German Car Auctions: How to Buy as a Non-Resident

German car auctions sell ex-lease, fleet, dealer trade-in and damaged cars, often below retail. The catch for foreigners:

1. Many large platforms are trade-only: you need a registered car dealership to bid.
2. Winning does not register the car. Without German residency you cannot get plates or insurance in your name.

CarTurf can source a car at auction for you for €750 + 4% of the net vehicle price; auction fees and delivery passed through at cost, then register it through our German partner in 1–5 business days once the documents are in. Customers contract with CarTurf Global FZCO (Dubai). Our German partner CarTurf UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is the registered Halter.

Auction sites fall into two groups:

• Trade-only (B2B) platforms such as autobid.de, AUTO1.com, CarOnSale, OPENLANE, BCA and Ayvens Carmarket. Through CarTurf you get access to these and others. Access is limited to automotive businesses. They carry ex-lease, fleet and dealer trade-in cars with condition reports. CarTurf buys on these trade-only auctions for you.
• Public or salvage platforms. Some auctions, especially for damaged or salvage vehicles, accept private bidders. These cars are often cheaper but may need repairs and a fresh inspection before they can be registered.

Classic and collector cars are sold through specialist auction houses with their own buyer terms.

1. Brief us: budget, model, year, mileage, must-haves.
2. Shortlist and check: we review condition reports, photos, service history and the vehicle identification number.
3. Bid: we bid on your behalf within the limit you set.
4. Pay: you pay the auction invoice and our fee of €750 + 4% of the net price. Some auction cars are sold with VAT and some without, depending on how they were used before; this doesn't change our fee.
5. Collect and register: the car is collected, and once the documents are complete we register it in 1–5 business days.

If the car needs an inspection first, see TÜV inspection in Germany.

Auction sites assume the buyer can register the car. As a non-resident you cannot: German registration offices need a German address for the Halter, and insurers need a registered car.

Temporary export plates only cover a short transfer, not months of driving. With CarTurf our German partner becomes the Halter while you stay the owner, and you drive on German plates across Europe. See Halter vs Eigentümer and where you can drive with German plates.

Delivery from the auction is charged extra, at cost. We don't arrange shipping to the USA, but we can recommend shipping partners.