Austria
Importing a car into Austria
From an EU state a car reaches Austria with no customs declaration at all. It still gets expensive, at a point no neighbouring state has in this form: the NoVA levy, which falls due before registration rather than after it.
- Registration authority
- Zulassungsstelle beim Versicherer
- Technical inspection
- §57a-Begutachtung (Pickerl)
- Last reviewed
Where the car comes from decides the effort
From an EU state
From an EU member state there is neither a customs declaration nor import VAT, as long as the car is used. If it stays under the threshold for first registration or mileage it counts as new for tax — then VAT is declared in Austria, whatever was in the price in the country of sale. NoVA applies either way.
From a third country
From Switzerland or Liechtenstein it is a genuine import: declared to Zollamt Österreich, customs duty on the customs value, import VAT on customs value plus duty. Only then does the Austrian part begin, with the approval database and NoVA.
The process, in order
The order is not arbitrary. Pull a step forward and you usually end up repeating it.
01Before buying: COC and CO₂ figure
The European certificate of conformity decides whether registration is a form or an expert report. It also carries the WLTP figure the NoVA turns on — the one number to know before buying, because it sets the largest item.
02Entry in the approval database
A car that is not in the approval database cannot be registered in Austria. With a COC this is a data entry made by an authorised body; without one it becomes an individual approval, with a report and an appointment of its own.
Handled by: The provincial approval office or another authorised body
03Declare and pay the NoVA
The NoVA is declared to the tax office before registration. It is assessed on the vehicle value and the WLTP CO₂ figure; the formula in force is published by the federal finance ministry. Without proof that it has been paid, the registration office will not accept the application.
Handled by: Finanzamt Österreich
04§57a inspection
For registering an imported car the office asks for a fresh § 57a KFG report. It may only be a short time old — that period is set in law, and it is why the report belongs at the end of the sequence rather than the start.
Handled by: An authorised workshop, ÖAMTC or ARBÖ
05Insurance and registration
In Austria third-party insurance is not only a precondition but also the place of registration: with the database entry, NoVA proof, § 57a report, proof of address and photo ID, it is done in one appointment, and the plates are issued there.
Handled by: Registration desk at the insurer
06Deregistration in the country of sale
The foreign plate has to be cancelled and handed back where it was issued. Forget it and tax and insurance keep running in the exporting country, and reclaiming them is more work than the office visit would have been.
What gets added
Without amounts, and deliberately so: official rates change, and a stale figure is worse than none. What is here is the basis of assessment — enough to calculate with, once the current rate is known.
- NoVA levy
- Assessed on: Vehicle value and WLTP CO₂ output; the formula, with its deductions and surcharges, is published by the federal finance ministry.
- Does not apply: Does not apply to purely electric vehicles.
- VAT
- Assessed on: Only for a car that counts as new for tax; then on the purchase price, declared to Finanzamt Österreich.
- Does not apply: Does not arise for a used car from an EU state.
- Customs duty and import VAT
- Assessed on: Only from a third country, which includes Switzerland and Liechtenstein: duty on the customs value, import VAT on customs value plus duty.
- Does not apply: Does not arise within the EU.
- Approval database
- Assessed on: A fee for the data entry where a COC exists; without one, the considerably dearer individual approval with its report.
- Inspection and registration
- Assessed on: The testing station's tariff for the § 57a inspection plus the registration fee and the plates.
- Engine-related insurance tax
- Assessed on: Ongoing, by engine power in kW and CO₂ output. It is collected with the insurance premium rather than assessed separately — so it appears on the policy, not in any official notice.
The papers
Miss one of these and the appointment is wasted.
- Certificate of conformity (COC) or an Austrian type certificate.
- The original foreign registration certificate, parts I and II.
- Purchase contract or invoice showing the price.
- Proof that the NoVA has been declared and paid.
- A § 57a KFG report, issued shortly before the registration appointment.
- Proof of registered address and photo ID of the future keeper.
Where the sum tips
- NoVA in the buying decision. Two cars at the same advertised price can end up costing different amounts in Austria, because the levy turns on the CO₂ figure, not the price. Without knowing the WLTP value beforehand you are budgeting without the biggest item.
- The missing approval-database entry. Older cars, small series and modified vehicles often have none, and the substitute is an individual approval — a separate procedure with its own appointment and its own wait.
- The report made too early. Do the § 57a inspection straight after the purchase, then wait weeks for the COC, and you will do it again — by the appointment it is too old.
- The presumed place of location. A car brought into Austria by someone whose main residence is here is deemed based here under § 82(8) KFG; once the statutory period expires, domestic registration is due and driving on foreign plates becomes an offence.
How long it takes
As an order of magnitude: one to three weeks from transfer with a COC and complete papers, with the tax office and the inspection running in parallel. Without a COC, with an individual approval, rather two to three months.
The technical inspection
§57a-Begutachtung (Pickerl)
The recurring inspection under § 57a KFG; the sticker on the windscreen gives it its nickname. When registering an imported car the office wants a fresh report — a valid foreign test does not replace it.
Common questions
How much is the NoVA?
There is no single figure, and any figure printed in a guide would be wrong after the next amendment. What stays constant is the basis: vehicle value and WLTP CO₂ output, under a formula published by the federal finance ministry. So before buying you need exactly one number from the COC — the WLTP figure.
Does NoVA apply to a private purchase too?
Yes. The levy attaches to first registration in Austria, not to who sold the car. Whether it came from a dealer in Munich or a private seller in Passau makes no difference.
Is a German roadworthiness test recognised?
Not for registering an imported car: an Austrian § 57a report has to be produced. Only the following intervals run on the Austrian rhythm, counted from that report.
Why do I register at an insurer rather than an office?
Because Austria has delegated registration to insurers holding the relevant licence. It is not a detour but the standard route: the registration desk sits inside the insurer, checks the same documents an authority would, and issues the plates.
This overview is not a substitute for information from the competent authority. Rates, fees and deadlines change; the office that registers the car is always the binding source.