Importing a car from Czechia to Austria: process and costs

Yes, as a private individual resident in Austria, you can import a used car from Czechia. No customs duty is payable on this EU route; NoVA, any applicable acquisition VAT, approval, insurance and registration still apply. Do not pay until the seller's authority to sell, the VIN and original documents, tax status, approval route and transport evidence have been clarified. 1 2

Before buying: check identity, history and the contract

Compare the VIN on the vehicle with all the documents, verify its origin and age, and establish whether the person selling it is entered as the owner in the Czech register or has documented their authority to sell it. Czech preventive guidance lists manipulated documents or VINs, theft, unauthorised sellers, finance or leasing, concealed accidents and hidden defects as separate risks. A database match does not rule them all out. 3

The public VIN application shows inspection dates and odometer readings recorded during STK and emissions inspections. It proves neither ownership or authority to sell nor freedom from encumbrances, complete mileage, freedom from accident damage or present condition. 4 Check the original documents, maintenance records and the vehicle itself. A pre-purchase inspection is not an Austrian § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection, registration approval or guarantee. 5 6 7 8

Record the parties, VIN, odometer reading, price, damage, handover of the original documents, VAT treatment and payment date. Make a traceable payment only after receiving the agreed evidence.

Czech export procedure and safe transport

There are two separate administrative routes for an EU destination. First, a competent ORP may issue a limited-validity export number plate. The person entered as the owner in the Czech register, or a representative whom they have authorised in writing, carries out the procedure. According to the official overview, the required items are original identity documents, the vehicle registration certificate, the technical passport if one was issued, and all number plates, which must be surrendered; the authority checks whether a valid evidential inspection is on record. For the permanent export of a registered vehicle to a foreign owner, a new vehicle registration certificate and an export number plate valid for no more than three months are issued. A representative needs written power of attorney bearing an officially certified signature; the application may be submitted to any competent ORP. 9 11

Second, the new owner may actually register the vehicle in another EU Member State; that state's authority then reports the registration to Czechia within two months. Without actual foreign registration, this route, which is separate from the export-number-plate route, cannot be used. 9

Three months is only the upper limit, not a guaranteed number-plate validity period. The sources establish neither insurance nor recognition abroad. Before driving the vehicle home yourself, confirm the expiry date, insurance for the driver and period, territorial cover, and recognition in every state through which you will travel. Otherwise, choose a carrier or trailer. 9 11 12 Austrian temporary transfer plates are valid for 3 to 21 days and, on 13 September 2026, cost EUR 248.60 plus insurance, including a refundable deposit of EUR 36.00. Austria recommends foreign temporary transfer plates for privately imported vehicles because Austrian plates can cause problems abroad. 13

NoVA, the Austrian vehicle approval database and registration in Austria

For acquisition VAT purposes, a vehicle is new if it has no more than 6,000 km or its first use was no more than six months before acquisition. It is used only if it has more than 6,000 km and its first use was more than six months before acquisition. For a vehicle classified as new for tax purposes, the private buyer owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; the foreign VAT treatment depends on the conditions for an intra-Community supply. An ordinary private purchase of a vehicle classified as used for tax purposes is generally subject to NoVA, but not this acquisition-VAT branch. For a used vehicle previously registered in the EU, the applicable NoVA rules and changes in value are generally determined by its first EU registration. The amount is vehicle-specific; a low private purchase price may require evidence against an Austrian valuation. 10 2 14

For a NoVA 2 declaration filed with the tax office, the invoice serves as proof of value when the vehicle was purchased from an authorised motor dealer. For an ordinary private purchase, you need the purchase contract and a vehicle valuation, such as Eurotax, Autopreisspiegel or a report by a generally sworn and court-certified expert; do not assume that a limited exception applies without checking. You also need the foreign vehicle and approval documents, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. A customs assessment applies only to the third-country branch, which is not relevant here. Only after the applicable taxes have been paid can the authority release the vehicle in the database for registration. 15

Every imported vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database before registration. With EU type approval, entry using the COC or foreign vehicle registration certificate is usually sufficient; without EU type approval, individual vehicle approval and possibly an exemption approval are required. 8

The Austrian vehicle registration office requires motor liability insurance valid in Austria, proof of identity and approval, and, where applicable, both parts of the previous EU vehicle registration certificate. If the periodic roadworthiness inspection is due and no positive report is recorded in the Austrian database, you need a current positive inspection report. A privately imported vehicle also requires database entry and NoVA clearance. 7 A keeper resident in Austria may generally use the vehicle with foreign number plates for one month from the date it is first brought into Austria. A further month is available only if inability to register it in time is credibly demonstrated; this extends neither the export number plate nor the insurance. 10

Budget without false precision

The plan selects a carrier or trailer and assumes existing EU type approval. Self-driving and individual vehicle approval are not included; there is no grand total because some amounts remain unresolved.

On 13 September 2026, the registration items totalled EUR 270.00: an authority fee of EUR 178.00, a processing fee of EUR 65.60, a ZMR residence-register enquiry fee of EUR 1.10, an inspection-sticker fee of EUR 2.30 and EUR 23.00 for number plates. The optional chip-card vehicle registration certificate cost EUR 31.10. Entry in the database for a vehicle with EU type approval can cost up to EUR 180.00. Individual vehicle approval, which is not included, is stated as costing approximately EUR 150.00 depending on the documents, not as an upper limit. Taxes, insurance, inspection, translation, modifications and transport are additional. 7 8

There is no universal amount for NoVA, transport or the insurance premium; vehicle data, the relevant tax branch and quotations are required. 14 2 13

Chronological checklist

Resolve every stop criterion before signing the contract, paying or travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Is customs duty payable when importing from Czechia?

No. No customs duty is payable on this import from within the EU. NoVA, any applicable Austrian acquisition VAT, approval, insurance and registration are still required. The third-country customs branch does not apply to this case. 1, 2

When is the car classified as used for tax purposes?

Only if it has more than 6,000 km and its first use was more than six months before the acquisition. No more than 6,000 km or no more than six months means that it is new for tax purposes. A private buyer then owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; foreign VAT depends on the conditions for the intra-Community supply. For an ordinary private purchase of a used EU vehicle, only the NoVA branch generally applies. 10, 2, 15

Is the public Czech VIN search sufficient as a vehicle-history check?

No. It shows inspection dates and odometer readings recorded during STK and emissions inspections. It does not confirm the seller's identity, authority to sell, freedom from encumbrances, complete mileage, accident history or current mechanical condition. Check these points separately and directly on the vehicle. 4, 3

Can I drive home myself on a Czech export number plate?

Only if the exact period of validity granted, insurance for the named driver and period, territorial cover, and recognition in every state through which you will travel are confirmed. The statutory upper limit of three months is not a guaranteed number-plate validity period or proof of insurance. The Austrian one-month period from first bringing the vehicle into Austria extends neither the Czech number plate nor its insurance. If confirmation is missing, use a carrier or trailer. 9, 11, 12, 10

Which documents do I need for NoVA and registration?

For NoVA 2, an ordinary private purchase requires the purchase contract, a vehicle valuation, the foreign vehicle and approval documents, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. Registration also requires motor liability insurance valid in Austria, proof of identity and approval, and, where applicable, both parts of the previous EU vehicle registration certificate. If the periodic roadworthiness inspection is due and there is no positive report in the database, you need a current positive inspection report. Tax clearance and database entry must be complete. 15, 7, 8

What does a CarAudit pre-purchase inspection provide?

It is an independent condition inspection before purchase, not import handling, a statutory Austrian § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection, approval, a guarantee or a promise to find every defect. The service information checked on 13 September 2026 lists Czechia as covered by the live service. Availability for the vehicle, location and date must nevertheless be confirmed before ordering. 16, 5, 6

A pre-purchase inspection before you decide to buy

An independent condition inspection adds an assessment of the vehicle's condition to the document checks. Availability for the vehicle, location and date must be confirmed in advance.

If the vehicle, location and date are available, you can request a CarAudit pre-purchase inspection in Czechia. On 13 September 2026, the standard inspection cost EUR 229.00 including VAT and the technician's travel, and the optional traction-battery diagnostics cost EUR 179.00. The target was a report within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to seller access and operational limits. This is not import handling, a statutory roadworthiness inspection, approval, a guarantee or a promise of any outcome; confirm the price and availability before ordering. 16, 5, 6

Sources

1. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
2. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
3. Vehicle theft — what to check when buying a used vehicle
4. Public vehicle-inspection records by VIN
5. CarAudit Austria — Was wir prüfen
6. CarAudit-Bedingungen
7. Kfz-Zulassung
8. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
9. Export of a vehicle from the Czech Republic
10. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
11. Export of a road vehicle
12. Buying and leasing a car in another EU country
13. Überstellungskennzeichen
14. NoVA Steuersatz
15. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
16. CarAudit Austria — service and order page