Importing a car from Denmark to Austria: process and costs

Yes, as a private individual resident in Austria, you can import a used passenger car from Denmark. Do not pay until the VIN has been checked in the Danish register, the current original documents are available, the Austrian tax classification has been established and a legally sound transport route has been documented. For driving the vehicle back yourself, the Danish sticker alone is not sufficient evidence for the journey to Austria.

Before paying: check the vehicle, seller and documents

Compare the VIN on the vehicle, in the advert, in the purchase contract and in all documents character by character. Check the seller's identity and authority to dispose of the vehicle. The contract should record at least the parties, VIN, mileage, first registration, purchase price and currency, known damage, documents handed over, payment method, handover time and responsibility for export and transport. Also agree explicitly who is entitled to any refund of Danish registration tax. Do not make a payment that would be difficult to recover while original documents or proof of identity are missing.

Before paying, search Denmark's Bilbogen using the VIN for registered mortgages and retention-of-title rights. A clear result is important, but it proves neither ownership nor the absence of every kind of debt. Therefore combine the search with the seller's identity, the contract and the original documents. 1

Ask for the current original two-part Danish registration certificate. It names the primary registered owner or user, but not any further secondary registered persons. If a replacement document is ordered, the old original becomes invalid. The original Part 1 is used for registration abroad; a copy is not sufficient for re-registration. Therefore secure the complete chain of documents before paying and clarify any discrepancies in the name. 2

A pre-purchase inspection helps assess visible defects. It replaces neither the Bilbogen search nor statutory inspection, approval or import formalities, and it cannot guarantee detection of every defect.

Danish export and safe transport

Any refund of Danish registration tax is conditional and depends on the vehicle and the claimant. It is not a discount automatically due to the buyer. If it is to affect the price, the contract, claimant, verified amount and allocation of risk must be unambiguous. 8

The refund procedure includes an extended registration/customs inspection within four weeks before the valuation request, surrender of the number plates, evidence of ownership or sale and proof of actual export. The export documents must be submitted within three months of the valuation. This inspection is part of the refund procedure; it is not a general requirement for every export by road. 8

A Danish temporary sticker can be issued for a specified export journey by an unregistered vehicle if the importer's and exporter's addresses are provided. Only the person named on the permit may drive. It can be ordered no earlier than 14 days before use; it is valid for no more than seven days. The stated price includes third-party liability insurance, but does not prove all cover across the entire route. A foreign person without a Danish personal identification number can obtain an administrative number and order without logging in. The sticker is not sent abroad and must be collected in Denmark. 6

The Danish authority expressly permits this journey from Denmark to or through Germany, but not from Germany to Denmark. It requires a separate check for other countries. Recognition for the onward journey from Germany to Austria is therefore specifically not confirmed. Before driving the vehicle back yourself, obtain written confirmation of recognition and the exact insurance cover in Germany and Austria. If these are unavailable, choose lawful towing or specialist transport. 67

Taxes and approval in Austria

Denmark is an EU Member State; no customs duty is therefore payable when the vehicle is brought into Austria. This removes neither NoVA nor any applicable acquisition VAT, approval, insurance or registration obligations. 103

Check the tax classification precisely despite the description ‘used car’: the vehicle is classed as new if it has travelled no more than 6,000 km or its first use was no more than six months before acquisition. It is classed as used only if it has travelled more than 6,000 km and its first use was more than six months before acquisition. 113

For a vehicle classed as new for tax purposes, the private individual resident in Austria owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; the treatment of foreign VAT depends on the statutory conditions for an intra-Community supply. For a private purchase of a vehicle classed as used for tax purposes and previously registered in the EU, NoVA generally applies, but this new-vehicle acquisition VAT branch does not. NoVA is generally based on the regime at the time of first EU registration and the development of the vehicle's value. A low private purchase price may need to be substantiated against an Austrian valuation. Therefore do not apply any current formula indiscriminately: the amount is vehicle-specific. 34

For a NoVA-2 declaration filed with the Austrian tax office, the invoice serves as evidence when buying 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 sworn expert's report. The authority lists limited exceptions; do not rely on one without confirmation. The required items also include, in particular, the foreign vehicle and approval documents, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. A customs assessment belongs to the third-country case and is not relevant to this ordinary EU import. Only after the applicable charge has been paid does the tax authority clear the vehicle in the database for registration. 12

Every imported vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database before registration. With EU type approval, a new Austrian approval is not normally required, but the database entry and evidence such as a COC or foreign registration certificate are. Without EU type approval, you need individual vehicle approval and possibly an exemption approval. 512

Insurance, inspection and registration

For registration, you need motor third-party liability insurance valid in Austria, proof of identity and approval and, when importing the vehicle yourself, database entry and NoVA clearance. Where applicable, both parts of the previous EU registration certificate must be submitted. If the periodic inspection is due and no valid positive evidence is held in the Austrian database, you need a current positive inspection report. A pre-purchase inspection does not replace this Austrian § 57a periodic roadworthiness inspection. 13

As listed on 13 September 2026, the base charges for a passenger car total EUR 270.00: EUR 178.00 authority share, EUR 65.60 processing service, EUR 1.10 ZMR query, EUR 2.30 inspection sticker and EUR 23.00 number plates. The optional chip-card vehicle registration certificate costs EUR 31.10. As at 13 September 2026, entry of an EU-type-approved vehicle in the database can cost up to EUR 180.00; individual vehicle approval is stated at approximately EUR 150.00 depending on the documents, not as an upper limit. NoVA, insurance, inspection, translations, modifications and transport are additional. 135

A person 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 possible only if the inability to register it in time is credibly demonstrated. This Austrian time limit extends neither the validity of a Danish sticker nor its insurance. 11

Chronological purchase and import checklist

Work through the following points in order. An unresolved stop point is not a detail for later, but a reason to postpone payment or departure.

Frequently asked questions

When is the car classed as used for Austrian acquisition VAT?

Only if both conditions are met: more than 6,000 km and first use more than six months before acquisition. If it has travelled no more than 6,000 km or its first use was no more than six months before acquisition, it is classed as new. The private individual resident in Austria then owes 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA; for the private purchase of a vehicle classed as used for tax purposes, the NoVA branch generally applies rather than the new-vehicle acquisition VAT branch. 11, 3

Do I have to pay customs duty when importing from Denmark?

No. No customs duty is payable when bringing the vehicle from the EU Member State of Denmark into Austria. NoVA, possible Austrian acquisition VAT depending on its classification, approval, insurance and registration remain unaffected. 10, 3

Can I drive all the way to Austria with the Danish temporary sticker?

Not without further confirmation. Denmark confirms the direction to or through Germany, but not the section from Germany to Austria. It is also restricted to the named driver and the specific journey and is valid for no more than seven days. Obtain written confirmation of recognition and insurance; otherwise use lawful towing or specialist transport. 6, 7

Does a clear Bilbogen search prove that the car belongs to the seller and is free of debt?

No. Bilbogen shows certain registered mortgages and retention-of-title rights. It is neither an ownership register nor a comprehensive debt search. Also check the seller's identity, the contract, the VIN and the current original documents. 1

What do I need to register the vehicle in Austria?

In particular, you need Austrian motor third-party liability insurance, proof of identity and approval, entry and clearance in the Austrian vehicle approval database and, where applicable, both parts of the previous EU registration certificate. If the periodic inspection is due and no positive evidence is recorded, a current positive inspection report is also required. The applicable NoVA process must be completed beforehand. 13, 5, 12

As the buyer, do I automatically receive a refund of Danish registration tax?

No. Entitlement and the amount are determined in the Danish export procedure and are not a guaranteed purchase-price discount. The required steps include the timely extended inspection, surrender of the number plates and export evidence. Account for an amount only once the outcome and contractual allocation have been clearly documented. 8

Request a pre-purchase inspection

If you are considering an independent pre-purchase condition inspection, first check current availability at caraudit.at. Denmark was not named in the country list as checked on 13 September 2026; this is neither a permanent refusal nor a promise of service or timing. A pre-purchase inspection does not replace a Bilbogen search, approval, statutory inspection, tax or export checks and cannot guarantee detection of every defect. 14, 15, 1

Sources

1. Digital Motor Vehicle Securities Register
2. Registration certificate
3. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
4. NoVA Steuersatz
5. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
6. Temporary stickers and commercial plates
7. Buying and leasing a car abroad
8. Exporting vehicles
9. Überstellungskennzeichen
10. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
11. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
12. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
13. Kfz-Zulassung
14. CarAudit Austria — service and order page
15. CarAudit-Bedingungen