Importing a used car from France to Austria

Yes, importing the car is possible. Before paying a deposit, however, you must establish the seller's authority to sell, the vehicle's status, the documents, its condition and a lawful means of transport. Stop if the seller's name or the signatures do not match, an opposition remains unresolved or the drive home is based only on assumptions. 1

Safeguard the purchase decision

For Austrian acquisition VAT purposes, the 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 its first use. How it is described in the advert is irrelevant. 2 3

No customs duty applies on this EU route. NoVA, approval, insurance and registration are still required. For a vehicle that is new for tax purposes, a private individual resident in Austria generally owes 20% acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration; the VAT treatment in France depends on the conditions for an intra-Community supply. The new-vehicle acquisition VAT branch generally does not apply to a privately purchased used car, but NoVA does. 4 3

Check the seller, contract and payment

The French vehicle registration certificate must be in the seller's name; only the owner may sell the vehicle. All co-holders must sign. Under a location avec option d’achat (LOA), only the financing owner company may sell the vehicle. Any discrepancy is a reason to stop. 1

Before paying, request a certificat de situation administrative that is less than 15 days old: it shows recorded pledges or an opposition. HistoVec can supplement this with officially recorded information, but, like the technical inspection, it does not conclusively prove ownership, freedom from finance, accident history or current mechanical condition. 1

The contract should identify the parties and state the vehicle identification number, mileage, price, payment method, known damage, documents and handover time. Cross-check the identity, vehicle number and account holder. Pay the balance only after checking the originals and signatures at the agreed handover; document every payment.

Check the condition and handover file

For the private sale of a passenger car, light commercial vehicle or motorhome over four years old, the seller must generally provide an approved contrôle technique report that is less than six months old when the new-registration application is filed. If a reinspection has been ordered, its two-month window must still be open; critical defects must be repaired and reinspected before a private sale. Different branches apply to newer or exempt vehicles and vehicles sold to professional buyers. A vehicle that is not in running condition cannot be sold to a private individual. 1

An independent condition inspection replaces neither the contrôle technique, Austrian approval nor the § 57a roadworthiness inspection, and it cannot guarantee detection of every defect. 5 9

At handover, you should receive the complete vehicle registration certificate, crossed out, signed and bearing the sale date and time, copy 2 of Cerfa 15776, the transfer code, a current administrative-status certificate and the required inspection report. The COC, maintenance invoices and export evidence are useful, but the evidenced sale checklist does not make them universally mandatory. 1

Transport the car safely to Austria

A crossed-out vehicle registration certificate and its detachable coupon do not permit travel abroad; the coupon is valid only in France for one month. An ordinary CPI is likewise valid only in France. A CPI WW may be issued in certain export cases for new or used vehicles and has a standard validity of four months. It provides a viable self-drive plan only once eligibility, actual issue, insurance and recognition in every country travelled through have been confirmed; otherwise, choose a carrier or trailer. 7 8 10

Austrian temporary transfer plates are valid for 3 to 21 days and, as at 13 September 2026, cost EUR 248.60 plus insurance, including a refundable deposit of EUR 36.00. For own imports, the Austrian guidance nevertheless recommends foreign temporary transfer plates because Austrian plates can cause problems abroad. 11

From the time it is first brought into Austria, a person resident in Austria may generally use the foreign-registered vehicle there for one month. A further month is available only if you can credibly show that registration was not possible in time. This extends neither the document, the plates nor the insurance. 2

Complete approval, NoVA and registration

Every imported vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database before registration. EU type approval usually avoids the need for a new Austrian approval, but not the database entry or evidence such as the COC or foreign vehicle registration certificate. Otherwise, individual vehicle approval and possibly an exemption approval are required. The database entry can cost up to EUR 180.00; individual vehicle approval costs approximately EUR 150.00 depending on the evidence, with no price cap. 6 12

For a NoVA 2 declaration, the invoice is used when buying from an authorised dealer. For an ordinary private purchase, you need the purchase contract plus a valuation, such as Eurotax, Autopreisspiegel or a report from a sworn expert; you cannot assume that one of the limited exceptions applies. You also need the foreign vehicle and approval papers, an extract from the Austrian vehicle approval database and photo ID. No customs assessment is required on this EU route. Only after the applicable tax has been paid will the tax office release the vehicle for registration. 12 4

For a used car previously registered in the EU, the NoVA regime and calculation are generally based on its first EU registration and value development. Do not apply the current formula across the board; a low private-sale price may require Austrian valuation evidence. You will need the date of first registration, value, CO2 or emissions data and tax branch. 13 3

For registration, you need motor liability insurance valid in Austria, identity and approval evidence and, where applicable, both parts of the previous EU vehicle registration certificate. If the periodic roadworthiness inspection is due and the Austrian database does not contain a current positive report, you also need that report. The database entry and NoVA release must be in place. 14

A budget without false precision

The budget assumes a used passenger car with EU type approval and transport by carrier; self-driving and individual vehicle approval are not added. Unresolved amounts prevent a grand total. Prices as at 13 September 2026.

Chronological checklist

Complete the steps in order. Any unresolved reason to stop must be addressed before payment.

Frequently asked questions

When is the vehicle treated as used for tax purposes?

It is used only if it has more than 6,000 km and more than six months have passed since first use. If it has no more than 6,000 km or no more than six months have passed, it is new; you then generally owe 20% Austrian acquisition VAT and NoVA before registration. For a private used-car purchase, it is generally only this acquisition VAT branch that does not apply, not NoVA. 2, 3, 13

Do customs duty or import VAT apply?

No customs duty applies on this EU route. Import VAT under the third-country branch does not apply here; for a vehicle that is new for tax purposes, Austrian acquisition VAT of 20% must generally be considered instead. This replaces neither NoVA nor approval, insurance or registration. Austrian acquisition VAT of 20% generally applies to a vehicle that is new for tax purposes; this branch generally does not apply to a private used-car purchase. NoVA still has to be assessed for the specific vehicle. 4, 3

Which French documents do I need by the time of handover?

You need the complete vehicle registration certificate, crossed out and signed and bearing the sale date and time, copy 2 of Cerfa 15776, the transfer code, an administrative-status certificate less than 15 days old and the contrôle technique report required for the particular vehicle. The COC, maintenance invoices and export evidence are useful, but the evidenced list does not make them universally mandatory. 1

Can I drive to Austria with the crossed-out vehicle registration certificate?

No. The crossed-out document, detachable coupon and ordinary CPI do not permit travel abroad. A CPI WW can have a standard validity of four months in certain export cases; self-driving nevertheless requires confirmed eligibility, actual issue, insurance and recognition in every country travelled through. Austria's one-month period from first bringing the vehicle into the country extends none of these. Otherwise, choose a carrier or trailer. 1, 7, 8, 10, 2

What must be completed before Austrian registration?

First, the vehicle must be entered in the Austrian vehicle approval database and, where applicable, undergo individual vehicle approval or an exemption approval. For NoVA 2, an ordinary private purchase requires the purchase contract plus a vehicle valuation, the vehicle papers, database extract and photo ID; release follows payment. Registration also requires Austrian liability insurance, identity and approval evidence, both parts of the previous registration certificate where applicable, and a positive inspection report if one is due. 6, 12, 14

What can a CarAudit inspection in France do?

As at 13 September 2026, France was listed as having live coverage; the vehicle, location, date and seller access still need to be confirmed. The advertised prices were EUR 229.00 including VAT and technician travel, plus an optional EUR 179.00 for traction-battery diagnostics. The report target was within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to operational limits. This is neither import handling nor a statutory inspection, approval or warranty. 15, 5, 9

Optional inspection before purchase

If seller access is possible, you can check CarAudit availability for the vehicle, location and date in France. As at 13 September 2026, the standard inspection was EUR 229.00 including VAT and technician travel, with optional traction-battery diagnostics at EUR 179.00. The target is to provide the report within 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and public holidays and subject to operational limits. The inspection replaces neither the contrôle technique, import handling, approval nor the § 57a roadworthiness inspection, and it does not guarantee an outcome. 15, 5, 9

Sources

1. Vendre ou donner son véhicule — sale abroad branch
2. Allgemeines zum Eigenimport von Kfz
3. Fahrzeugerwerb aus Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union
4. Kfz-Import aus EU-Ländern
5. CarAudit Austria — Was wir prüfen
6. Import von Kfz — Genehmigungsdatenbank und Typisierung
7. Can a vehicle be driven abroad with a crossed-out registration certificate?
8. What is a provisional registration certificate (CPI)?
9. CarAudit-Bedingungen
10. Buying and leasing a car in another EU country
11. Überstellungskennzeichen
12. Verfahren bei Fahrzeugimport
13. NoVA Steuersatz
14. Kfz-Zulassung
15. CarAudit Austria — service and order page