Editor’s note: This is the fourth article in Tapxe.com’s Buying a car in Germany series. For previous articles please see Buying a Car in Germany: Part 1 – Your Requirements, Buying a car in Germany: Part 2- My view on the German market and Buying a car in Germany: Part 3 – Das Autohaus.
In our investigation into buying a car in Germany, we’ve covered how to select a car that meets your needs, what the German car market looks like, and how to successfully visit and negotiate at a dealership. This final installment will help you understand what you need to close the deal.
As I said earlier, if you want to close the deal quickly and painlessly, working with a dealer who understands your situation (you’re new to the area, you might not have all your residency paperwork complete, you are still waiting for your wire transfer from the States etc…) can make all the difference.
What does the dealer need to see from you? We were able to purchase a car (and the dealer was able to complete the Zulassung) with the following documentation:
- Anmeldebestätigung
- Kontonummer
- Reisepass
- American drivers license
- Proof of income. This can be in the form of your employment contract or simply a letter from your employer.
- Proof of insurance. I’ll discuss the intricacies of purchasing insurance in an upcoming article. Suffice it to say for now that we worked though the dealer’s recommended insurance agent, though we did get quotes from other agents to ensure the price was competitive.
- Your approved Aufenthaltserlaubnisse would also be helpful for the Zulassung (the dealer could care less but the state wanted to see it) though ultimately was not necessary. Because our permits were still processing at the time we were trying to buy a car, we asked for a letter from our local Bürgerdinste saying that we had completed the applications and they were being processed. This seemed to suffice.
In order to pay the Anzahlung, we had to go to our bank and complete an Überweisung for the car dealership. This is as simple as having the teller help you fill out a form – you have to give them the IBAN and BIC codes for the delership. Alternatively you can transfer the money at the ATM or through online banking.
Assuming that everything goes through, you get:
- Keys to the car!
- The Zulassungsbesheinigung (Fahrzeugschein) – your car registration.
- Depending on where you live, you might get a Nachweis ordnungsgemäß zugeteilte FeinstaubPlakette. This is a sticker that you put on the bottom right corner of the windshield. It signifies that your vehicle meets certain emissions criteria, and that you are allowed to drive in the so-called Umweltzonen. Umweltzonen are areas (generally cities) where authorities are trying to limit pollution. The German motoring club ADAC has more information on the sticker and locations of Umweltzonen here. The Strassenverkehrsamt has information here.
- Saftey and First Aid kit
Other things you might want:
- Vignettes. If you live in near Switzerland (as we do in Lörrach) you’ll probably want to purchase the Swiss Autobahn Vignette if you plan on driving on their highways (big fines if you are caught on the highway without one!). If you live near Austria you might want the Austrian Vignette. In either case you can typically purchase the sticker at service stations near the border and border crossings. The Swiss Vignette is also available online. The Swiss Vignette costs CHF 40 and is valid over the course of the calendar year – whether you buy it in January or November it still expires come the new year and costs CHF 40. The Austrians are a bit more generous–they allow you to purchase vignettes for varying lengths of time. Since we live a ways from Austria, we’ve typically just purchased the 10 day vignette for EUR 7.50 when we’ve found ourselves on the Austrian Autobahn. The German Way and More has additional information at Extra: Paying the Autobahn toll.
- A Traumkennzeichen (vanity plate). The Germans don’t have nearly the number of choices as states such as Virginia, but if you find your dream license plate and somebody else happens to be using it – you might be able to buy it from them. Neat. Got a license plate that you think somebody else might want? Put it up for sale.
Well that’s it for now. Keep this information, vocab and tips on Buying a car in Germany in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to your new German car. Gute Fahrt!
As always, if you have any comments, questions, or have had a different experience buying a car in Germany and would like to share, please leave a comment below or email us at questions@tapxe.com.
