Buying a Car in Germany Remotely: Steps in the Right Order

Yes. Many CarTurf customers find a car on a German portal, buy it from abroad and only meet it at collection or delivery. Customers contract with CarTurf Global FZCO (Dubai). Our German partner CarTurf UG (haftungsbeschränkt) in Remagen is the registered Halter. You are the owner, so you do not need a German address.

The risk in a remote purchase is not the registration. It is paying for a car you have not checked, or paying someone who is not the real seller. This guide puts the steps in the order that avoids both. For how the German used-car market works in general, see buying a used car in Germany. You can also browse cars for sale in our marketplace.

1. Sign up and tell us about the car first. Send us the listing. We check that the car can be registered and give you an insurance quote, so you know your running costs before you commit.
2. Check the car (see the next section) before you sign or pay anything.
3. Agree the price. Negotiate if there is room. See negotiating a used car price.
4. Sign a written contract with your name as buyer, the VIN, mileage, agreed price and any known defects or accident damage.
5. Pay the seller by bank transfer to an account in the seller's or dealer's name.
6. Documents to CarTurf. The seller posts the original Teil I, Teil II, HU report and contract to us, or hands them to you to send.
7. Insurance, registration and plates in 1–5 business days once documents are complete (48 to 72 hours with the rush option).
8. Collect or receive the car. Delivery from Germany costs €0.75/km plus route costs (tolls, ferries). Delivery to an airport usually takes 1–3 days to arrange; expedited delivery costs extra and is never guaranteed. See car delivery. If you are not ready yet, we can store it at CarTurf UG, our partner office in Remagen. See car storage.

• Ask for a video walk-around with the engine running, a cold start, the dashboard with no warning lights and the mileage visible.
• Ask for the service history (Scheckheft or digital records) and the latest HU report.
• Compare the VIN in the listing, on the photos of Teil I and Teil II and on the car itself.
• Book an independent check. Inspection organisations such as TÜV or DEKRA, and many independent garages, offer used-car checks you can book for a car at the seller's location. Agree with the seller beforehand.
• Ask about the title: is Teil II at the seller's, or with a bank or head office?
• Check the HU date. A car with an HU due soon will need an inspection before or right after registration.

• Pay the seller directly, by bank transfer to an account in the name of the dealer or the private seller shown on the documents.
• Be wary of stories about a car that is "already abroad", a "shipping agent" or an escrow service you have never heard of. Typical scams ask for a deposit before you have seen any original document.
• Check the dealer: a real business address, an imprint (Impressum) on its website and a landline you can call.
• Know what the price includes. With a single listed price, that is what you pay. VAT depends on the car's previous use. See VAT on used cars in Germany.
• Expect the documents after payment. Sellers usually release Teil II once the money has arrived, which is normal.

On portals, see our mobile.de guide for how to read listings and contact sellers.

Ask the seller to post the originals to us with tracking on the day the payment arrives. Many dealers already do this routinely. We check them, confirm your AXA insurance (drivers aged 23 and over, deductibles of €300 Vollkasko and €150 Teilkasko) and register the car in 1–5 business days once everything is complete, or in 48 to 72 hours with the rush option when the papers allow it. See insurance in Germany and how long registration takes. The full document list is in our documents checklist.