Living
Registering A Vehicle
Germans may have a love affair with the automobile but their bureaucrats apparently don’t – there are only two places to register your car in Berlin: one in each in the two former Berlins. In order to register a car, you’ll need its Fahrzeugbrief, proof of insurance, your Meldeschein, which shows you’re a registered resident of Berlin, and your passport. If you’re registering a new car, you’ll also need a current emissions and safety check, known informally as TÜV.
Technically, the TÜV is just the safety inspection and AU, or Abgasuntersuchung, is the emissions, but they’re usually performed together by a qualified garage. You’ll also need to fill out a registration form, which you can download
(www.berlin.de/formularserver/formular.php?46485) from Berlin’s website. Once you’ve got your paperwork ready, head either to the Zulassungsstelle in Lichtenberg (Ferdinand-Schultze-Str. 55) or Kreuzberg (Jüterboger Str. 3, near Tempelhof Airport). You’ll first be called up to a counter and then be given a bill if all your paperwork is in order. If you don’t have licence plates, you’ll then have to go outside and get some made (they cost about €30) and take the bill and the plates to the cashier. There, you’ll get the stickers for your licence plate and pay the registration fee of about €70. Expect a bill from the Finanzamt within a couple of weeks for the annual car tax – this will cost you about €200, depending on the age and average emissions of your car. You never have to reregister your car, but you must have a safety and emissions check every two years – most garages perform them; just ask for a TÜV.
When you’ve got that done, take the paperwork the garage gives you and repeat the steps above to get new stickers for your licence plate that show you’re up to date. Not getting the stickers in time can lead to a fine of as much as €75 and two points against you on your record. If you buy a new car, the dealer will handle the first registration for you. After that, if you don’t have the time or inclination to renew the stickers, plenty of companies are happy to do it for you. You’ll need to sign a power of attorney and loan them your passport for the day (this is not only normal in Germany, but a legal requirement – you’ll get it back).
Technically, the TÜV is just the safety inspection and AU, or Abgasuntersuchung, is the emissions, but they’re usually performed together by a qualified garage. You’ll also need to fill out a registration form, which you can download
(www.berlin.de/formularserver/formular.php?46485) from Berlin’s website. Once you’ve got your paperwork ready, head either to the Zulassungsstelle in Lichtenberg (Ferdinand-Schultze-Str. 55) or Kreuzberg (Jüterboger Str. 3, near Tempelhof Airport). You’ll first be called up to a counter and then be given a bill if all your paperwork is in order. If you don’t have licence plates, you’ll then have to go outside and get some made (they cost about €30) and take the bill and the plates to the cashier. There, you’ll get the stickers for your licence plate and pay the registration fee of about €70. Expect a bill from the Finanzamt within a couple of weeks for the annual car tax – this will cost you about €200, depending on the age and average emissions of your car. You never have to reregister your car, but you must have a safety and emissions check every two years – most garages perform them; just ask for a TÜV.
When you’ve got that done, take the paperwork the garage gives you and repeat the steps above to get new stickers for your licence plate that show you’re up to date. Not getting the stickers in time can lead to a fine of as much as €75 and two points against you on your record. If you buy a new car, the dealer will handle the first registration for you. After that, if you don’t have the time or inclination to renew the stickers, plenty of companies are happy to do it for you. You’ll need to sign a power of attorney and loan them your passport for the day (this is not only normal in Germany, but a legal requirement – you’ll get it back).
