Re-registering a car after a move: cost and steps
After a move the address in the vehicle register must be right. The cost turns on two questions: are you changing district, and do you want to keep your plate?
Anyone who moves in Germany has to report the new address to the registration office without delay, as the Vehicle Registration Ordinance requires. The office at the new home is in charge. If the keeper moves to another registration district, they may keep their current plate, nationwide since 2015. Re-registering (Ummeldung) then costs €23.60 in person under number 221.9 of the fee schedule and €9.90 online; plates and seals stay on the car. With a new plate it is €27.10 under number 221.2, plus new plates and registration seals. If the keeper stays in the same district, the office only changes the address on registration certificate part I: €11.10 under number 225, or €12.60 with a new certificate and seal. Vehicle tax and insurance continue; the insurer still needs the new address. Fees and numbers are those of the version last amended by Art. 6 of the Ordinance of 12 August 2026.
Re-registering: keep the plate or get a new one?
Keep the plate
€23.60
| New plate (without plates) | €27.10 |
| Difference | €3.50 |
| Keep, with small items | €24.80 – €24.80 |
Keeping the plate means no new plates to buy.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Seven cases and their cost
The fee schedule distinguishes three routes for a move, each in person and online. The table works out the most common cases: on the left the registration office’s fee, on the right the amount with seals and register entry. Plates are not included.
| Case | GebOSt no. | Fee | With small items |
|---|---|---|---|
| New district, plate kept | 221.9 | €23.60 | €24.80 – €24.80 |
| New district, plate kept, online | 221.9.1 | €9.90 | €11.10 – €11.10 |
| New district, new plate | 221.2 | €27.10 | €29.70 – €31.20 |
| New district, new personalised number | 221.2 | €37.30 | €39.90 – €41.40 |
| New district and new keeper, plate kept | 221.9 | €23.60 | €26.80 – €26.80 |
| Same district, new address only | 225 | €11.10 | €12.60 – €12.60 |
| Same district, new address, online | 225.1 | €4.30 | €5.50 – €5.50 |
The difference between keeping and changing the plate is only €3.50 in the fee itself, in favour of the new plate; what makes the change dearer is plates and seals. Having two plates made costs whatever the plate shop charges, which the fee calculator can include.
Keeping your plate: what changes and what does not
Since January 2015 every keeper may take their plate along when moving within Germany. The new office then takes over the code and number and changes the address in the register and on registration certificate part I. The seals remain valid even though they show the coat of arms of the old state or district. If you later move within the new district or sell the car, the old plate can also continue as long as the vehicle is not taken off the road.
One drawback of keeping it: if you later deregister in the new district, a plate brought in from another district can no longer be reserved. The rule is in § 16 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance, and it matters mostly to keepers who want to lay up a car and register it again later.
How much do I save online?
Online saving
€16.90
| Fee in person | €30.00 |
| Fee online | €13.10 |
| Saving in per cent | 56 % |
Moving within the same district
If you stay in the registration district, the procedure is small: the office records the new address and, when you apply in person, puts a seal on the certificate or issues a new registration certificate part I. Plate, plates and seals stay. The fee under number 225 is €10.20, online under number 225.1 €4.30. Under § 15(2) of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance it is even enough to report the new address through the residents’ registration office, where the municipality offers that procedure; whether it does is stated on its website.
Documents you need
A re-registration usually takes an ID card showing the new address, or a passport with a registration certificate, registration certificate part I and valid proof of the roadworthiness test. For a new plate, bring the old plates for their seals to be removed; many offices also ask for a SEPA mandate for vehicle tax, because the responsible customs office may change. If the keeper changes as well, the office also needs registration certificate part II and an eVB number for the new keeper. The full list is under documents.
Re-registering online
All three routes are also available through internet-based registration. You need an ID card with the online function enabled and the new address already stored on its chip, and registration certificates with a security code. Keeping the plate, nothing arrives by post except the updated certificate; with a new plate the seals come on a seal carrier. The saving when keeping the plate is €13.70; details under registering online.
What else a move triggers
Vehicle tax continues even if a different customs office becomes responsible; a new assessment is only issued if something about the tax changes. The insurer must know the new address, because the regional class depends on where you live and the premium may rise or fall. If you do not keep your plate, the plate code list shows the codes of the new district; whether you may pick a particular one depends on which codes the office issues.