Importing a car from Sweden to Austria: process and costs

Yes. Before making any payment, however, you need to clarify the seller and vehicle details, vehicle-related debts, current original documents, tax status and a legally sound transport plan. For Austrian registration, the next steps are entry in the Austrian vehicle approval database, NoVA, insurance and the required registration evidence.

Postpone payment if the vehicle identification number and documents do not match, the debt position remains unclear, Part 2 of the registration certificate is missing, or neither a self-drive transfer nor a carrier has been reliably arranged.

Decide first: can this vehicle be imported?

Check the advert, seller details and vehicle identification number separately. The traffic-light table shows what should be green before you make a binding payment.

Check the vehicle, seller and documents before payment

Check vehicle-related debts together with the seller immediately before concluding the contract. A result showing no apparent issues is not a guarantee that the vehicle is debt-free: official data may be delayed or incomplete, and enforcement against the vehicle can also affect a subsequent owner. 2

Ask for the current original two-part registration certificate. Part 2 is used for a change of ownership and deregistration, while Part 1 is used abroad. A replacement invalidates an older issue. Compare document numbers, the vehicle identification number and issue details; the papers alone prove neither that the vehicle is debt-free nor that it is eligible for export. 1

Clearly record the parties, vehicle identification number, mileage, price, payment method, known damage, keys, documents and export process in the contract. Make a traceable payment to the named person only after checking the vehicle and original documents. Also assign responsibility until the export deregistration has been accepted.

For Sweden, the CarAudit page checked on 13 September 2026 listed a standard inspection at EUR 229.00 including VAT and travel, with optional traction-battery diagnostics at EUR 179.00. The target was a report within 48 hours of the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to seller access and operational limits. Confirm availability for the specific vehicle. The inspection is neither an Austrian § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection nor approval, import handling or a guarantee against every defect. 6 7 8

Organise export and transport from Sweden lawfully

For Swedish temporary export registration, the seller simultaneously applies for export deregistration; you apply for temporary registration as a person permanently resident abroad. A prohibition on use due to unpaid tax, the most recent passed inspection being more than 12 months old, a driving ban or a test order can result in refusal. 4

The application must include suitable insurance and inspection evidence, the original registration certificate signed by the seller and the Swedish number plates. The decision, certificate and temporary plates are posted to you at a Swedish address; no processing time is guaranteed. 4

The registration is valid for one month and cannot be extended. For an EEA destination, a destination-country insurance certificate for 30 days is accepted, but the registration and cover may end at different times. If the cover expires first, new Swedish insurance is required for the remaining period. 4

Before driving to Austria, you need written confirmation of recognition and uninterrupted insurance cover for every country crossed. If this is missing, choose lawful towing or carrier transport. Issuing the number plates alone does not prove either point for the entire route. 4 5

Without temporary export registration, export deregistration requires a notification, the Swedish plates and proof that the vehicle has permanently left Sweden. An invoice, receipt or purchase contract alone is expressly insufficient. Until the complete evidence has been accepted, the seller remains registered and is generally responsible for vehicle tax and insurance, unless the vehicle has been taken off the road. Therefore, agree in writing on the plates and proof of export. 10

Taxes, approval and registration in Austria

Sweden falls under the EU branch: no customs duty is due when the vehicle is brought into Austria. NoVA, any applicable Austrian acquisition VAT, approval, insurance and registration remain unaffected. Third-country import charges are not the relevant branch here. 11 12

For Austrian 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 more than six months have passed since first use. For a new vehicle, a private individual generally owes Austrian acquisition VAT at 20% and NoVA before registration; the foreign VAT treatment depends on the conditions for an intra-Community supply. 13 12 14

For a private used-car purchase, NoVA generally applies, but the acquisition-VAT branch for new vehicles does not. For a vehicle already registered in the EU, NoVA is generally determined according to the regime at the time of its first EU registration and its value development. The date of first registration, value and emissions data are therefore required; an unusually low private purchase price may have to be substantiated against an Austrian valuation. Do not apply the current formula indiscriminately. 12 15

For an ordinary private NoVA 2 declaration, the tax authority requires the purchase contract and a vehicle valuation, such as Eurotax, Autopreisspiegel or a report by a generally sworn expert. For a purchase from an authorised vehicle dealer, the invoice is used instead; you must not assume that one of the limited valuation exceptions applies. The other items listed include foreign vehicle and approval documents, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. Only after the tax has been paid does the tax authority release the vehicle in the database for registration. 14

Every imported vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database before registration. EU type approval normally means that no new Austrian approval is required, but database entry with a COC or foreign registration certificate is still necessary. Without EU type approval, individual vehicle approval and possibly an exemption approval are required. 3 14

Take motor liability insurance valid throughout Austria, proof of identity and approval evidence to the Austrian vehicle registration office, together with both parts of the previous EU registration certificate where applicable. If the periodic roadworthiness inspection is due and no current positive report is held in the Austrian database, you will also need that report. The database entry and NoVA clearance are required as well. 16

You may generally use the vehicle with foreign number plates in Austria for one month after first bringing it into the country. A further month is available only if you can credibly show that timely registration was impossible. This extends neither the Swedish export registration nor the insurance. Record the date on which the vehicle was brought into Austria. 13

Budget without false precision

The budget selects carrier transport and the approval branch with EU type approval. A total is deliberately omitted because the purchase price, NoVA, transport and other costs remain unresolved. Reconfirm all prices and fees after the reference date of 13 September 2026.

Chronological checklist

Work through the outstanding points in order and do not allow an early payment to make any stop point irreversible.

Frequently asked questions

When is the vehicle 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 more than six months have passed since first use. The OR for a new vehicle and the AND for a used vehicle are crucial. 13, 12

Which original Swedish documents do I particularly need?

Check the current two-part registration certificate. Part 2 is used for a change of ownership and deregistration, while Part 1 is used abroad. Temporary export registration also requires, among other things, suitable insurance and inspection evidence, the signed original certificate and the Swedish plates. 1, 4

Can I drive home using the Swedish temporary registration?

Only if recognition and insurance are confirmed in writing for every country crossed. The registration is valid for one month and cannot be extended; an accepted 30-day insurance policy may end sooner. If uninterrupted confirmation is missing, lawful towing or carrier transport is the more robust choice. 4, 5

Are customs duty, NoVA and VAT payable?

No customs duty applies on this EU route. NoVA generally needs to be dealt with before registration. Austrian acquisition VAT at 20% applies to the tax-classified new-vehicle branch; a private used-car purchase generally does not fall under this branch. The specific NoVA remains vehicle-specific. 11, 12, 15

What happens if there is no COC or EU type approval?

With EU type approval, entry in the Austrian vehicle approval database together with evidence is typically sufficient. Without EU type approval, individual vehicle approval and possibly an exemption approval are required. The official guidance gives an approximate amount of EUR 150.00 for individual vehicle approval, depending on the evidence, rather than a price cap. 3

What can a CarAudit pre-purchase inspection do?

It can make the documented technical condition easier to assess before payment, provided that the specific location and appointment are available. It replaces neither Austrian approval nor an Austrian § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection or import handling, and it does not guarantee detection of every defect. Confirm the price, access and scope before ordering. 6, 7, 8

Request a pre-purchase inspection

An inspection can be useful if the specific location is served and the seller provides access. Confirm the scope, appointment, price and terms; authority clearances remain separate tasks.

If the location, vehicle and seller access in Sweden are confirmed, you can consider and request the currently offered pre-purchase inspection. The specific scope, availability and applicable terms govern; official procedures and import handling are not included. 6, 7, 8

Sources

1. Registration certificates
2. Vehicle-related debts
3. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
4. Temporary registration when exporting used vehicles
5. Buying and leasing a car abroad
6. CarAudit Austria — service and order page
7. CarAudit Austria — Was wir prüfen
8. CarAudit-Bedingungen
9. Überstellungskennzeichen
10. Export and temporary registration
11. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
12. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
13. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
14. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
15. NoVA Steuersatz
16. Kfz-Zulassung