Importing a car from Slovakia to Austria: process and costs

Yes, as a private individual resident in Austria, you can import a used car from Slovakia. However, do not pay or travel until the identity, original documents, eligibility for export, originality check and transport have been clarified. No customs duty is payable on this EU route; NoVA, any applicable acquisition VAT, approval, insurance and registration still remain. 1 2

Before payment: identity, documents and reasons to stop

Cross-check the vehicle identification number, holder, purchase contract, approval documents and Parts I and II of the Slovak registration documents. For export deregistration in person, the owner or holder must generally provide these parts, proof of identity, the required supporting documents, your details as buyer and the current number plate; loss and theft are separate branches. If you are absent, your written power of attorney bearing a certified signature or proof of acquisition bearing the transferee's certified signature is generally required. Exceptions for relatives and electronic processing are case-specific. 3

Have any enforcement attachment, tax lien, seizure or prior removal from the register checked: these may prevent export deregistration. The contract should cover the vehicle identification number, mileage, first use, price, tax status, damage, keys, documents and handover. Pay by a traceable method and pay the balance only against the originals and when handover is possible. 3

Originality check and technical condition

The originality-check report must be no more than 15 days old and have a capable result. A temporarily capable result is sufficient only where the identifiers are legible and can be determined with certainty; missing data or removal of the body section bearing the vehicle identification number triggers the obstruction process. The check covers identity, interventions and register data, not mechanics, maintenance, the battery or future reliability. The consolidated statutory text checked on 13 September 2026 is authoritative; the older official guidance explains the scope only. 3 7 8

A separate pre-purchase inspection can reduce risk, but guarantees neither a complete history nor freedom from defects. The checked CarAudit terms, limits and amounts are set out in the budget and FAQs; the vehicle, location and appointment still need to be confirmed. 9 10 11

Export and transport to Austria

On export deregistration, the police issue Parts I and II in the foreign person's name and, on request, assign a V number and V plate. The documents and plate are valid for no more than 30 days from export deregistration; road use is permitted only with the assigned number and plate. The electronic application is made by the owner or holder with a qualified signature, retains the signature-certification conditions and results in delivery to an address in Slovakia. Plan to use it only after case-specific confirmation. 3

Driving the car yourself requires current compulsory insurance and confirmed cover for the driver, dates, territory, route and number plate. Recognition of temporary plates is not harmonised across the EU; otherwise choose a carrier or trailer. 8 12

Austrian temporary transfer plates run for 3 to 21 days and cost EUR 248.60 plus insurance, including a refundable deposit of EUR 36.00; however, the official information warns of problems abroad. 13 The Austrian one-month period from first bringing the vehicle into Austria, with one further month only if an inability to register in time can be credibly shown, extends neither the V plate nor its insurance. 4

Taxes and approval in Austria

For tax purposes, new means no more than 6,000 km or first use no more than six months before acquisition. Used requires more than 6,000 km and first use more than six months before acquisition. For a new vehicle, the private buyer owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; for an ordinary private purchase of a used car already registered in the EU, this acquisition-VAT branch generally does not apply, but the vehicle-specific NoVA still does. Its regime generally depends on the first EU registration and changes in value; a low private-sale price may require valuation evidence. 4 2 14

For NoVA 2, the invoice applies when buying from an authorised dealer, while an ordinary private purchase generally requires the purchase contract plus a vehicle valuation. The specified vehicle and approval papers, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID are also required; you must not assume that an official exception applies. Once the applicable tax has been paid, the vehicle is cleared in the database. 6

Every import requires an entry in the Austrian vehicle approval database. With EU type approval, a COC or foreign proof is usually sufficient for this; without it, individual approval and possibly exception approval are required. 5 6

Insurance, registration and the Pickerl inspection

You need Austrian motor liability insurance, proof of identity and approval, the database entry and NoVA clearance. Where applicable, both parts of the previous registration certificate are also required, along with a positive inspection report if the periodic inspection is due and is not recorded in the database. 15

The checked base items, the optional card-format vehicle registration certificate and the cost of the database branch selected here are listed in the budget. Taxes, insurance, inspection, translation, modifications and transport are additional or vehicle-specific. 15 5

Frequently asked questions

When is the vehicle considered new or used for tax purposes in Austria?

It is new if the mileage is 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 earlier. For a new vehicle, the private buyer owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; foreign VAT depends on the conditions governing the intra-Community supply. For an ordinary private purchase of a used vehicle already registered in the EU, this acquisition-VAT branch generally does not apply, but the vehicle-specific NoVA does. A low private-sale price may require valuation evidence. 4, 2, 14

Which documents and responsibilities must I clarify before export deregistration?

For an in-person procedure, the owner or holder generally provides Parts I and II, where issued, proof of identity, the necessary supporting documents, your details as buyer and the current number plate. If you are absent, your written power of attorney bearing a certified signature or proof of acquisition bearing the transferee's certified signature is generally required; exceptions for relatives and electronic processing are case-specific. Also check for an enforcement or tax lien, seizure and prior removal from the register. Electronic submission by the owner or holder requires a qualified signature, retains the signature requirements and results in delivery to an address in Slovakia; rely on it only after confirmation. 3

Is the Slovak originality check sufficient as a pre-purchase inspection?

No. For export deregistration, the report must be no more than 15 days old and have a capable result. A temporarily capable result is sufficient only if the identifiers are legible and can be determined with certainty; if the marking is missing or the body section bearing the vehicle identification number has been removed, the statutory obstruction process applies. The check covers vehicle and document identity, unauthorised interventions and register data. It does not replace a comprehensive inspection of mechanics, maintenance, the battery or reliability. The procedure is governed by the consolidated statutory text checked on 13 September 2026 that applied from 1 to 30 September 2026; the older official guidance explains the scope only. 3, 7, 8

Can I drive the car to Austria myself using the Slovak V plate?

Only if export deregistration has been completed, the V number and V plate have been issued, and the compulsory insurance to be taken out by the new owner and recognition throughout the entire route are confirmed. The documents and V plate are valid for no more than 30 days from export deregistration, not a guaranteed full 30 days; road use is permitted only with that number and plate. Obtain written confirmation of the driver, dates, route and territorial cover because temporary plates are not harmonised across the EU. The Austrian one-month rule extends neither the V plate nor its insurance. Without reliable evidence, choose a carrier or trailer. 3, 8, 12, 4

What sequence applies after arrival in Austria?

First, the vehicle is entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database using a COC or suitable foreign evidence; without EU type approval, individual approval and possibly exception approval are required. For an ordinary private purchase, NoVA 2 generally requires the purchase contract plus a vehicle valuation, the vehicle and approval papers, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. A customs assessment belongs only to the third-country branch, which does not apply here. Once the tax has been paid, the vehicle is cleared in the database. You then need Austrian liability insurance, proof of identity and approval, both parts of the previous registration certificate where applicable, and a positive inspection report if the periodic inspection is due and is not recorded in the database. 6, 5, 15

What can a CarAudit inspection do for this purchase?

The page checked on 13 September 2026 listed Slovakia within the covered area. The standard inspection was stated at EUR 229.00 including VAT and travel, and the optional traction-battery diagnostics at EUR 179.00. The target was to deliver the report within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to seller access and operational limits. The location, appointment and specific vehicle must be available. The inspection can support a technical purchase decision, but it is not export or import handling, official approval or a § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection, a warranty or a promise to find every defect. 9, 10, 11

Inspection for a specific vehicle

For a specific vehicle in Slovakia, you can ask CarAudit to check availability for the vehicle, seller's location and appointment. The pre-purchase inspection complements your checks of the documents, export, taxes and authorities; it does not replace these steps or guarantee an outcome. 9, 10, 11

Sources

1. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
2. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
3. Act 8/2009 on Road Traffic — consolidated version effective 1–30 September 2026
4. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
5. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
6. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
7. Originality check
8. Temporary or permanent transfer of a motor vehicle to another Member State
9. CarAudit Austria — service and order page
10. CarAudit Austria — Was wir prüfen
11. CarAudit-Bedingungen
12. Buying and leasing a car in another EU country
13. Überstellungskennzeichen
14. NoVA Steuersatz
15. Kfz-Zulassung