Vehicle registration: Registering a new or used motorcycle

To avoid disappointment and having to wait longer than necessary, you will need the following documents in Germany:

• A valid identity document, such as a passport, and proof of your address.
• Vehicle registration document Part 1
• Vehicle registration document Part 2.
• Current vehicle test certificate (TÜV in Germany).
• Current license plate number, unless the vehicle has been de-registered.
• An electronic insurance certificate (eVB number in Germany, which your insurer can send you by text message).
• Your bank account details for payment of vehicle tax (ideally your debit card).
• If you are under the age of 18, a declaration of consent by both your parents.

If you have reserved a license plate number of your own choice online, you will also need the reservation number, as shown in the confirmation of reservation. You can avoid long waiting times by booking an appointment with the relevant authority online for registering a new or used vehicle.

An option worth considering in Germany is the so-called seasonal license plate, which is only valid for part of the year. This can save you quite a lot of money, especially when you first start riding a motorcycle because you have not earned any no claims discount and your insurance premiums are high. But you should think carefully about which months of the year you definitely will not be wanting to ride your motorcycle. After all, you don't want to miss out on a glorious autumn or the first warm days of spring.

Tips for DIY mechanics

You have to take your motorcycle for a vehicle safety test at prescribed intervals (every two years in Germany). No problem as long as you keep to the rules of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO in Germany). How do you avoid problems with add-ons and conversions to your machine? And which regulations are important for which components? The Louis "TÜV" tip for DIY mechanics gives you the answers.