Selling or transferring a registered vehicle

For the buyer to re-register the vehicle, you must hand over a complete file. The expected documents are broadly the same across Europe, even though each administration may have its own specifics.

• Proof of sale (invoice or sales certificate): it confirms the transfer of ownership, clearly identifies the seller, the buyer and the vehicle (make, model, chassis/VIN number) and states the agreed price and date of the transaction.
• Registration certificate (logbook): handed to the buyer and, where applicable, crossed out and signed in line with the rules of the original country of registration.
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC): the manufacturer's original document, essential for re-registering the vehicle in another EU country.
• Service history and maintenance booklet: not mandatory but strongly recommended, as it reassures the buyer and adds value to the vehicle.

We help you check that the file is complete before it is handed over, to avoid any back-and-forth later on.

When the buyer lives in another country, the vehicle usually has to be taken off the road in its original country of registration. Depending on the administration, this de-registration triggers the issue of an export certificate (sometimes called an "export logbook") that allows the buyer to begin re-registration at home.

This document is generally identical to the usual registration certificate, with a note stating that the vehicle is no longer registered in the country of origin. Obtaining it may involve administrative fees specific to each country.

If the buyer lives in the same country as the seller, a simple transfer followed by local re-registration may be enough, without an export certificate. We determine with you the procedure suited to the buyer's profile and the country involved.

Once the vehicle has been officially de-registered or handed over to the buyer, remember to cancel or suspend your insurance policy for that vehicle: as long as it remains in your name, you may still be held liable.

Depending on the country and how the road tax is calculated, a pro-rata refund for the remaining period may sometimes be possible. The rules and amounts vary from one country to another; for figures and the detail of applicable taxes, please see our dedicated car taxes page.

Keep a copy of all the transfer documents (proof of sale, evidence that the keys and papers were handed over, de-registration confirmation). They are your proof that the vehicle is no longer your responsibility.

For a used vehicle sold between private individuals, the transaction is generally completed inclusive of all taxes, with no VAT recoverable or charged separately. The situation differs for a vehicle treated as new under European rules.

For a new vehicle transferred from one EU country to another, VAT is due in the country of destination, that is the country where the owner is established. There is no "tax-free" intra-Community supply for a new vehicle: VAT always remains applicable. We assist the client in identifying the country of destination and determining the rate that applies there, without substituting for regulated tax advice.

Our role is to smooth the administrative side of the sale so that the transaction runs without a hitch, for you and for the buyer. We step in at every stage: assembling and checking the transfer file, handling de-registration, obtaining export documents where they are needed, and preparing the papers the buyer will have to present in order to re-register.

This administrative support is available in the countries we cover: Czechia, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. If the buyer in turn wishes to keep the vehicle registered in the country of origin, we can also point them towards the relevant steps. To get started or ask a question, contact us through the contact form or by phone.