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How to register an imported car with foreign license plates?

All owners of imported vehicles with EU license plates are required to register their vehicles with the local municipality with the exception of those who stay in the Czech Republic for a period shorter than 185 days.

To register an imported car, you first need a Czech temporary/long-term/permanent residence card. Read the guide Residence permits to find out more on that topic.

Where exactly to apply in the office

After that process comes the following:

  • Step 1) Imported cars need a technical inspection with State Technical Control (STK1 ) for fuel limits and eligibility for Czech roads and issued couple protocols for an imported car. These three documents (Technický protokol pro dovoz s přílohou, Protokol před schválením technické způsobilosti, Emisní protokol) must be made in your name. Such a service will cost you around 2 500 CZK. Beware, the documents from the STK cannot be older 30 days when you go to the Brno city hall. You have to bring the car to the STK.
  • Step 2) By law your car must be insured by Povinné ručení – mandatory liability insurance2.
  • Step 3) When you have your original registration books, technical control protocols, documents regarding your residency, and insurance ready, go to the Brno city hall Section of Vehicle License and Registration Oddělení evidence motorových vozidel on Kounicova 67. First, you will be issued a Czech technical protocol and ideally the same day you are ready to get license plates. The registration fee is 800+1.500 CZK for cars less than cca 20 years old, older cars may pay eco-tax.

You can book an appointment here. However, please, bear in mind that the meeting will be held in Czech. We highly recommend finding an interpreter. On the other hand, you do not have to bring the car for the actual registration, the documents proving your ownership will suffice.

1. Appointments can be made with DEKRA (Opavská) or STK Brno (Vídeňská) or STK Královo Pole (Sladkovského) or any other STK station. Both technical check and fuel check cost from 3.000 to 5.000 CZK.

2. The mandatory insurance can be purchased with (English speaking) Uniqa office in Brno or any insurance company for about five to ten thousand CZK a year.

How to change the owner of a vehicle registered already in the CR?

Both the new and the original owner need to visit the registry, or a power of attorney (with notarized signature) from the non-present part is needed.
You need to bring

  • Czech ID / residence cards, with residence address printed on the card or stamped into your passport or a extract, with address, from the registry of citizens and foreigners (available at CzechPoint)
  • technical certificates for the car (both “big” and “small”)
  • registration inspection “evidenční kontrola” from an STK garage1 not older than 1 year
  • a valid green insurance card for mandatory limited liability insurance2 in name of either of the old owner or the new owner
  • power of attorney “plná moc” (of the non-present person)

The registration form can be filled out directly at the office. And when you pay 800 CZK (cash or card), the technical documents for the vehicle will be updated (big) or replaced (small) on the spot. You can keep the original license plates, or you can apply for new license plates for an additional 400 CZK.

You can book an appointment here. However, please, bear in mind that the meeting will be held in Czech. We highly recommend finding an interpreter. On the other hand, you do not have to bring the car for the actual registration, the documents proving your ownership will suffice.

1. Appointments can be made with DEKRA (Opavská) or STK Brno (Vídeňská) or STK Královo Pole (Sladkovského) or any other STK station.

2. The mandatory insurance can be purchased with the (English speaking) Uniqa office in Brno or any insurance company for about five to ten thousand CZK a year.

Where exactly to apply in the office

How to change my address on car papers?

The change of the address on the technical certificates of the vehicle should be reported within 10 days.

First, you need to report the change of address to the Immigration Office and get a confirmation of the new address from them.

Then take the residence card, confirmation of the new address from the Immigration Office, both technical certificates for the car and go to the vehicle registry office (see the address of the Registr Vozidel below).

The form can be filled out at the office or you can download the form “Zadost o zapis zmen udaju z registru silnicnich vozidel”.

You pay 50 CZK for the change.

How to deregister a vehicle?

It’s not possible to only deregister a vehicle. You can only do so while at the same time registering it with someone else or somewhere else, or arranging for its ecological disposal.

If you want to deregister a vehicle because you gave/sold it to somebody in the CR, read the answer to the question How to change the owner above.

1) Deregistering a vehicle when you take it to another country

A) Before you drive the vehicle to another country

You can get temporary “export license plates” valid for up to three months. First, you need to go to an STK garage for a car inspection (“evidenční kontrola” – about 500 CZK). Then visit a car registry office with your Czech residence card, both big and small technical documents for the car, a valid green insurance card, and 450 CZK. The temporary license plates will be issued on spot.

Once you left the CR with export license plates and after you’ve registered the car in the new country, you don’t have to do anything more, except informing your insurance company, that you want to cancel your liability insurance in the CR.

B) After you’ve already left and registered the vehicle in another country

…but you didn’t get the temporary export license plates. You have to register the vehicle in the new country (new technical documents, new license plates) and when coming back to the CR, you should visit in person (or somebody on your behalf with a simple power of attorney1 ) a vehicle registry office and show them the new registration documents (certificate of registration and car’s technical documents – in the original or regular copies) and submit a request for the vehicle to be deregistered because it is registered in another country (“žádost o odhlášení vozidla z důvodu registrace v jiném státě”).  There’s no form, no fee.

Alternatively, if you have registered the vehicle in another EU country, you don’t have to do anything and rely on the EU authorities to share the information about the new registration. You can drive your car out of the CR with Czech license plates and once you’ve registered the vehicle in another EU country, the authorities automatically update the original registry place. However, this might take up to 6 months. And during this time the car is still registered in the CR in your name and has to have valid liability insurance in the CR.

(!) In any case, after the car is deregistered from the CR, if you don’t want to continue paying liability insurance for the car, contact (e-mail, call) your insurance company here and ask them to cancel your car insurance! They might ask you to send a copy of the deregistration from the CR or the new registration in the next country.

2) Ecological disposal, scrapyard

To permanently deregister a vehicle you need first to send the car to an official scrapyard (search for “likvidace vozidel“) and get a “protocol of ecological liquidation” issued from the scrapyard. With the protocol, you can deregister the vehicle in person at any municipality with a vehicle registry. Besides the protocol, you will need your ID card, Czech residence card, both technical documents (“big” and “small”), and the license plates. There is no fee for deregistering.

1.A simple power of attorney stating: “Plnou moc k odhlášení vozidla z důvodu registrace v jiném státě udílím panu/paní Name, d.o.b. address of the assignee” and a date and signature of the principal. No need for a notary stamp.

How to register an imported car with foreign license plates?

All owners of imported vehicles from outside the EU are required to register their vehicles with the local municipality with the exception of those who stay in the Czech Republic for a period shorter than 185 days.

To register an imported car, you first need a Czech temporary/long-term/permanent residence card. Read the guide Residence permits to find out more on that topic.

Where exactly to apply in the office

After that process comes the following:

  • 1) Vehicles imported from outside of the EU have to go through customs clearance first. It is helpful if you have the Transit document for the car from the first EU entry point. But you can do it without such document in Brno too. Once you are in Brno, you can hire a customs agent who would help you with this step. You can contact one of the following: Celní agentura Brno, Celní jednatelství Zelinka. The usual fee is about 1,000 CZK.
  • Step 2) Imported cars need a technical inspection with State Technical Control (STK1 ) for fuel limits and eligibility for Czech roads and issued couple protocols for an imported car. These three documents (Technický protokol pro dovoz s přílohou, Protokol před schválením technické způsobilosti, Emisní protokol) must be made in your name. Such a service will cost you around 2 500 CZK. Beware, the documents from the STK cannot be older than 30 days when you go to the Brno city hall. You have to bring the car to the STK.
  • Step 3) By law your car must be insured by Povinné ručení – mandatory liability insurance2.
  • Step 3) When you have your original registration books, technical control protocols, documents regarding your residency, and insurance ready, go to the Brno city hall Section of Vehicle License and Registration Oddělení evidence motorových vozidel on Kounicova 67. First, you will be issued a Czech technical protocol and ideally the same day you are ready to get license plates. The registration fee is 800+1,500 CZK for cars less than cca 20 years old, older cars may pay eco-tax.

You can book an appointment here. However, please, bear in mind that the meeting will be held in Czech. We highly recommend finding an interpreter. On the other hand, you do not have to bring the car for the actual registration, the documents proving your ownership will suffice.

1. Appointments can be made with DEKRA (Opavská) or STK Brno (Vídeňská) or STK Královo Pole (Sladkovského) or any other STK station. Both technical check and fuel check cost from 3,000 to 5,000 CZK.

2. The mandatory insurance can be purchased with (English speaking) Uniqa office in Brno or any insurance company for about five to ten thousand CZK a year.

How to change the owner of a vehicle registered already in the CR?

Both the new and the original owner need to visit the registry, or a power of attorney (with notarized signature) from the non-present part is needed.
You need to bring

  • Czech ID / residence cards, with residence address printed on the card or stamped into your passport or a extract, with address, from the registry of citizens and foreigners (available at CzechPoint)
  • technical certificates for the car (both “big” and “small”)
  • registration inspection “evidenční kontrola” from an STK garage1 not older than 1 year
  • a valid green insurance card for mandatory limited liability insurance2 in name of either of the old owner or the new owner
  • power of attorney “plná moc” (of the non-present person)

The registration form can be filled out directly at the office. And when you pay 800 CZK (cash or card), the technical documents for the vehicle will be updated (big) or replaced (small) on the spot. You can keep the original license plates, or you can apply for new license plates for an additional 400 CZK.

You can book an appointment here. However, please, bear in mind that the meeting will be held in Czech. We highly recommend finding an interpreter. On the other hand, you do not have to bring the car for the actual registration, the documents proving your ownership will suffice.

1. Appointments can be made with DEKRA (Opavská) or STK Brno (Vídeňská) or STK Královo Pole (Sladkovského) or any other STK station.

2. The mandatory insurance can be purchased with the (English speaking) Uniqa office in Brno or any insurance company for about five to ten thousand CZK a year.

Where exactly to apply in the office

How to change my address on car papers?

The change of the address on the technical certificates of the vehicle should be reported within 10 days.

First, you need to report the change of address to the Immigration Office and get a confirmation of the new address from them.

Then take the residence card, confirmation of the new address from the Immigration Office, both technical certificates for the car and go to the vehicle registry office (see the address of the Registr Vozidel below).

The form can be filled out at the office or you can download the form “Zadost o zapis zmen udaju z registru silnicnich vozidel”.

You pay 50 CZK for the change.

How to deregister a vehicle?

It’s not possible to only deregister a vehicle. You can only do so while at the same time registering it with someone else or somewhere else, or arranging for its ecological disposal.

If you want to deregister a vehicle because you gave/sold it to somebody in the CR, read the answer to the question How to change the owner above.

1) Deregistering a vehicle when you take it to another country

A) Before you drive the vehicle to another country

You can get temporary “export license plates” valid for up to three months. First, you need to go to an STK garage for a car inspection (“evidenční kontrola” – about 500 CZK). Then visit a car registry office with your Czech residence card, both big and small technical documents for the car, a valid green insurance card, and 450 CZK. The temporary license plates will be issued on spot.

Once you left the CR with export license plates and after you’ve registered the car in the new country, you don’t have to do anything more, except informing your insurance company, that you want to cancel your liability insurance in the CR.

B) After you’ve already left and registered the vehicle in another country

…but you didn’t get the temporary export license plates. You have to register the vehicle in the new country (new technical documents, new license plates) and when coming back to the CR, you should visit in person (or somebody on your behalf with a simple power of attorney1 ) a vehicle registry office and show them the new registration documents (certificate of registration and car’s technical documents – in the original or regular copies) and submit a request for the vehicle to be deregistered because it is registered in another country (“žádost o odhlášení vozidla z důvodu registrace v jiném státě”).  There’s no form, no fee.

Alternatively, if you have registered the vehicle in another EU country, you don’t have to do anything and rely on the EU authorities to share the information about the new registration. You can drive your car out of the CR with Czech license plates and once you’ve registered the vehicle in another EU country, the authorities automatically update the original registry place. However, this might take up to 6 months. And during this time the car is still registered in the CR in your name and has to have valid liability insurance in the CR.

(!) In any case, after the car is deregistered from the CR, if you don’t want to continue paying liability insurance for the car, contact (e-mail, call) your insurance company here and ask them to cancel your car insurance! They might ask you to send a copy of the deregistration from the CR or the new registration in the next country.

2) Ecological disposal, scrapyard

To permanently deregister a vehicle you need first to send the car to an official scrapyard (search for “likvidace vozidel“) and get a “protocol of ecological liquidation” issued from the scrapyard. With the protocol, you can deregister the vehicle in person at any municipality with a vehicle registry. Besides the protocol, you will need your ID card, Czech residence card, both technical documents (“big” and “small”), and the license plates. There is no fee for deregistering.

1.A simple power of attorney stating: “Plnou moc k odhlášení vozidla z důvodu registrace v jiném státě udílím panu/paní Name, d.o.b. address of the assignee” and a date and signature of the principal. No need for a notary stamp.

General info

The registration of a car can take place at any municipal office, not necessarily the one where you live. In Brno, the responsible office is Magistrát města Brna, Registr Vozidel at Kounicova 67 (Office hours Mo, We 8am to 5pm (lunch break from 12-1pm) Tu, Th, Fr 8am-12pm).

Magistrát města Brna

Registr silničních vozidel - Vehicle Register

*Please note, the option at the top of this page “Are you an EU or non-EU citizen?” is actually not about your nationality but rather about the origin of the car and where is the car registered now – in the EU or outside of EU.

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