Selling a vehicle registered in Luxembourg

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Summary:

Whenever a motor vehicle registered in Luxembourg is transferred, sold, or sold for export, the SNCA must be notified within 5 working days.

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If your vehicle is registered in Luxembourg, you have 5 working days to notify the National Society of Automotive Traffic (Société nationale de circulation automobile - SNCA) if you decide to:

  • transfer;
  • sell;
  • sell the vehicle for export.

Who is concerned

Any natural person with a vehicle registered in Luxembourg of which they are:

  • the holder;
  • the owner; or
  • the keeper.

Garages and companies authorised to trade in road vehicles can carry out the procedure on behalf of their customers.

If the documents are submitted by a third party, that person must:

  • present a written power of attorney (mandate) issued by the holder, owner or keeper of the vehicle; and
  • ensure that the name of the vehicle's holder, owner or keeper appears on all the documents, and not that of their representative (mandate holder).

Costs

If the Luxembourg-registered vehicle is sold to a non-resident person who intends to register the vehicle in their country of residence, the seller must have an export certificate.

You will therefore need to apply for this certificate from the National Society of Automotive Traffic, subject to a fee of EUR 19.80.

Before submitting or sending your application by post, you can pay this fee:

  • directly at the SNCA counter; or
  • by bank transfer to the following account:

Account holder: SOC. NAT. DE CIRCULATION AUTOMOBILE
IBAN: LU55 0019 4755 8078 4000
BIC: BCEELULL
Address: B.P. 23 – L-5201 Luxembourg

If you choose to pay by bank transfer, you will need to include the vehicle registration number in the 'communication' field of your transfer.
The debit statement from your bank serves as proof of payment and must be attached to your application.

How to proceed

Seller's obligations

The bill of sale

When you sell your vehicle, it is essential to draw up a bill of sale (or sales contract) which allows to:

  • identify the vehicle; and
  • to prove the identity of its holder/owner.

The bill of sale must include certain details that allow to clearly identify:

  • the vehicle;
  • the seller; and
  • the buyer.

Both you and the future buyer must attach a copy of your respective identity cards.

It is essential that you, as the seller, are listed as the last registered owner.

You can download sales contract templates in multiple languages from the Automobile Club of Luxembourg (ACL) website.

In order to complete the subsequent procedures, including, in particular, the registration of the vehicle, the future owner must hold the original bill of sale.

Deregistering the vehicle

You are required to submit a declaration of deregistration (French, Pdf, 358 Kb) for your vehicle at the time of the sale.

You can make this declaration:

  • online via MyGuichet.lu; or
  • by registered letter to Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile (SNCA) – B.P. 23 / L-5201 Sandweiler; or
  • by going in person, without appointment, to the reception desk at any of the SNCA’s sites, with the necessary supporting documents:

The supporting documents you must submit to the SNCA are:

  • the duly completed and signed 'Déclaration de mise hors circulation' form (vehicle deregistration form); 
  • parts 1 and 2 (grey and yellow respectively) of the registration certificate;
  • a passport or an ID card;
  • official proof of the vehicle's legal status if the vehicle is exempt from VAT or customs duties;

If you are not the registered holder or owner named on the registration certificate, you must also provide:

  • a power of attorney from the owner or holder of the vehicle; or
  • a proof of ownership.

You must submit your declaration to the SNCA within 5 working days of the sale of the vehicle.

You will then receive an 'accusé de réception de la mise hors circulation' (confirmation of deregistration) from the SNCA.

It can happen that your vehicle is not covered by a valid registration.
This happens when:

  • the initial registration procedure was not completed; and
  • no registration certificate was issued.

In this case, you must submit a declaration of deregistration to the SNCA, stating that you do not have the registration certificate.
The SNCA will then provide you with a certificate authorising the sale of the vehicle and, where applicable, its export abroad.

The deregistration enables the SNCA to sever the link between you and the vehicle.

Once this is done:

  • you are no longer linked to the vehicle;
  • you can claim a refund of any outstanding balance relating to the annual payment of the road tax;
  • you can cancel your car insurance policy.

The registration certificate and conformity stickers expire automatically when the vehicle is sold or transferred to a new owner or holder.

Once the vehicle has been deregistered, it may no longer be driven until it has been re-registered.

Export certificate

If you sell your vehicle to a non-resident person who intends to register the vehicle in their country of residence, you can request an export certificate to give to the buyer.

Once you have deregistered your vehicle and if you did not request an export certificate, the non-resident buyer of the vehicle can request this certificate from the SNCA by providing them with:

  • the original bill of sale; or
  • a proof of ownership of the vehicle.

Licence plates

When selling your vehicle, you must remove the number plates.

A current series registration number assigned to a vehicle:

  • remains assigned to it until the vehicle is permanently deregistered;
  • becomes invalid if the vehicle is sold abroad.

If you had a personalised registration number, the number will automatically remain reserved in your name for 12 months after the vehicle is deregistered.
If no new registration is made by the end of this period, the number will no longer be assigned to you and is made available for any other application for registration.

The seller is required to remove the licence plates from the vehicle.

Civil liability insurance

As soon as the vehicle is deregistered, you must notify your insurance company of the sale and return the following documents to them as soon as possible:

  • the 'green card'; or
  • the insurance certificate.

As a result, your insurance policy is:

  • cancelled, in which case you may request a refund of the outstanding balance of the annual premium; or
  • transferred to another vehicle. The details can be negotiated with your insurer.

Road tax

If the vehicle is sold or deregistered before the road tax certificate expires, you may apply for a partial refund, subject to the following conditions:

  • the amount of the tax to reimburse must exceed EUR 1;
  • the tax certificate must be sent back to the Caisse centrale of the Customs and Excise Agency at the latest 60 days after its end of validity, with the indication of the IBAN of a bank account held at an approved Luxembourg financial establishment.

The vehicle's deregistration or sale date registered in the database of the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works is taken into account to calculate the amount of the tax to be reimbursed.

The Customs and Excise Agency will refund the amount of tax overpaid to your bank account:

  • on a pro rata basis of 1/365 for each uncompleted day of the annual tax period;
  • rounded down to the nearest euro.

Annual lump-sum taxes for vintage vehicles are not reimbursable.

Online services and forms

Online services

Deregistration of a vehicle

Other language(s)

Vehicles and registration numbers

View your vehicle information and reserved registration numbers in your private eSpace on MyGuichet.lu.

Other language(s)

Downloadable forms

Note: view tips for using PDF forms.

Déclaration de mise hors circulation d’un véhicule

Last update 14.04.2026

PDF358 Kb

Who to contact

2 of 6 bodies shown

Customs and Excise Agency (ADA) Central Office

Address:
3, rue des Prés L-7561 Mersch
B.P. 182, L-7502 Mersch
Phone:
(+352) 274 88 488
Fax:
(+352) 274 88 300
Email address:
caisse.centrale@do.etat.lu
Website:
https://douanes.public.lu/fr/acteur/bureaux/caisse_centrale.html
Closed ⋅ Opens Monday at 8.00
Sunday:
Closed
Monday:
8.00 to 17.00
Tuesday:
8.00 to 17.00
Wednesday:
8.00 to 17.00
Thursday:
8.00 to 17.00
Friday:
8.00 to 17.00
Saturday:
Closed

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