Registering a car online in Germany: i-Kfz step by step
No appointment and no queue ticket: with internet-based registration you can do most procedures from your computer and pay less for them. What you need, and where it goes wrong.
Internet-based vehicle registration, known as i-Kfz, lets you register, re-register or deregister a car in Germany without visiting the registration office (Zulassungsstelle). The road traffic fee schedule (GebOSt), last amended by Art. 6 of the Ordinance of 12 August 2026, has separate, lower numbers for it: a new car costs €13.10 online under number 221.1.1 instead of €30.00 at the counter, and a deregistration €2.10 under number 224.2 instead of €15.90. You need a German ID card, an EU eID card or an electronic residence permit with the online function activated and its PIN known, plus a card reader or an NFC smartphone. The registration certificates must carry a hidden security code that you scratch free. Registration also needs the insurer’s eVB number and a SEPA mandate for vehicle tax. The office posts the seals; until they arrive, the electronic decision is your proof.
How much do I save online?
Online saving
€16.90
| Fee in person | €30.00 |
| Fee online | €13.10 |
| Saving in per cent | 56 % |
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
How much cheaper each procedure is online
The fee schedule does not treat online registration as a discount but gives it its own numbers. The table below sets the most common procedures side by side; it counts only the registration office’s fee with its surcharges. The Federal Motor Transport Authority’s share and the seals are added in both cases and barely change the gap.
| Procedure | In person | Online | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register a new car | €30.00 | €13.10 | €16.90 |
| Register a used car (was deregistered) | €30.00 | €13.10 | €16.90 |
| Re-register after a move, plate kept | €23.60 | €9.90 | €13.70 |
| Re-register after a move, new plate | €27.10 | €12.40 | €14.70 |
| Move within the same district (new address) | €11.10 | €4.30 | €6.80 |
| New keeper, plate kept (same district) | €24.20 | €10.40 | €13.80 |
| Deregister a car | €15.90 | €2.10 | €13.80 |
| Re-registration with a reserved plate | €23.00 | €10.90 | €12.10 |
The gap is widest for new and used cars, because at the counter the plates, seals and original papers take more handling. For a deregistration the amount is small, but the time saved is often the bigger gain: no appointment, no trip. Online adds only a small surcharge of €0.30 for the seal carrier that the office sends by post.
What you need, item by item
ID with the online function. The application is signed with the keeper’s eID. If the function is switched off, the ID office activates it; check beforehand in the AusweisApp that your PIN works. After three wrong attempts it locks and must be unlocked with the PUK.
Card reader or smartphone. A smartphone with NFC and the AusweisApp is enough. A computer works too if the phone is paired as the reader.
Papers with a security code. Registration and transfer need the code on registration certificate part II, re-registration and deregistration the one on part I, and deregistration also the codes on the registration seals. If a code is missing because the paper is too old, only the counter remains.
eVB number and bank account. The insurer gives you the electronic insurance confirmation; you enter the SEPA mandate for vehicle tax in the portal. The account need not be yours, but its holder must agree.
Roadworthiness test. For a used car the latest inspection report (HU) must be valid. Many testing organisations send the data electronically; otherwise you upload the report.
The steps on screen
You start from the portal of your district or federal state, which the page of the responsible registration office names; the keeper’s home address decides which office is responsible, not the place of purchase. After signing in with your ID you enter the vehicle data, uncover the codes, choose a free number or a reserved personalised number and pay. The office then checks the case. With complete documents the decision often comes the same or the next working day, later if there are questions. With the decision you have the plates made and fit them; the seals come by post.
What does registering cost?
GebOSt fee
€30.00
| With seals and KBA share | €31.90 – €37.30 |
| Online would be lower by | €16.90 |
Plates from a shop, insurance and vehicle tax come on top.
When online is not possible
Some cases stay at the counter. They include short-term and export plates, vehicles from abroad without German papers, vehicles with modifications that must first be entered, and old papers without a security code. Anyone without an ID that has the online function, for instance with only a passport, must go in person or send someone with a power of attorney. Companies have their own route through a business account; each federal state sets the details.
Deadlines apply online just the same
The route does not change your obligations. If you move or buy a car, section 15 of the vehicle registration ordinance (FZV) requires you to report the change without delay; online is the fastest way to do it. If you deregister, you can also reserve the number online for 12 months. And if you register online, stick the seals on as soon as they arrive, because the electronic decision only covers a transition period.
Five mistakes that stall an online application
First, a keeper who is not the ID holder: registering for your spouse means signing with their ID. Second, a typo in the vehicle identification number, which is seventeen characters long and often confuses the letter O with zero. Third, a bank account without its holder’s consent. Fourth, photos of evidence that are too small or blurred. Fifth, an expired inspection report. A look at the document checklist before you start saves a call-back from the office.
If you meet every requirement, i-Kfz saves money and usually half a day. If you miss even one, an appointment at the counter serves you better than an application that gets stuck. The fee calculator shows what a procedure costs with every item.