What does it cost to register an imported car in Austria?
Enter the car you have your eye on and see straight away the NoVA, VAT, customs duty and Zulassung costs Austria will charge. From inside or outside the EU.
In short
Austria taxes the import with the NoVA, a percentage of the car's value that rises with CO₂ — (CO₂ − 91) ÷ 5 in 2026 — plus a malus above 155 g/km. Used cars from the EU pay no VAT, but the NoVA must be declared at the Finanzamt before the Zulassungsstelle will register the car.
- 1–3 weeks — typical, EU car with COC
- (CO₂ − 91) ÷ 5 % — NoVA rate 2026, max 80 %
- €80 / g — malus above 155 g/km
- 20 % — VAT on new cars and non-EU imports
Taxes
Registration & paperwork
Not included: the monthly motorbezogene Versicherungssteuer, insurance and adaptations for non-EU cars.
Registration tax by CO₂ band
| CO₂ g/km | General | Canarias | Increased* |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 120 | 0 % | 0 % | 0 % |
| 121 – 159 | 4,75 % | 3,75 % | 4,75 % |
| 160 – 199 | 9,75 % | 8,75 % | 9,75 % |
| ≥ 200 | 14,75 % | 13,75 % | 15 – 16 % |
* Asturias, Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia: 16 %; Cantabria 15 %; Murcia 15.9 %. Ceuta and Melilla: 0 % in every band.
Hacienda depreciation table (Orden HAC/1501/2025)
| Age | Value | Age | Value |
|---|
Importing a car into Austria
Austria taxes the import with the NoVA, a percentage of the car's value that rises with CO₂ — (CO₂ − 91) ÷ 5 in 2026 — plus a malus above 155 g/km. Used cars from the EU pay no VAT, but the NoVA must be declared at the Finanzamt before the Zulassungsstelle will register the car.
Before you buy
- Run the CO₂ through the calculator: 120 g/km means 5.8 % NoVA, 160 g/km 13.8 % plus €400 malus; electric cars pay nothing.
- Ask for the COC — with it the Typisierung is a data extract from the Genehmigungsdatenbank; without it an engineer's report.
- Moving to Austria? The Übersiedlungsgut exemption removes the NoVA if you owned and used the car for 6 months.
- Non-EU car: without EU type approval budget €500–1,500 for the Einzelgenehmigung at the Landesprüfstelle.
Documents you will need
- Foreign registration certificate (all parts) and deregistration where issued
- Purchase contract or invoice
- COC or Datenauszug / engineer's report
- NOVA 2 declaration and payment confirmation from the Finanzamt (used EU car: form NOVA 2, new car: also the Fahrzeugeinzelbesteuerung for 20 % VAT)
- § 57a Pickerl (inspection sticker)
- Insurance confirmation (Versicherungsbestätigung), ID and Meldezettel
- Non-EU: customs clearance with duty and VAT paid
Step by step
- Buy and bring the car in
Drive it on export plates or transport it. Non-EU cars clear customs first: 10 % duty and 20 % Einfuhrumsatzsteuer.
- NoVA at the Finanzamt
File NOVA 2 (via FinanzOnline) with the invoice and the CO₂ figure; pay the NoVA. New car from the EU: also 20 % VAT via the Fahrzeugeinzelbesteuerung. You receive the Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung the Zulassungsstelle needs.
- Typisierung and § 57a
With the COC, the Landesregierung or a Zulassungsstelle enters the data (Datenauszug); without it an engineer types the car. Then a § 57a inspection at a workshop for the Pickerl.
- Zulassung
At a Zulassungsstelle (run by the insurers): bring everything, pay about €200, get plates and the Zulassungsschein.
Traps
- Registering before paying the NoVA is impossible — the Zulassungsstelle demands the Finanzamt confirmation.
- The NoVA threshold drops every year (91 g in 2026, 88 g in 2027): the same car costs more NoVA next year.
- Heavy, high-CO₂ SUVs: the malus of €80 per gram above 155 quickly adds thousands.
Official sources
Run this route in the calculator with the 2026 NoVA formula, malus and Zulassung costs.
Calculate for Austria →Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to import a car into Austria?
1–3 weeks — typical, EU car with COC
Which taxes do you pay when importing a car into Austria?
Austria taxes the import with the NoVA, a percentage of the car's value that rises with CO₂ — (CO₂ − 91) ÷ 5 in 2026 — plus a malus above 155 g/km. Used cars from the EU pay no VAT, but the NoVA must be declared at the Finanzamt before the Zulassungsstelle will register the car.
Which documents do you need to import a car into Austria?
Foreign registration certificate (all parts) and deregistration where issued; Purchase contract or invoice; COC or Datenauszug / engineer's report; NOVA 2 declaration and payment confirmation from the Finanzamt (used EU car: form NOVA 2, new car: also the Fahrzeugeinzelbesteuerung for 20 % VAT); § 57a Pickerl (inspection sticker); Insurance confirmation (Versicherungsbestätigung), ID and Meldezettel; Non-EU: customs clearance with duty and VAT paid.
What are the most common mistakes when importing a car into Austria?
Registering before paying the NoVA is impossible — the Zulassungsstelle demands the Finanzamt confirmation. The NoVA threshold drops every year (91 g in 2026, 88 g in 2027): the same car costs more NoVA next year. Heavy, high-CO₂ SUVs: the malus of €80 per gram above 155 quickly adds thousands.
Other destinations
These guides describe the usual procedure as of September 2026 and are indicative. Rules, fees and deadlines change and vary by region and office; carimportcalculator.com accepts no liability for decisions based on them. Confirm the steps with the authority named in each guide or a licensed agent before you buy.