What documents do you need to transport a car in Europe?
Between EU countries a car needs no customs papers: it travels with its registration certificate, the purchase contract or invoice and a CMR consignment note. Serbia and North Macedonia are outside the EU, so a car going there also needs an export declaration, a transit document (T1) and import clearance, usually arranged by the buyer or their customs agent. Import duties and VAT are paid at customs in the destination country.
Which documents travel with the car inside the EU?
A car moving between EU countries doesn't go through customs. It travels with its own documents and the transport document:
| Document | Who provides it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Registration certificate, in the original (both parts where there are two) | The seller | You need the original to register the car in your country. |
| Purchase contract or invoice | The seller | It shows you own the car and how VAT was charged. |
| Certificate of conformity (CoC), for a new car | The seller | The registration office may ask for it. |
| CMR consignment note | We, as the carrier | The transport contract, signed at pickup and at delivery. |
EU countries issue the registration certificate in a harmonised EU format. Some issue it in one part, others in two, such as Germany's Part I and Part II.
Does the car need plates or insurance for the journey?
No. On a car transporter the car is cargo, so it needs no plates, export plates or road insurance for the journey. Those matter only when a car is driven on the road.
What changes when the car goes to Serbia or North Macedonia?
Serbia and North Macedonia are outside the EU, so the car crosses a customs border. Three steps cover it, and the buyer or their customs agent usually arranges them:
- The export declaration. It is lodged electronically with customs in the EU and records that the car leaves the EU.
- The transit document (T1). It is opened at a customs office in the EU and closed at the customs office of destination, often at the border. Under this common transit procedure, duties and taxes are suspended on the way. North Macedonia has been part of common transit since 1 July 2015 and Serbia since 1 February 2016.
- The import clearance. At the destination, the car is cleared through customs and the import duties and VAT are paid there, under that country's rules.
Agree with your customs agent where the transit starts and ends before the car is collected, so the transport can be planned through those customs offices. The customs administration of Serbia or North Macedonia, or your customs agent, can tell you the amounts due for your car.
An EU business selling a car to a buyer outside the EU doesn't charge VAT on the sale, as long as it has proof that the car left the EU.
What about cars going from Serbia or North Macedonia into the EU?
The same steps run the other way. The car is exported from Serbia or North Macedonia, travels under transit and is declared for import when it enters the EU, where import VAT and any import duty are paid. Here too the buyer or their customs agent usually arranges the documents.
Which documents do you need to register the car?
Each country sets its own registration rules, so ask the registration office for its list. Expect to show the original registration certificate, the purchase contract or invoice and proof of insurance, and for a new car the certificate of conformity.
When you register the car, the authorities can check that VAT was paid correctly. A new car pays VAT in the country where it is registered.
Frequently asked questions
Does a car need customs papers between EU countries?
No. A car moving from one EU country to another doesn't go through customs. It travels with its own documents and the CMR consignment note.
Who fills in the CMR consignment note?
The carrier does. It is made out in three originals, signed at pickup by the sender and the carrier. One copy stays with the sender, one travels with the car and one stays with the carrier.
Is a copy of the registration certificate enough?
No. To register the car in your country you need the original, and both parts where the certificate has two.
Who arranges the customs documents for Serbia or North Macedonia?
Usually the buyer or their customs agent arranges the export declaration, the transit document (T1) and the import clearance. We carry the car under those documents, through the customs offices where the transit starts and ends.
Do I pay VAT twice on a new car bought in another EU country?
No. You pay VAT in the country where you register the car. The seller may ask for a VAT deposit, which you get back once the car is registered and the VAT is paid there.
Sources
The official texts and authorities this guide relies on.
- Your Europe: car registration documents and formalities in the EU
- Your Europe: VAT when buying or selling a car abroad
- European Commission: exportation
- European Commission: customs transit and the common transit countries
- Your Europe: cross-border VAT, including sales to customers outside the EU
- Customs Administration of Serbia
- Directive 1999/37/EC on vehicle registration documents
- CMR Convention, Article 5 (English text in the UK Carriage of Goods by Road Act 1965)
About MAP LOGISTIC
We move cars, SUVs and vans across Europe with 10+ years of experience.
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. Our liability under the CMR Convention is insured with WIENER STÄDTISCHE Versicherung AG (Vienna Insurance Group), up to €600,000 per incident.
MAP Logistic OOD · EIK 208038880 · VAT no. BG208038880
·