You are required to register your vehicle with VLO within 45 days of arrival or import.
You will need the following forms:
- Form 60 - Application for a Form 80 (Special Import Licence)
- Form 20 - Application for VLO Registration
Step 1: Application for a Special Import Licence
Complete your Application for a Special Import Licence and submit to your NSE
Once processed by C&I, you will receive your Special Import Licence (Form 80). You will require this alongside your Application for VLO Registration (Form 20) to register your vehicle.
If your vehicle is over three years old it will require a TüV inspection.
You have 45 days to complete the TüV, from date of entry to Germany, unless it already has a TüV certificate. A lights check must also be carried out during this inspection, if required.
Vehicle Lighting Test
During the 45 day period the vehicle owner must ensure that the vehicle has headlights and rear fog lamp(s) suitable for permanent driving in right hand traffic systems, and that a Light Test is passed. LHD vehicles not previously registered in the UK are exempt from a Light Test.
Step 2: Vehicle Registration Application
Your Vehicle Registration Application (Form 20) must be submitted with the following documents:
- Insurance showing Chassis Number (UK- Green Card, or insurance policy and schedule. The address on the documents must show a German address, QTR or Unit. German - Double White Card and Proof of Payment)
- Special Import Licence (Form 80)
- Proof of Ownership (Vehicle Log Book or Allocation Certificate and Certificate of Conformity (CoC) if not previously registered.)
- TüV (if required)
- Lighting test pass certificate (if required)
IMPORTANT: Ensure that all documents are in the applicants name and signed by the applicant (the vehicle owner)
Vehicle Insurance
You may find that you are restricted to certain insurers for VLO registration purposes. This is because most German insurers are unwilling to insure VLO registered vehicles. Once they understand that the individual is not registering on the German ‘net’ but with VLO, they usually refuse to sell us insurance. Most UK insurers won’t offer insurance to individuals permanently resident in another country, which is why we are limited to the few UK specialist military insurers who understand that individuals assigned to Germany are exactly that - permanently resident in Germany.
Whilst other insurers may offer you insurance, you will usually find it is holiday (or a variation of) insurance, and that they won’t pay out should you have to make a claim. VLO regularly speaks with insurers, both German and British with a view to enabling a market with as much choice as possible.
The VLO rules on insurance are there to protect the community from unscrupulous and unsuitable insurers. They ensure that you are perfectly road legal so that in the event of a claim, your application should be processed without any unnecessary obstacles.
It can be slightly more expensive to insure a vehicle here in Germany (though not necessarily) and LOA and COLA take this extra cost into consideration.
Insurance cancellations
Please remember, that if you change your insurer or renew a policy for whatever reason then you must inform the VLO. When you make any change to your insurance (or if you miss a payment) then your insurer writes to OC VLO to inform him. He is then legally obliged to suspend your VLO registration until such a time that you have demonstrated that you are adequately insured. This effectively means that you are driving your vehicle illegally as you are not registered with an authority.
Should your insurance be cancelled for any reason you will need to renew your VLO registration using a Form 20 (available in VLO Licensing Forms). Please visit your local NSE for further advice.
Please keep the VLO informed via your NSE. If you are in doubt as to whether the VLO know that you are adequately insured then please contact us at the number provided.