with administrative expenses.

New cars can sometimes be bought much more cheaply in other EU countries or as reimports than in Germany. The possibility of importing a car with advantageous discounts is particularly tempting for some buyers. The main reason for lower prices for imported cars is the different tax laws that apply to imported cars in other countries. But what exactly are car imports and reimports all about??

Car import and reimport

An import car or reimport is a vehicle that was originally produced for another country and is subsequently imported or reimported to germany. reimport is when the car comes from a german manufacturer, import is when the car comes from a foreign manufacturer. In both cases, the cars are brought to a foreign market, but then bought back from abroad and imported into germany. importing a car allows you to bypass the manufacturer’s price constraints – so if you import a car, the purchase price of a new car becomes comparatively cheap.

Advantages of reimporting and importing a car

the biggest advantage of reimports is the price, as german cars are sometimes much cheaper in other countries. This results in significant savings for new cars. This is due to the taxes that are often higher when buying or importing a car from abroad than in Germany, which means that dealers have to lower the net price. The domestic market in the respective country is also relevant. if a car is not in demand there, the price will go down.

the buyer buys the reimport car at the net price valid there and thus bypasses the sales network of the manufacturer. After the import of the car only the value added tax must be paid. In addition, the re-import is completely legal and therefore particularly attractive for buyers.

Disadvantages of reimporting and importing a car

A disadvantage of reimportation for the customer is mainly the large administrative burden. The import of a car or reimport is often only possible through intermediaries, the appropriate car dealer is directly at the car import difficult to reach.

If you drive yourself to the country and import the car, you need a short-term license plate and insurance for that country. So there are still additional costs associated with the purchase and car import. Trustworthiness can also fall by the wayside when foreign languages are involved in a car import or reimport.

These requirements apply to the registration of an imported car

After you have imported a car, you must register it with the road traffic licensing authority, just like any other vehicle in germany. The import car must meet the following requirements:

• An individual inspection must be carried out in accordance with § 21 of the Road Traffic Act, whereby the imported car is inspected with regard to all regulations for participation in road traffic and must comply with these regulations. This is usually done by a testing organization such as the TuV (German Technical Inspection Agency).
• In addition, the imported car must have a valid MOT. If this is not the case, the main inspection for the imported car will take place in Germany.
• In germany a car, also an imported car, has to comply with the emission regulations. An emission certificate can be obtained here.

This is what you should consider when importing a car

Since a car import or re-import is often only handled via portals or via several intermediaries, you should check all details and statements very carefully.