Importing a car from Luxembourg to Austria: purchase, transport and registration

Yes, as a private individual resident in Austria, you can import a used car from Luxembourg. However, four stop-or-go checks are crucial before payment: Is the seller the last registered keeper, do the vehicle identification number and documents match, will you receive the original documents, and is the transport to Austria demonstrably lawful? No customs duty is payable on this EU acquisition; NoVA, approval, insurance and registration must nevertheless still be dealt with. 1 2

This guide assumes an ordinary used M1 car previously registered in Luxembourg. You must confirm the vehicle's condition, tax amount, insurability and total cost for the specific car. If an essential original document is missing, the seller's identity is unclear or lawful road use for the journey home remains unconfirmed, you should stop the balance payment or departure.

Before payment: seller, vehicle and documents

The purchase contract or an equivalent deed of sale should clearly identify the vehicle, seller and buyer; you need the original. The seller should be the last registered keeper. Therefore, cross-check the name, identity document, address, vehicle identification number and both parts of the Luxembourg vehicle registration certificate. 1

Agree in writing on the purchase price, deposit, balance payment, handover, promised documents and what will happen if collection fails. Release the balance payment only once the original deed of sale and both parts of the registration certificate have actually been handed to you; these documents are needed in the deregistration and export process. You should also request a COC if one exists for the vehicle. 1 3 4

An independent pre-purchase inspection can make the vehicle's condition and plausibility easier to assess. It is not a substitute for the Austrian § 57a inspection, approval or registration, nor is it a guarantee against every defect. Have outstanding defects, service records, mileage and the due date of the periodic inspection clarified before deciding on the price. 5 6

Sale and deregistration in Luxembourg

The seller must notify the SNCA of the sale or export within five working days. Once deregistered, the vehicle may no longer be driven on public roads until it is registered again; the seller removes the Luxembourg number plates. After deregistration, the buyer can also request an export certificate using original proof of ownership. This certificate documents the export process but does not, by itself, constitute either registration or authorisation to drive. 1 3

Transporting the car safely to Austria

For a journey under the vehicle's own power, a buyer resident abroad may be eligible for temporary Luxembourg export registration if the last seller has an official address in Luxembourg. The official sequence is: deed of sale or invoice, export registration number, insurance from an insurer authorised in Luxembourg, registration and number plates. It remains valid until the end of the third month following the current month. It cannot be extended, even though the official pages describe renewal. 10 12

The English and French SNCA pages conflict over where to apply: they name Sandweiler only and all three SNCA locations respectively. You should therefore confirm the currently competent location directly with the SNCA. 10 12

Tax, approval and registration in Austria

For this purchase, Luxembourg is an EU Member State, so no customs duty is payable when the vehicle is imported into Austria. For tax purposes, however, a vehicle is already considered new if it has no more than 6,000 km or its first use was no more than six months before acquisition. It is considered used only if it has more than 6,000 km and its first use was more than six months earlier. 7 8

When a private buyer acquires a vehicle that is new for tax purposes, 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA are payable before registration; the treatment of foreign VAT depends on the statutory conditions for an intra-Community supply. For a private purchase of a used car, NoVA must generally be taken into account, but not this new-vehicle acquisition-VAT branch. For a used car already registered in the EU, NoVA is based on the rules applicable to its first EU registration and its change in value. An unusually low private purchase price may therefore require Austrian valuation evidence; do not apply a current formula across the board. 8 14

Before registration, every imported vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database. EU type approval usually avoids the need for a new Austrian approval, but not the database entry; evidence can include a COC or foreign vehicle registration certificate. Without EU type approval, individual vehicle approval and, where applicable, an additional exemption approval are required. 9 4

For the NoVA 2 declaration for an ordinary private purchase, the tax office requires the purchase contract plus a vehicle valuation, such as Eurotax, Autopreisspiegel or a report by a generally sworn expert. Do not assume that any of the limited exceptions to the valuation requirement applies without checking. Other documents include the foreign vehicle and approval papers, the extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. Only after the applicable tax has been paid will the tax authority release the vehicle in the database for registration. 9

For Austrian registration, you need in particular motor liability insurance valid in Austria, proof of identity and approval, both parts of the previous EU registration certificate where applicable, and a current positive inspection report if the periodic inspection is due and is not recorded in the Austrian database. A private import also requires the database entry and NoVA clearance. 15

A budget without false precision

For planning purposes, the table selects a vehicle transport service and the EU type-approval branch. Confirm both for the specific vehicle; otherwise replace the relevant branch instead of adding alternatives together. Because the purchase price, NoVA, transport, insurance and possible technical work remain unresolved, there is deliberately no total. Fee information is as at 13 September 2026. 15 4

Chronological checklist with stop points

Complete the steps in this order. An unresolved stop point is not a detail for later: it can prevent the transfer of ownership, transport, tax clearance or registration.

Frequently asked questions

When is the car considered new or used for tax purposes?

It is new if it has no more than 6,000 km or its first use was no more than six months ago. It is used only if it has more than 6,000 km and its first use was more than six months ago. Check the evidence for both. 7, 8

Are customs duty, VAT and NoVA payable?

No customs duty is payable on a car from Luxembourg. For a private purchase of a used car, the vehicle-specific NoVA is generally relevant, not new-vehicle acquisition VAT. If the vehicle is new for tax purposes, 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA must be taken into account before registration; clarify foreign VAT separately. 2, 8, 14

Can I drive home on the previous number plates after deregistration in Luxembourg?

No. Once deregistered, the vehicle may not be driven on public roads until it is registered again; the seller removes the number plates. The export certificate is not an authorisation to drive. You need valid registration and insurance or a lawful vehicle transport service. 1, 3

How does temporary Luxembourg export registration work?

You may be eligible if the last seller has an official Luxembourg address. Sequence: deed of sale or invoice, export number, authorised insurance, registration, number plates. It is valid until the end of the third month following the current month and cannot be extended, although renewal is described. Confirm the SNCA application location because the language versions conflict. 10, 12

Can I drive in Austria on foreign number plates for one month?

As a person resident in Austria, you may generally use the vehicle with foreign number plates for one month from bringing it into Austria. A further month requires a credibly demonstrated obstacle to registration. This does not extend the export registration or insurance and is not a substitute for confirmation of transit recognition. 7

What evidence do I need for approval and registration in Austria?

The vehicle must be entered in the database before registration. A COC or foreign documents can evidence EU type approval; otherwise individual vehicle approval and exemption approval may be required. You also need motor liability insurance, proof of identity and approval, NoVA clearance, both parts of the registration certificate and, if due, a positive inspection report. 9, 4, 15

Optional pre-purchase inspection

If the vehicle is available and the seller grants access, you can request a CarAudit pre-purchase inspection in Luxembourg. On 13 September 2026, the stated prices were EUR 229.00 including VAT and technician travel, with an optional EUR 179.00 for traction-battery diagnostics. The report target is 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to access and operational limits. The inspection is not import handling, approval, an Austrian § 57a inspection or a guarantee. Availability and the appointment must be confirmed when making an enquiry; the terms and consumer rights continue to govern. 16, 5, 6

Sources

1. Selling or disposing of a vehicle
2. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
3. Selling or withdrawing a vehicle
4. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
5. CarAudit Austria — Was wir prüfen
6. CarAudit-Bedingungen
7. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
8. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
9. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
10. Temporary export registration, English
11. Buying and leasing a car abroad
12. Temporary export registration, French
13. Überstellungskennzeichen
14. NoVA Steuersatz
15. Kfz-Zulassung
16. CarAudit Austria — service and order page