1. Documents and formalities
2. What if the owner of a vehicle taken abroad changes?
3. Sanctions for non-compliance with obligations in the process of taking a vehicle abroad and its registration
4. Which office should be contacted?
5. Frequently asked questions and answers

1. Documents and formalities

Driving licence

If you move to another EU Member State, you don't usually have to exchange your driving licence for a local one. However, you can voluntarily exchange it for an equivalent one in your new country of residence if you wish.

Other documents you are required to have when taking a vehicle abroad 

   -   Roadworthiness certificate and proof of roadworthiness
   -   Registration certificate
   -   Proof of ownership
   -   Proof of value-added tax (VAT) payment
   -   Proof of insurance cover
   -   Certificate of conformity for new cars

Car registration rules in the country to which I am moving/taking a vehicle

You can check the specific rules that apply to car registration in the country you are moving to on the websites of the national authorities:

There is no EU-wide law on vehicle registration. Check the rules that apply in the country to which you are moving/taking your vehicle at the 'Your Europe' website.

Permanent residence requirement for registering a vehicle brought from another Member State

You may only register your vehicle in a country where you have your normal residence, i.e. your stay exceeds 6 months.

Tax fees

As soon as you start using your car on national roads, you need to pay car-related taxes:

   -   road taxes
   -   or both car registration and road taxes.

Each EU Member State determines what taxes you should pay if you regularly use your car on its territory.

Exemptions from car registration taxes: 

In most EU Member States, students, cross-border workers and secondary residents don't have to pay car registration taxes. They may need, however, to pay road taxes. For more information on exceptions, visit the Your Europe web portal.

2. What if the owner of a vehicle taken abroad changes?

Procedure when exporting a vehicle from Slovak Republic

If the vehicle is exported to an EU Member State, the original vehicle owner shall give the details of the buyer to whom he shall subsequently hand over Part II of the registration certificate and, after receiving the personalised Part I of the registration certificate, he shall send or hand it over to the new owner. Documents and formalities required to apply for a vehicle de-registration at the traffic inspectorate include:

   -   Original registration certificate Part I and Part II,
   -   Certificate of compulsory third party liability insurance of the new vehicle owner,
   -   Submitting a valid certificate of originality (not older than 15 days),
   -   Paying the administrative fee.

If the buyer is a national of a non-EU Member State, the procedure at the traffic inspectorate is the same.

Next, the new owner of the vehicle is required to pay the customs duty for the vehicle. For more information, visit the website of the Financial Administration of Slovakia.

A foreign national may not apply for export of a vehicle registered in Slovakia. Such action may only be taken by the current vehicle owner specified in the vehicle documents. 

Once the vehicle has been deregistered at the traffic inspectorate, the export documents and registration plates are valid for a period of 30 days during which the vehicle shall be exported.

Only one rule is applicable for exporting a vehicle. If the new owner fail to export the vehicle within 30 days of the date of applying for export at the traffic inspectorate, he must reapply to the traffic inspectorate to have new export documents and registration plates issued.

3. Sanctions for non-compliance with obligations in the process of taking a vehicle abroad and its registration

You may be fined if you are obliged to register your car but fail to do so in time, if you fail to pay the applicable taxes and fees or if you drive with a registration plate from another EU Member State without a residence document and a valid roadworthiness certificate.

4. Which office should be contacted?

Citizens can request information from the traffic inspectorate where the vehicle is registered, or the car registration administrator via email at odeppz@minv.sk.

5. Frequently asked questions and answers

Do I need to carry the registration certificate?

You should carry your vehicle’s registration certificate when you are travelling or moving abroad. If the registration consists of two parts, you only need to carry part I. 

Explanatory laws:

• Act No 8/2009 on road traffic and amending certain acts, as amended (Section 119);
• Act No 145/1995 on administrative fees, as amended (items 68a and 76 of the schedule of administrative fees).