Export licence plate 2026: €31.40, § 45 FZV, max. 1 year

Anyone who wants to take a vehicle abroad permanently needs a separate, time-limited registration for it. The legal basis is § 45 FZV “Journeys for the permanent transfer of a vehicle abroad” of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung, FZV). In everyday language, the result is called an export licence plate (Ausfuhrkennzeichen), export plate or customs plate. The vehicle registration office allocates you a licence plate with a red date field and issues a registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) limited to the export, which bears the expiry date. The administrative fee for this is set uniformly nationwide and amounts to €31.40 (Nr. 221.3 of the annex to the GebOSt) — so it is not a local price range but a fixed amount, to which only disbursements are added.

An important distinction that is often misrepresented online: The export licence plate is set out in § 45 FZV, not in § 43 FZV. § 43 FZV in the version of the FZV 2023 governs journeys to take part in events for classic cars (Oldtimer), in other words the red 07 licence plate. The reference § 19 FZV 2011, previously in common use, has also lapsed with the recast of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance. Anyone who cites the wrong section at the vehicle registration office risks applying for an entirely different type of licence plate with different requirements and different fees.

Two further points are regularly underestimated. First, the periodic roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung, HU — commonly called ‘TÜV’) is more strictly regulated than often assumed: the next inspection date under § 29 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, StVZO) must fall after the expiry date of the export registration — the HU must cover the entire term and not only be valid on the day of the application. Second, recognition abroad is not guaranteed: § 45 Abs. 1 FZV expressly applies only “insofar as it is permitted by the foreign state”. For journeys to third countries, an international registration certificate under § 44 FZV can additionally be issued, on which the expiry date is to be noted.

Last updated26 August 2026

Legal basis§ 45 FZV · Annex 4 FZV Abschnitt 8 · Annex to the GebOSt, Nr. 221.3

VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de

Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta

Independent information site: We are not the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. The administrative fee of €31.40 is set uniformly nationwide in the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr, GebOSt); disbursements, appointment booking, processing time and whether the vehicle has to be presented are determined by the vehicle registration offices themselves. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither solicitors nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.

At a glance

Administrative fee

€31.40

Validity

Maximum 1 year

Requirement

HU covering the entire term

Required documents

The applicant’s identity card (Personalausweis) or passport. The vehicle registration office must establish identity and address beyond doubt; the document must be valid. If you are acting for another person, you additionally need a written power of attorney and a copy of the holder’s identity document. For companies, a current extract from the commercial register (Handelsregisterauszug) or the trade registration and a power of attorney from the person authorised to represent the company are also required.
Registration certificate Part I and Part II. Part I (formerly Fahrzeugschein) is withdrawn for a vehicle already registered, and Part II (formerly Fahrzeugbrief) is updated and handed back to you — this is what § 45 Abs. 4 FZV requires. If Part II is missing, a replacement document must first be applied for; the public notice procedure involved takes several weeks depending on the vehicle registration office and delays your export date accordingly.
Yellow insurance confirmation for export licence plates (Annex 16 FZV). This is not the usual eVB number of regular registration. § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 a FZV requires proof of liability insurance under the Act on Liability Insurance for Foreign Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Trailers, on the form in Annex 16 FZV. You obtain the confirmation from your insurer or from brokers specialising in export insurance; the term chosen there also determines the period of validity of your export registration.
Inspection report on the periodic roadworthiness test under § 29 StVZO. Bring the full inspection report, not just the sticker on the old licence plate. What matters is the date of the next inspection: it must fall after the desired expiry date of the export registration, otherwise a new HU is due beforehand (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 b and Satz 2 FZV). The City of Munich (Landeshauptstadt München) states this expressly as “inspection report on a valid periodic roadworthiness test (covering the entire term of the export registration)”.
The previous licence plates, for de-stamping. If the vehicle is still registered in Germany, both plates must be physically presented so that the stamp stickers (Stempelplakette — the registration seal on the licence plate) can be invalidated. Without the old plates, the vehicle registration office cannot complete the export registration and will send you to a second appointment. If the plates have been stolen or lost, you need a corresponding report of loss (Verlustanzeige) or statutory declaration.
New plates with a red date field from the plate-embossing service. Only have these embossed once the vehicle registration office has fixed the licence plate and the expiry date, because both details are embossed into the plate. The embossing services are private businesses, but are usually located right next to the vehicle registration office. The cost of the pair of plates is not part of the administrative fee.
SEPA direct debit mandate for the motor vehicle tax (Kraftfahrzeugsteuer, Kfz-Steuer). For its duration, the export registration establishes tax liability for holding a domestic vehicle under § 1 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (Kraftfahrzeugsteuergesetz, KraftStG); the tax is administered by the customs administration. Many vehicle registration offices accept the mandate directly during the registration process. Without a valid mandate, the allocation may be refused in some districts.
The vehicle itself, where applicable. Several vehicle registration offices require the vehicle to be presented for inspection before the export licence plate is allocated; the city of Münster expressly points this out. Whether a presentation is necessary depends on local practice and should be asked about before the appointment. In this case, plan for a transfer drive with a short-term licence plate (Kurzzeitkennzeichen) or on a trailer.
An application for an international registration certificate (§ 44 FZV), where applicable. For exports to non-EU states, this multilingual document is often helpful or required; the expiry date of the export registration is noted on it (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FZV). The certificate is only issued on request and costs an additional fee. Clarify the need in advance with the embassy or the vehicle registration authority of the destination state.
COC certificate or data confirmation, where applicable. For new or imported vehicles without a previous German registration, the authority needs the technical vehicle data in a usable form. The COC certificate comes from the manufacturer, a data confirmation from an officially recognised testing organisation. Without this proof, the vehicle cannot be entered in the Central Vehicle Register.

Step by step

1

Clarify the competent vehicle registration office and book an appointment

In principle, the competent body is the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle at the holder’s place of residence or seat; for vehicles held by the motor trade, the location of the vehicle may also be considered. There is no online route: the internet-based registration procedure i-Kfz is conclusively regulated in §§ 18 to 32 FZV and does not cover the allocation of an export licence plate. You must therefore appear in person or send a person with written power of attorney. Book the appointment online as soon as the planned export date is fixed — in metropolitan areas the next free appointments are often several weeks away, while smaller rural districts often still offer walk-in hours.

2

Check the periodic roadworthiness test and bring it forward if necessary

First fix the desired expiry date and compare it with the next HU date in the inspection report. If the HU date falls before the expiry date, the periodic roadworthiness test must be carried out beforehand — this follows directly from § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 b and Satz 2 FZV. Allow a time buffer for fixing defects and a re-test, since a vehicle that is being sold anyway tends to show more defects. You can find everything about the process and the costs on our page on the periodic roadworthiness test at TÜV and DEKRA.

3

Obtain the yellow insurance confirmation

Apply to your insurer or an export broker for an insurance confirmation under Annex 16 FZV and state the desired period. This term is what actually sets the pace of the whole procedure: under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FZV, the registration is time-limited to exactly the duration of the proven liability insurance, for a maximum of one year. There is no statutory minimum period; in practice the insurers set the lower limit, which is usually around 14 to 15 days. Choose the period on the generous side, since a subsequent extension means a new official procedure with a new fee.

4

Submit the application and have the previous licence plates de-stamped

Present all the documents in full at the appointment. For a vehicle already registered, the old plates are de-stamped, the registration certificate Part I is withdrawn and Part II is updated (§ 45 Abs. 4 FZV). This is expressly not a vehicle deregistration (Außerbetriebsetzung, commonly called Abmeldung) but a new, time-limited export registration — the vehicle therefore remains registered and liable for tax. Under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FZV, the vehicle registration authority may use time limits and conditions to ensure that the vehicle leaves the area covered by the ordinance within a reasonable time; it can additionally require you to present the vehicle.

5

Have the plates embossed and stamped

With the allocation, you go to the plate-embossing service and have the licence plate embossed together with the expiry date; the plates then receive the stamp sticker at the vehicle registration office. Export licence plates look different from how they are often described: only the field with the expiry date has a red background with black lettering, with the top number giving the day, the middle one the month and the bottom one the year (Annex 4 FZV Abschnitt 8 Nr. 3). This red background must not be retroreflective. Export licence plates do not carry a Euro field or an HU sticker; the stamp sticker bears an official seal with a red background in the shade RAL 2002 and a diameter of 35 millimetres.

6

Receive the time-limited documents and carry them with you

You receive a registration certificate Part I which, under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 4 FZV, is limited to the export of the vehicle and bears the expiry date of the period of validity. Under § 45 Abs. 3 FZV, this document must be carried on every journey and handed over to the competent persons on request — a copy is not sufficient. On request, the authority additionally issues an international registration certificate under § 44 FZV, on which the expiry date is also to be noted. Check the data entered while still at the counter, because later corrections require a further in-person visit.

7

Complete the customs formalities and observe the deadline

If the vehicle is going to a third country outside the EU, it must be exported under customs law; the export declaration is a prerequisite for the exit confirmation and for the VAT-exempt export delivery. You can read how this works on our page on the customs declaration at the Zollamt (customs office). Within the EU, no export declaration is needed, but the registration rules of the destination state still apply. Bear the end of the term in mind: after the period of validity has expired, the vehicle must no longer be put into operation on public roads within the area covered by the FZV, and the holder must neither order nor permit this (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 5 and 6 FZV).

Fees & costs

Service	Amount
Administrative fee for the allocation (GebOSt, annex, Nr. 221.3)	€31.40 – fixed uniformly across Germany
Disbursements for stamping, stamp stickers and documents	Depending on the vehicle registration office
Local total, example: City of Munich	From €31.80
Local total, example: City of Leverkusen	€34.60
Local total, example: City of Münster	€47.40
Simultaneous exchange of the vehicle documents (Munich)	Additional €13.80
Pair of plates with a red date field (private plate-embossing service)	approx. €20–€40
Export insurance under Annex 16 FZV	From approx. €30 per month
Motor vehicle tax (pro rata, § 9 KraftStG)	Vehicle-specific
Realistic total (starting figure)	From approx. €80

The administrative fee is not a range. Nr. 221.3 of the annex to the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (GebOSt) states exactly €31.40 for the “decision on the allocation of an export licence plate”. This amount applies equally across all federal states; the decisive version is the annex as last amended by Article 6 of the ordinance of 12 August 2026. Figures such as “€30 to €50” are based on mixing up the fee and the disbursements.

Why vehicle registration offices nonetheless quote different totals. Disbursements for stamping, the stamp stickers and the issuing of the documents are added to the fixed fee. That is why the City of Munich states “from €31.80”, the city of Leverkusen €34.60 and the city of Münster €47.40 — for the same official act. If an exchange of the vehicle documents is also needed at the same time, Munich charges an additional €13.80. Ask your vehicle registration office for the total before you go to your appointment on a tight budget.

Means of payment and additional costs. Which payment methods are accepted — cash, Girocard, credit card, or cashless payment only — depends on the competent authority and is not regulated uniformly nationwide. Not included in the official fee are the plates, which you buy from a private plate-embossing service, and the export insurance. The motor vehicle tax is due for the duration of the export registration and can only be calculated on a vehicle-specific basis under § 9 KraftStG; the customs administration is responsible, more information on our page on the motor vehicle tax at customs. Since the fee and the plates alone already add up to around €55 to €75, a total budget of €70 including insurance is too tight.

Important notes

The period of validity depends on the insurance, not on your free choice. § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FZV limits the registration to the duration of the proven liability insurance, for a maximum of one year. There is no statutory minimum period of two days; the practical lower limit follows the minimum term of the export insurance and is usually around 14 to 15 days. Individual vehicle registration offices set their own upper limits: the city of Münster expressly issues export licence plates for a maximum of 30 days.
The authority may impose additional conditions. Under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FZV, the vehicle registration authority may use time limits and conditions to ensure that the vehicle leaves the area covered by the ordinance within a reasonable time. A shorter period than applied for is therefore lawful and not a processing error. Expect this especially if you want to keep using the vehicle in Germany for longer.
The plate does not have a red border. Annex 4 FZV Abschnitt 8 Nr. 3 states that only the field with the expiry date has a red background with black lettering, and that this background must not be retroreflective. A red border and red lettering, by contrast, mark the red licence plates for recurring use under Annex 4 Abschnitt 7 — in other words the dealer plates (06) and the classic car plates (07). This confusion regularly leads to incorrect applications.
Recognition abroad is subject to a reservation. § 45 Abs. 1 FZV applies only “insofar as it is permitted by the foreign state”. There is therefore no automatic, worldwide validity. Clarify the entry and registration rules of every transit and destination state in advance, and apply for an international registration certificate under § 44 FZV for third countries, on which the expiry date is to be noted (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 4 FZV).
The time-limited registration certificate Part I must be carried with you. Under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 4 FZV it is limited to the export, bears the expiry date, and under § 45 Abs. 3 FZV must be carried on every journey and handed over on request. Do not keep the document in luggage that may be shipped separately. In checks abroad, it is the central proof of the lawfulness of the journey.
It is not an Abmeldung (deregistration) but a new registration. For a vehicle already registered, under § 45 Abs. 4 FZV the previous licence plates are de-stamped, the registration certificate Part I is withdrawn and Part II is updated. This does not put the vehicle out of service, but re-registers it on a time-limited basis — with all the consequences for insurance and tax liability. Anyone who only wants to take the vehicle off the road instead needs vehicle deregistration.
An online application is not provided for. Internet-based registration is regulated in §§ 18 to 32 FZV and does not cover the export licence plate. The official procedure must therefore be completed in person or by an authorised representative. Several vehicle registration offices, including the city of Münster, additionally require the vehicle to be presented before allocation.
The motor vehicle tax continues to run during the export registration. Holding a domestic vehicle is liable to tax under § 1 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 KraftStG; the amount is determined under § 9 KraftStG and therefore depends on cubic capacity, drive type and CO₂ emissions. The tax is administered by the customs administration, not the Finanzamt (tax office). The longer the period of validity you choose, the higher the tax and the insurance premium will be.
After the expiry date, it is over. § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 5 and 6 FZV prohibits putting the vehicle into operation on public roads after the deadline and expressly forbids the holder from ordering or permitting such a journey. There is no extension after the deadline has passed; a new export registration with a new fee and new proof of insurance would be required. Plan for delays in shipping or customs clearance from the outset.
For short transfer drives within Germany, there is an alternative. If the vehicle only needs to be driven to the testing centre, to the buyer or to the port, a short-term licence plate under § 42 FZV can be the cheaper solution; it is valid until the end of the fifth day following its allocation. Note, however, that since 1 April 2015 this too requires a valid periodic roadworthiness test (§ 42 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FZV) and is only of limited use for journeys abroad.

Common mistakes

The HU is valid on the day of the application, but ends before the expiry date.

This is by far the most common reason for rejection. § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 b and Satz 2 FZV requires the next inspection date under § 29 StVZO to fall after the expiry date of the export registration. If this is overlooked, the vehicle registration office rejects the application; you must first have a periodic roadworthiness test carried out and book a new appointment. For an older export vehicle, this quickly means several days of delay and additional costs for fixing defects.

Appeared at the appointment with an ordinary eVB number.

The eVB number of regular registration does not meet the requirements of § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 a FZV. What is required is an insurance confirmation under Annex 16 FZV, in practice the yellow confirmation for export licence plates. Without this document the application is not processed — the appointment is forfeited, and in cities with long waiting times for appointments this costs weeks.

Continued driving after the expiry date.

After the period of validity has expired, the vehicle must no longer be put into operation on public roads within the area covered by the FZV, and the holder must neither order nor permit this (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 5 and 6 FZV). A breach is a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit) under § 77 FZV; the specific regulatory fine (Geldbuße) is set by the competent fines authority. The civil-law consequence usually weighs more heavily: the insurance cover ends with the expiry date, so in the event of an accident you are personally liable for the entire damage.

The export licence plate confused with the red licence plate.

Because it is often claimed that export licence plates have “a red border”, applicants sometimes apply for a red licence plate for recurring use under Annex 4 Abschnitt 7 FZV instead. These 06 and 07 licence plates are tied to motor vehicle businesses or classic car holders respectively and are unsuitable for a vehicle export. For the export licence plate, only the field with the expiry date has a red background. An incorrect application costs time and, as a rule, a second fee.

Relied on worldwide recognition of the licence plate.

§ 45 Abs. 1 FZV applies only insofar as its use is permitted by the foreign state. Anyone who sets off without checking the rules of the destination or transit state risks being turned back at the border, having the vehicle seized, or having to clear customs on unfavourable terms. For third countries you should therefore also apply for an international registration certificate under § 44 FZV.

Forgot the export declaration at customs.

For an export to a non-EU country, the vehicle must be exported under customs law. Without an export declaration there is no exit confirmation, proof of the tax-exempt export delivery fails, and import clearance in the destination state is delayed. For a commercial export, the Finanzamt can demand the VAT retrospectively.

Did not bring the old plates or the registration certificate Part II.

For a vehicle already registered, § 45 Abs. 4 FZV requires the registration certificate and the previous licence plates to be presented for de-stamping. If one of these is missing, the export registration cannot be completed. If Part II has been lost, a replacement document must first be applied for — the associated public notice procedure regularly takes several weeks and delays the entire export date.

Frequently asked questions

What does an export licence plate cost in 2026?

The administrative fee for the decision on the allocation of an export licence plate is €31.40 uniformly across Germany (Nr. 221.3 of the annex to the GebOSt). In addition there are locally varying disbursements for stamping, the stamp stickers and the documents, the plates from the plate-embossing service at around €20 to €40, the export insurance from around €30 per month, and the pro rata motor vehicle tax. Realistically you should budget for a starting value of around €80.

How long is an export licence plate valid?

The registration is limited to the duration of the proven liability insurance, for a maximum of one year (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FZV). There is no statutory minimum period of two days; the practical lower limit follows from the minimum term of the export insurance and is usually around 14 to 15 days. Individual vehicle registration offices additionally set upper limits, for example the city of Münster at a maximum of 30 days.

Which section of the law governs the export licence plate?

The decisive provision is § 45 FZV “Journeys for the permanent transfer of a vehicle abroad” in the version of the FZV 2023. § 43 FZV is often wrongly cited instead, but this governs journeys to take part in events for classic cars, and therefore the red 07 licence plate. The older reference § 19 FZV 2011 has lapsed with the recast of the ordinance.

Must the periodic roadworthiness test cover the entire term?

Yes. Under § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 b and Satz 2 FZV, the next inspection date under § 29 StVZO must fall after the expiry date of the export registration; if it falls before that, a periodic roadworthiness test must be carried out beforehand. It is therefore not enough for the HU to still be valid on the day the application is submitted. The City of Munich accordingly requires an inspection report on a valid periodic roadworthiness test covering the entire term of the export registration.

Is a normal eVB number enough?

No. § 45 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 1 a FZV requires an insurance confirmation under Annex 16 FZV for liability insurance under the Act on Liability Insurance for Foreign Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Trailers. In practice this is the yellow insurance confirmation for export licence plates, which you obtain from your insurer or a specialised broker. An ordinary eVB number for regular registration is not accepted.

Is the export licence plate automatically valid abroad?

No, recognition is subject to the reservation of the destination state: § 45 Abs. 1 FZV expressly applies only insofar as its use is permitted by the foreign state. Check the entry and registration rules of all transit and destination states before the journey. For journeys outside the EU, an international registration certificate under § 44 FZV can additionally be issued, on which the expiry date is to be noted.

Do export licence plates have a red border?

No. Under Annex 4 FZV Abschnitt 8 Nr. 3, only the field with the expiry date has a red background with black lettering, and this background must not be retroreflective. A red border and red lettering, by contrast, mark the red licence plates for recurring use under Annex 4 Abschnitt 7, a completely different type of licence plate. Export licence plates also carry no Euro field and no HU sticker.

What is the difference from the short-term licence plate?

The short-term licence plate under § 42 FZV is valid until the end of the fifth day following its allocation, whereas the export licence plate is valid for a maximum of one year. Both require a passed periodic roadworthiness test: since 1 April 2015, § 42 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FZV has also required proof of a valid HU or safety inspection. The widespread claim that a short-term licence plate can be obtained without a TÜV test is therefore outdated.

Can I apply for the export licence plate online?

No. Internet-based registration (i-Kfz) is regulated in §§ 18 to 32 FZV and does not cover the allocation of an export licence plate. You must appear in person at the vehicle registration office or send a person with written power of attorney; individual offices additionally require the vehicle to be presented.

What happens if I keep driving after the expiry date?

After the period of validity has expired, the vehicle must no longer be put into operation on public roads within the area covered by the FZV, and the holder must neither order nor permit this (§ 45 Abs. 1 Satz 5 and 6 FZV). A breach is a regulatory offence under § 77 FZV; the amount of the regulatory fine is set by the competent fines authority. In addition, the insurance cover ends with the expiry date.

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