Import car from Germany to Poland

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 16, 12, 23:10 #1
Hello We bought a Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI in Germany and will be registering it in Germany until we move to Poland in May. What will I then have to do to import the car into Poland and get a Polish license plate? What are the charges and will I have to prepare something before we drive to Poland or mention it at the border?! Thanks Jars

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Jan 16, 12, 23:45 #2
Jars777: or mention it at the border? there is no border

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 16, 12, 23:50 #3
Fair enough. But there must be a place for this somewhere?!

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Jan 17, 12, 00:18 #4

Yes, there's lots of paperwork and running around you need to do. From memory you need to get all the documents (including the purchase contract) translated by a sworn translator, get a Polish roadworthiness test, pay the duty, get confirmation from the customs office that you've paid the duty, pay a recycling charge and then you can get the car registered at your local authority. You will also need to have a permanent place of residence (meldunek). If you've owned the car for over 6 months you can get an exemption from paying the duty but you have to do it within a certain time period of bringing the car in to the country and of course, it involves more paperwork.

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Edited by: delphiandomine Jan 17, 12, 00:48 #5
inkrakow: From memory you need to get all the documents (including the purchase contract) translated by a sworn translator, get a Polish roadworthiness test Hmm - I have a feeling that there's no need to get EU documents translated, but I could be wrong...

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Jan 17, 12, 13:12 #6

delphiandomine:

Hmm - I have a feeling that there's no need to get EU documents translated, but I could be wrong...

I think you have to translate German documents into PL. When I had imported the car, I had to translate by a sworn translator as inkrakow wrote.

Show me Polish customs officers or other bureaucrat who speaks any foreign language in the level which is sufficient to base his/her work on foreign documents :)

Regarding a car import, there are charges as inkrakow mentioned, they depends on the engine size. But you can drive a car with German licence plates anyway.

P.

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Jan 17, 12, 13:34 #7

Ok. Thank you all. Didn't think it was going to be that difficult.

Does anyone know of any benefits of actually importing it? Or could I just leave it registered in Germany?

Pro's:
- No charges for import
- No need for translation of documents
- Maybe getting away with potential speeding fines :-)

Con's:
- Going to Germany for TÜV (German version of MOT)

I suppose it would depend a bit on cost as well. TAX for a 1.9 TDI is approx. 300€ per year. Insurance would come in at 600€. Does anyone know if that
sounds very expensive compared to what we would be after importing it to Poland?

Thanks
Jars

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Edited by: gumishu Jan 17, 12, 13:39 #8

Jars777:

Does anyone know of any benefits of actually importing it? Or could I just leave it registered in Germany?

there is no additional yearly tax on your car in Poland unlike in Germany AFAIK (I'm pretty sure there is some Steuer paid yearly for any vehicle in Germany) - insurance costs may be lower in Poland but you need to investigate this one - but these may possibly not outweigh all the costs involved in official importing the car into Poland (especially in the short run)

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 17, 12, 13:42 #9
@gumishu: Yes, there is yearly tax.... Jars777: TAX for a 1.9 TDI is approx. 300€ per year. Ok... thank you for your help.

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Jan 17, 12, 13:56 #10

Jars777:

Insurance would come in at 600€.

does that include insurance against damage outside normal trafic and against theft? (aka Autocasco or AC) - if not then the bare Polish 'Ubezpieczenie od odpowiedzialności cywilnej'(in short OC = Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung) can be about 2 times cheaper

edit: oh, well checked some quotes and OC+AC for your car can be as low as 1500 or even less than 800 PLN (I guess OC+AC is what you get for 600 euros in Germany)

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Jan 17, 12, 15:38 #11

The quote I have is for indemnity insurance (Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung) + part insurance cover (Teilkasko) without excess.

I suppose it all depends on how much the whole process of importing it would cost.

Translation would probably cost around 100€ + but I obviously don't know how much the rest will be. If anyone could share more info on how much the entire process costs that would be amazing.

Thanks

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Edited by: gumishu Jan 17, 12, 15:55 #12

Jars777:

Translation would probably cost around 100€ + but I obviously don't know how much the rest will be. If anyone could share more info on how much the entire process costs that would be amazing.

I think the tax that is calculated based on the value of the vehicle should be 3.1 per cent in your case (I am not 100 per cent positively sure if the 2000 cm3 limit on the lower tax rate applies to Diesels though - the higher tax rate is over 13 per cent)

all the fees should amount to about 1000 PLN

http://www.autokalkulator.pl/

http://www.206club.net/showthread.php?t=48059

Translation would probably cost around 100€ - it should be around 150 PLN and I have taken these 150 PLN into account when summing up the fees

but beware I have figured it mostly on the basis of these two websites one of which is a 2009 update and the other is 2005 (the one quoting 'akcyza' tax rates)

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 17, 12, 16:17 #13
I suppose that would definitely be cheaper than keeping it registered/insured in Germany. The car is a 1.9 Diesel. 1896 cm³ so should be below the price bracket. Is there any "harm" in having it properly registered in Germany for a while (we bought it just before Christmas) and then importing it to Poland in May/June or does it need to be done quickly after buying it?

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Jan 17, 12, 16:42 #14

Jars777:

Is there any "harm" in having it properly registered in Germany for a while (we bought it just before Christmas) and then importing it to Poland in May/June or does it need to be done quickly after buying it?

there is such a legal institution as 'mienie przesiedleńcze' (movable property that you bring with you from a foreign country) and it is free of duties including akcyza - the thing is I have no idea if it is applicable to foreigners who move into Poland - in case of vehicles I remember hearing that you need to be in hold (the legal owner) of a vehicle for 6 months before entering Poland while being resident in the country where you bring the vehicle from - even if it applies to simple case of a foreigner moving to Poland it may not be applicable in your case (I assume you were (and still are) residing in the UKand you have bought the car in Germany - it is still worth investigating because you can save some further money (the amount that you would otherwise spend on the duty tax) - if you can claim (and prove) residency in Germany at the moment of purchase maybe it can solve the problem - in this case it can prove worthwhile to wait until July before bringing the car in (if you need a car from the very start such wait can be impractical and unreasonable from financial point of view)

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Jan 17, 12, 16:57 #15

Thank you so much for helping.

Well, I am German and are still registered at my parents house in Germany (mainly for the purpose of getting an ID card) but I live in work in the UK. As you don't really register in the UK for residency, I suppose I have been a resident all my life in Germany (where I was born). But they won't be any connection between the car and the UK at all. It will be just in Germany... if that makes sense?!

We will definitely need the car right from the start (moving beginning of May) so we would probably have to bite the bullet and pay for it. But I will look into it once we have got an address in Gdansk (currently flat hunting).

How would the Polish government know that I drove into the country with the car?! If I would leave Poland in July and then come back and then register it in Poland it would have then been mine for 6 months. Or am I understanding it incorrectly?

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Jan 17, 12, 17:04 #16

gumishu:

there is such a legal institution as 'mienie przesiedleńcze' (movable property that you bring with you from a foreign country) and it is free of duties including akcyza - the thing is I have no idea if it is applicable to foreigners who move into Poland - in case of vehicles I remember hearing that you need to be in hold (the legal owner) of a vehicle for 6 months before entering Poland while being resident in the country where you bring the vehicle from

ah yes, it's all coming back to me... Yes, if you're moving to Poland and have had the car for 6 months already you are exempt from the akcyza.

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 17, 12, 17:09 #17
inkrakow: ah yes, it's all coming back to me... Yes, if you're moving to Poland and have had the car for 6 months already you are exempt from the akcyza. Ahaa.... Thank you! So if I drive with a German licence plate until end of June 2012/ beginning of July (6 months after time of purchase from end of Dec) and then import it into Poland will I then be exempt?

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Edited by: gumishu Jan 17, 12, 17:18 #18

Jars777:

Ahaa.... Thank you!

So if I drive with a German licence plate until end of June 2012/ beginning of July (6 months after time of purchase from end of Dec) and then import it into Poland will I then be exempt?

the proof of residence in Germany for that time can be important - I don't know that for sure - just what I can figure from what I know

aaa sorry so you are resident in Germany for the whole time - then there should be no problem I guess - just driving the car on German plates until June/July seems reasonable in that light

Jars777:

How would the Polish government know that I drove into the country with the car?

they wouldn't

Jars777Threads: 15 Posts: 54 Joined: Feb 27, 11 ♀	Jan 17, 12, 17:20 #19
Ok. I suppose that won't work then. We will have to register in Gdansk in May and I will probably be self-employed there too. Ok... fair enough we will probably pay the tax. Does anyone know if I can then claim back the VAT I paid in Germany?

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Jan 17, 12, 17:30 #20

Jars777:

Ok. I suppose that won't work then

why not it should - I meant the government will not know if you entered Poland with you car before the time you declare it as 'personal holdings moved to Poland' and thus exempt from duty - and you have to declare it at some point with the Urząd Celny (Duties Administration) to be able to register it in Poland - before that time you can drive here on German plates no problem

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Jan 17, 12, 17:43 #21

But I thought you said that the proof of residency in Germany at the time I have the car 6 months is important? If I have to register as resident in Poland in May they will know that I have moved before I had the car for 6 months?!

Actually that brings up another question... will have now have to stop being a resident in Germany as I will have to register in Poland? The UK doesn't mind but Poland does.... phew... loads of questions. sorry.

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Edited by: gumishu Jan 17, 12, 17:55 #22

Jars777:

But I thought you said that the proof of residency in Germany at the time I have the car 6 months is important?

duty office won't know you are already established in Poland for a month or so (I would believe) - but make sure with other people about that - and I guess you don't have to resign your residence in Germany for quite some time after physically moving to Poland (if at all) - after some deliberation I guess the matter requires further investigation at this point (eventually you may choose to pay the tax and save yourself a hassle) - the most important question is weather the Urząd Celny is able to check if you are already resident in Poland and registered for paying taxes in Poland (maybe moving the point of registering for paying taxes in Poland is the solution to all these problematic issues - Pesel and residency is not enough to be required to register for tax purposes - if you think you shouldn't try to walk around the system I tell you don't worry - the system has been put in place not to allow Polish citizens who reside in Poland to import cars from the EU tax-free and not to hamper the movement of people like yourself

Jars777:

Actually that brings up another question... will have now have to stop being a resident in Germany as I will have to register in Poland? The UK doesn't mind but Poland does.... phew... loads of questions. sorry.

yes, loads of questions - my mom used to be resident in Germany and she still was for some time after moving back to Poland (a couple of months thanks to my aunt who allowed her to 'melden sich' at her address - the thing is she was registered for Polish taxes and was also had an official residency in Poland for the whole time

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