Buying a motorhome in Germany

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eoghan

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Hello

I'm an Irish citizen living outside the EU and I have a plan to buy a motorhome in Germany for an extended holiday. Why Germany as opposed to Ireland? So I can immediately start my holiday without import / export issues, get a LHD vehicle and I understand there is better choice in Germany along with potentially better prices. I might import it back to Ireland after around 6 months or so.

To avoid the hassle and time (potentially 1-2 months) of buying in Germany, importing / registering in Ireland (and paying massive Irish insurance on a LHD) only to then go on an extended continental holiday I'm trying to understand how to best avoid all that.

Based on my research to date as an EU citizen I could get some type of confirmation i live in Germany and then get a registration certificate which would allow me to get normal german insurance and also I suppose a german tax number to properly pay the VAT on the motorhome. Are there any other options to going down that road?

I am also looking at long term rental but as the duration gets longer it doesn't make much sense commercially.

Any and all ideas appreciated!

Thanks

Eoghan
 
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Is a well specified LHD Westfalia Columbus 2017 of interest at all? It is UK registered. If so PM me and I will send details. David
 
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eoghan said:
Hello

I'm an Irish citizen living outside the EU and I have a plan to buy a motorhome in Germany for an extended holiday. Why Germany as opposed to Ireland? So I can immediately start my holiday without import / export issues, get a LHD vehicle and I understand there is better choice in Germany along with potentially better prices. I might import it back to Ireland after around 6 months or so.

To avoid the hassle and time (potentially 1-2 months) of buying in Germany, importing / registering in Ireland (and paying massive Irish insurance on a LHD) only to then go on an extended continental holiday I'm trying to understand how to best avoid all that.

Based on my research to date as an EU citizen I could get some type of confirmation i live in Germany and then get a registration certificate which would allow me to get normal german insurance and also I suppose a german tax number to properly pay the VAT on the motorhome. Are there any other options to going down that road?

I am also looking at long term rental but as the duration gets longer it doesn't make much sense commercially.

Any and all ideas appreciated!

Thanks

Eoghan
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Sounds like you may end up spending more than importing? Having imported LHD to UK a few times I've never found the insurance any different than a RHD. Not sure how you would get a German address, unless you have friends/relatives in Germany? German insurance might not be any cheaper, and you would certainly need a German address. You'll also have to consider storage costs in Germany, although having lived there myself, that should not be a problem but would add to your costs. Are you thinking of new or secondhand? That may have implications. Sorry, I'm not being very positive!
 
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eoghan said:
Hello

I'm an Irish citizen living outside the EU and I have a plan to buy a motorhome in Germany for an extended holiday. Why Germany as opposed to Ireland? So I can immediately start my holiday without import / export issues, get a LHD vehicle and I understand there is better choice in Germany along with potentially better prices. I might import it back to Ireland after around 6 months or so.

To avoid the hassle and time (potentially 1-2 months) of buying in Germany, importing / registering in Ireland (and paying massive Irish insurance on a LHD) only to then go on an extended continental holiday I'm trying to understand how to best avoid all that.

Based on my research to date as an EU citizen I could get some type of confirmation i live in Germany and then get a registration certificate which would allow me to get normal german insurance and also I suppose a german tax number to properly pay the VAT on the motorhome. Are there any other options to going down that road?

I am also looking at long term rental but as the duration gets longer it doesn't make much sense commercially.

Any and all ideas appreciated!

Thanks

Eoghan
Click to expand...
I think you can do it, but you need a 'fixed' German address.
Which would make it appear to the Germans you are a resident.
The easiest way would be to use a friends address as your 'official' residence, and then register as much as you can there, get a German bank account, German insurance, sign up to vote, register with a doctor, etc.

It will probably mean you have to pay the local Church tax etc.

But may well be worth it, because if I needed say an operation and I had the choice of Ireland or Germany I know which hospital system I'd select, (even with my very limited German)




,
 
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Soycd said:
I've never found the insurance any different than a RHD.
Click to expand...
Insurance for vehicles in Ireland is ,& always has been eye wateringly expensive. UK prices do not even begin to compare.& if the Op¡s states they load it more for LHDrive then I¡d be steering well clear

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There is another way around this, its used in the expedition world/overlanding, I have used this option as insurance for Africa, its a lot easier. A lot of other nationalties buy trucks from Germany, take Unicat or Bocklet (Use google, expedition vehicles at the end of each company) and will open up GmbH, a German company. The vehicles are then insured through the company and you need to do a nil tax return each year. There is also a Dutch option but I am unsure if this is still open. The trick here is the EU registration.

Here is a link, talk to the owner of the site and you will probably be given another option:

License plate evaluation | Expedition Truck Brokers

Professional license plate evaluation service for import and registration of your future Expedition or Overland Truck.
www.expedition-trucks.com www.expedition-trucks.com
 
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Run to the Sun said:
There is another way around this, its used in the expedition world/overlanding, I have used this option as insurance for Africa, its a lot easier. A lot of other nationalties buy trucks from Germany, take Unicat or Bocklet (Use google, expedition vehicles at the end of each company) and will open up GmbH, a German company. The vehicles are then insured through the company and you need to do a nil tax return each year. There is also a Dutch option but I am unsure if this is still open. The trick here is the EU registration.

Here is a link, talk to the owner of the site and you will probably be given another option:

License plate evaluation | Expedition Truck Brokers

Professional license plate evaluation service for import and registration of your future Expedition or Overland Truck.
www.expedition-trucks.com www.expedition-trucks.com
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Things may have changed in the last 20 years, but when we were travelling in South America, there were a lot of Overland Trucks around, by far the most popular registration plate was Ireland.
 
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Brains said:
Things may have changed in the last 20 years, but when we were travelling in South America, there were a lot of Overland Trucks around, by far the most popular registration plate was Ireland.
Click to expand...
That's interesting. I started in 2009 for a number of years and from memory it was mostly Dutch and German, I used a German plate. But TBH it wasn't something I wasn't really looking had on my radar. Still shipping from Oz to SA and then over to South America via the sea, amazing part of the world...got to be on the ball though.
 
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eoghan said:
Hello

I'm an Irish citizen living outside the EU and I have a plan to buy a motorhome in Germany for an extended holiday. Why Germany as opposed to Ireland? So I can immediately start my holiday without import / export issues, get a LHD vehicle and I understand there is better choice in Germany along with potentially better prices. I might import it back to Ireland after around 6 months or so.

To avoid the hassle and time (potentially 1-2 months) of buying in Germany, importing / registering in Ireland (and paying massive Irish insurance on a LHD) only to then go on an extended continental holiday I'm trying to understand how to best avoid all that.

Based on my research to date as an EU citizen I could get some type of confirmation i live in Germany and then get a registration certificate which would allow me to get normal german insurance and also I suppose a german tax number to properly pay the VAT on the motorhome. Are there any other options to going down that road?

I am also looking at long term rental but as the duration gets longer it doesn't make much sense commercially.

Any and all ideas appreciated!

Thanks

Eoghan
Click to expand...
From personal experience of obtaining residency in Germany and having registered 5 vehicles here over the years, I think your idea has little chance of success in the form you suggest, the bureaucracy alone is mind numbing, health insurance is a legal requirement, getting a tax number requires proof of employment etc....the easiest way to get a MH registered here as a non resident would be for export, maybe the temp insurance plates could be for a longer term that the usual 10 days or so, on the plus side, there is a vast over supply in the market and prices are dropping .......
 
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Roby2008 said:
From personal experience of obtaining residency in Germany and having registered 5 vehicles here over the years, I think your idea has little chance of success in the form you suggest, the bureaucracy alone is mind numbing, health insurance is a legal requirement, getting a tax number requires proof of employment etc....the easiest way to get a MH registered here as a non resident would be for export, maybe the temp insurance plates could be for a longer term that the usual 10 days or so, on the plus side, there is a vast over supply in the market and prices are dropping .......
Click to expand...
My original idea was similar to the OP, but after much research and discussion in Germany I have opted for the route of temp insurance and exporting to the UK. My plan is 3 months though before I leave the EU and head into the UK. The dealer has said “no problem” but I can’t find anywhere to confirm if I can take up to 3 months to ‘export’.

Does anyone know how or where I might be able to get confirmation on the limitations of a temporary export license?

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To register in Germany I think you will need a German bank account as I believe the bank has to hold a section of the registration document.
 
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Hello again
Many thanks for all the replies - much appreciated.

I think it is doable however questionable why as an EU citizen I shouldn't just be able to purchase it without having to export it, register it in ireland and then go on my hols which would mean needless costs and also several months.

So I would need
  • proof of residence (a form my resident friend could fill out)
  • then get the registration certificate in the burgeramt (I would automatically get a tax ID sent to my address although not needed, no health insurance required although I'll have it anyway)
  • then i could insure the vehicle
  • then i would register the vehicle (in the location where my registration cert is)

I guess the local dealer could help with the last two items. My understanding is that the 12 month export plates will need a proof of german address regardless - is that the case?

If anyone has any more comments on the plan please let me know
Regards
Eoghan
 
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