Luxembourg Local Reference INFOrmation
The information you need if importing a new or used car or motorcycle to Luxembourg. Where to get the Vignette 705 certificate, where to take the vehicle and how to get a UK or mainland EU or US car onto Luxembourg number plates.
If a car is registered in a country outside of Luxembourg, it must be re-registered in Luxembourg if it is imported to the country by a Luxembourg resident.
The process to import a vehicle to Luxembourg has three main steps:
Importing a Car from an EU CountryMany residents of Luxembourg choose to buy and import a vehicle (new or used) from an EU country where it may be cheaper. VAT is payable on a new car imported into Luxembourg; no VAT is due on a used car. A used car is one that:
In Luxembourg, VAT of 15 percent is generally due on any vehicle that is classed as "new" (mileage under 6,000 Km or first registered less than six months prior). Under EU law, a private vehicle may be temporarily imported to another EU country and used for up to six months in any 12-month period. However, the vehicle must be re-registered if it is owned and used by a resident of that country. Importing a Car from Outside the EUA vehicle (new or used) brought to Luxembourg from outside the European Union must be submitted for customs clearance either in Luxembourg or the EU country that is its first place of entry. At this point, customs duties (up to 10 percent of the purchase value of the vehicle), certain fees and the possible payment of VAT (in Luxembourg, this is 15 percent on new vehicles) is made. There may be an exemption from the payment of customs duties and VAT in Luxembourg if the vehicle is being imported as part of a relocation. It is important to note that vehicles from countries outside the EU may have to be adjusted to comply with standard safety requirements of Luxembourg (and the European mainland). 1. Customs ClearanceA specific sequence of steps must be followed to register an imported vehicle in Luxembourg. The procedure can be time consuming and in the case of a new vehicle, a dealer may take care of the registration process on behalf of the buyer (possibly for an additional fee). There are also some specialist companies providing the service on a fee basis. Take the car to the Customs & Excise office (Bureau des Douanes et Accises - Centre Douanier). The office provides a Form 705 to be completed and submitted with the documents outlined below. The Vignette 705 which is issued on completion of the process, proves that the vehicle has been correctly imported and may be registered in Luxembourg.
Buying and importing a new car from the EUWhen presenting the vehicle at the customs office, provide the following documents with the Form 705:
The following personal documents must also be supplied:
Buying and importing a used car from the EUA Luxembourg resident follows the same steps as above to register a used imported vehicle. If they have bought the used car in another EU country, three original bills of sale (for the buyer, the seller and the Technical Control centre) are required. Each bill must include the following:
The seller must also supply the person importing the vehicle with a signed copy of an identity document and the original vehicle registration document. In the case of a used car that is owned by the person importing it, and registered in their name, documents required are the same as when importing a new car but sale contracts are not required. Note: The Vignette 705 is not required for cars imported from Belgium; additional documents issued by the Police Judiciaire and proving that the vehicle is not stolen is required for those brought in from Italy. Cars imported from the UK require technical modifications: the headlights must be altered. Buying and importing a used car from outside the EUThe procedure is as described above except that the original invoice and buyer's certificate of residence must be stamped by the "Administration de l'Enregistrement - Bureau des Actes Civils"
2. Vehicle Registration DocumentsOnce the Customs & Excise process is completed, the owner receives the Vignette 705 "document douanier" and a receipt of payment of Luxembourg VAT (if relevant) and may proceed to the registration process. The Service Immatriculation Véhicule division of the Société Nationale de Contrôle Technique (SNCT) is responsible to the registration process. The registration application form (Demande en obtention d’une carte d’immatriculation) is available from the SNCT centres, the Circulation Routière department of the Ministry of Transport (Ministère des Transports à la Direction), the Automobile Club du Luxembourg and the Administration de l’Enregistrement. The application for vehicle registration must be accompanied by a specific tax stamp, the Timbre a Droit de Chancellerie, which is obtainable from the SNCT or a Administration de l'Enregistrement office.
There are three SNCT centres which handle the vehicle registration process. The main one is in Sandweiler, with two others in Esch-sur-Alzette and Wilwerwiltz.
Visiting the SNCT centreTake the car to an SNCT technical centre together with a completed registration application form and the following documents:
An inspection is carried out and once the car is declared fit, the owner receives the Carte Grise registration document, a technical control certificate, a document stating the next technical inspection date, and a pink temporary registration vignette (valid for 20 days) which is placed at the right bottom corner of the windscreen. An invoice for registration tax is sent during the following days, and once payment is made, a grey window stamp is sent to replace the temporary pink one. This is valid for one year. 3. Issue of Registration/Number PlatesIn Luxembourg, the number plates (plaques d'immatriculation) may be ordered before the car is registered in the country and passed its technical inspection. To get the assigned registration number, contact the vehicle registration department (Service Immatriculation des Véhicules) of the SNCT in writing, providing the Social Security number to receive a plate registration number. Newcomers recently relocated, who have not yet received a Social Security number may apply at the SNCT in Sandweiler and supply a valid certificate of residence issued by the Municipal office/town hall (commune) no more than one month prior. A car owner may choose to personalise their registration plates for an additional fee.
Registration plates can be printed and mounted by the following organisations on presentation of the letter from the Service Immatriculation des Véhicules:
Cars with Export PlatesWhen buying a car from a dealer outside of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, either the car is delivered by lorry by the dealer or the buyer can drive it to Luxembourg. In the latter case, the car must be registered with temporary plates and have a temporary insurance. The foreign car dealer will usually arrange this at an extra cost. The temporary plates are issued in the country where the vehicle was bought from. Typically the validity of temporary plates ranges from 3 to 12 months. If the car was delivered without temporary plates, it can only be driven from the car dealership to the owner's property and from the owner's property to the customs office and the technical control centre. Further Information
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