- What is the content of the following information? Procedure for re-registering a vehicle from another EU member state into the Slovak registry. The information on this page is intended to help foreigners in Slovakia navigate the process of permanently transferring a motor vehicle to Slovakia.
- What does an EU citizen need to prepare before they ‘begin processing,’ and where can they find/get it? When exporting a vehicle registered in another EU member state to the Slovak Republic, the original vehicle owner must deregister the vehicle at the registration office in favor of the buyer with residence or domicile in Slovakia, to whom they subsequently hand over the certificate of registration parts I and II, if issued in the member state.
Subsequently, the buyer of the vehicle must undergo the process of approval or recognition of technical suitability, which is handled by any district office, transport department. The process is methodically managed by the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic, and details are published on the website of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic.
- What can the citizen expect? After the vehicle is approved at the district office, the vehicle owner is obligated to request registration of the vehicle with the traffic inspectorate, submitting:
Certificate of registration part II issued by the district office, New mandatory vehicle insurance, Payment of the administrative fee, After the vehicle is registered, plates with the registration number, a paper certificate of registration part II are issued to the applicant, and personalization of the electronic certificate of registration part I is ordered, which is sent to the address specified by the vehicle owner, If it is a new vehicle imported from another EU member state (refer to § 11 of Act No. 222/2004 Coll. as amended by later regulations), the vehicle owner submits a confirmation issued by the tax office of payment of value-added tax in the domestic territory; this confirmation is not required if the vehicle owner submits a registration certificate for value-added tax and a confirmation from the tax office that they informed the tax office about acquiring a new vehicle from another EU member state.
- Who can the citizen contact? The citizen can inquire about the conditions for approving the technical suitability of the vehicle on the website of the Ministry of Transport and Construction of the Slovak Republic and about the conditions for registering such a vehicle with the traffic inspectorate on the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. If necessary, the citizen can obtain information at the email addresses info@mindop.sk and odeppz@minv.sk.
- Legal protection Your rights when buying a vehicle abroad, including the amount of VAT you must pay, depend on whether:
It is a new or used vehicle, You are buying it from a professional car dealer or a private individual, The dealer is located in an EU country. In general, the highest level of legal protection applies to you if you are buying a new vehicle from a professional dealer based in the EU.
According to EU consumer protection laws, you are entitled to a minimum two-year warranty that you can claim if the purchased vehicle is defective or does not match the description.
In some EU countries, the warranty period for used vehicles may be shortened to at least 1 year. The buyer and the seller must agree on this fact at the time of concluding the sales contract.
Warning: EU consumer protection laws do not apply to private sales, so you should be particularly careful when buying a vehicle from a private individual.
When buying a vehicle abroad, make sure that the seller provides you with all the documents you need to register it in the country of your residence. Check if you have the original documents for the vehicle.
- Vehicle Transport When buying a new vehicle in another EU country, you must carefully consider its transport back home because it is not yet registered in the country of your residence. You have these options:
Tow the car on a trailer behind a fully insured and registered vehicle, Hire a specialized car transport company, Bring the car yourself. In this case, you will need to request insurance and temporary transit plates in the country where you purchased the vehicle.
- What are the sanctions for not complying with obligations? If the vehicle owner does not request its registration, there is no penalty; they just cannot use the vehicle until it is registered.
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers . Is there an option for citizens to electronically register a vehicle with the traffic inspectorate?
The option for citizens to electronically register a vehicle with the traffic inspectorate is being prepared after the approval of the technical suitability of the vehicle by the district office.
Explanatory laws: Act No. 106/2018 Coll. on Road Traffic Operation and on the amendment and supplementing of certain laws (§ 29), Act No. 8/2009 Coll. on Road Traffic and on the amendment and supplementing of certain laws as amended by later regulations (§ 119), Act No. 145/1995 Coll. on Administrative Fees as amended by later regulations (items 68a and 76 of the schedule of administrative fees).