Car import / export in italy
Exporting a car to Italy is unfortunately not an easy process:
The import of the car, the deregistration and return of the license plate, the translation of the italian car documents, the registration of the italian license plates, the car insurance in italy, … are a real challenge!
INSIDER TIPS tells you what you should pay attention to when importing / exporting your car to italy:
Italy car import – change license plate
In Italy you can continue to use your car with foreign license plates for up to 6 months (provided of course that the car insurance coverage from your home country is still valid for Italy). Afterwards you have to deregister the car abroad and re-register it in italy – which involves a huge bureaucratic procedure.
I have already made some experiences regarding car transfer to italy: first I transferred a car from italy to austria, then a car from austria to italy.
The first took 1 afternoon, but the second took 3 weeks (the car was also without a license plate and therefore not usable)!)
Car reregistration italy: autoclub ACI advice
Alfa romeo giulietta spider – import from italy
for the import/export of your car to italy, get assistance in any case in a branch of ACI automobil club italia (similar to ADAC, oAMTC,…)
If you open a club membership (costs approx. 70 EUR per year), they will be happy to help you with your car registration.
the automobile club ACI can advise you which papers you need to register the car at the vehicle registration office in italy motorizzazione civile (immatricolazione di veicoli in italia)
car import to italy: translation of vehicle documents type certificate& registration certificate
Before you deregister the car in the country of origin, you will need a court certified italian translation of the existing vehicle documents.
If you already know Italian very well, you can translate the documents – but in any case you have to get them translated by the "tribunale" checked and stamped.
The stamp in our case cost approx. 30 EUR – the cost of translation varies depending on the provider and the scope of the translation.
translation documents and car papers "libretto auto" in italian / german
If you need to translate important documents when importing / exporting your car to italy, hire a professional german italian translator to translate your german documents into italian, or to help you understand the bureaucratic italian documents (libretto auto, …).
Professional italian translations of documents, vehicle documents, libretto auto, insurance policies, sales contracts, … you will find here with us:
german italian translator
Car import to italy – notary confirmation ownership
Even if you are already listed as the owner in the car documents, you must go to the notary to have the car reconfirmed as your property.
In my experience, the ACI club already has a selection of notaries you can contact for this purpose. Do not forget the translated vehicle documents and the car sales contract, as information such as the purchase price and the tax already paid will be required!
The procedure at the notary is short: you hand over the documents, wait 5 minutes for the stamp – and pay ca. 50 EUR.
italian car insurance – offer "preventivo"
You will certainly be hit by this! The italian car insurance is extremely expensive, especially in the cities.
If your car was insured in germany or austria, you will pay the same in italy only for the third party insurance.
As a "fresh" emigrant, you should already know the following technical terms in order to be able to obtain an insurance quote:
- "R.C.A."= Motor vehicle liability (compulsory insurance)
- "A.R.D. Auto rischi diversi" = Motor car hull insurance
- "incendio/furto" = car fire/theft
- "assistenza stradale sicura" = road assistance service (assistance)
- "targa" = license plate
Bonus malus italy: confirmation of car insurance "attestato di rischio"
According to our experience, there is unfortunately no international system regarding bonus malus level. At the car re-registration in italy can (will?) the car insurance will therefore not take over your old bonsus malus level from the country of origin.
In my case, I was already in bonus level zero in Austria for several years, d.H. The best car insurance class with the lowest insurance premium.
The austrian insurance company has confirmed this to me in writing in english, because the italian car insurance companies always ask for an "attestato di rischio" first – d.H. A confirmation of the last bonus / malus level.
However, despite the confirmation, we have not found an Italian insurance company that would have accepted us in the equivalent level. So in the end we had to start in italy with the bonus malus level 9.
Car liability insurance and motor tax costs
An average car, z.B. Alfa romeo 147 with 77kw / 105 hp / petrol / 1598ccm / 3 years old costs at least 920 EUR p.A. To liability insurance.
Add to this approx. 220 EUR motor tax ("bollo") p.A. – in total 1140 EUR.
saving tip: compare several car insurance offers – for the same car we would have paid almost twice as much with some insurances and would have been classified in bonus malus level 12 or even lower.
Deregistering a car abroad
check with your registration office abroad what documents are needed to deregister the car.
Only when everything concerning the re-registration has been clarified, send the old license plates and vehicle documents by registered mail for deregistration abroad. If your car is parked in a public area do not forget to put a note with the old number in/on the car.
Register your car in italy – "libretto auto
use the "aci club" – automobile club d’italia. These help you with the registration of the car, and you save as an emigrant with the car import further complications with the road traffic office "motorizzazione civile".
Once you have all the necessary documents, new italian car papers will be issued – the so called "libretto auto" – which will cost you about 600 EUR.
tip: be careful, you will get a temporary registration certificate which is only valid in italy and not abroad! Only after ca. 1 week you will get the final vehicle documents.
Now you have to wait until the "motorizzazione civile" gives the green light and you can pick up the italian license plates for your car there.
motor tax in italy "bollo auto
An average car with 77kw / 105 hp / petrol / 1598ccm costs in italy according to my experience ca. 220 EUR motor tax per year.
Tip: the motor tax "bollo" can be paid at the "aci club" – automobile club d’italia.
Unfortunately, in italy, no reminder is sent to the car owner to pay the motor tax. However, if the car tax is not paid within the deadline, you will pay a 30% penalty.