Before driving a second-hand motor vehicle on public highways for the first time, buyers must register the vehicle in their own name and obtain a registration certificate from the National Society of Automotive Traffic (Société nationale de circulation automobile - SNCA).

There are a number of administrative procedures to be carried out with various organisations, in a specific order:

• applying for a registration number (if necessary);
• taking out a civil liability insurance policy (third-party insurance);
• paying the tax stamp;
• submitting the administrative record to the SNCA.

Who is concerned

Anyone who:

• purchases a vehicle that is already registered in Luxembourg; and
  
• wishes to register it in their name.

This procedure applies to the following vehicles:

• cars;
• motorcycles;
• mopeds;
• tricycles;
• quadricycles;
• camping-cars;
• vans;
• tractors and machinery with a maximum design speed that does not exceed 6 km/h and whose weight exceeds 600 kg;
• trailers, including agricultural trailers towed at more than 40 km/h;
• buses;
• lorries;
• articulated lorries.

Prerequisites

Buyers must be listed in the National Register of Natural Persons with a Luxembourg address and a valid identity document.

Preliminary steps

Bill of sale

A bill of sale serves as the purchaser's proof of ownership and identifies the vehicle and its legal owner.

When the seller is:

• a legal person: the document must be a sales invoice printed on letterhead paper, with the business's intra-community VAT number shown on the bill of sale. The buyer's signature is not required on a sales invoice;
• a natural person: the document must be a sales contract. This document must be signed by both parties. If the vehicle has been sold several times without being registered, the sales contracts must be traceable back to the person whose name appears on the most recent registration certificate.

A number of details must appear on a bill of sale, including:

• the date of issue;
• details of the vehicle: the chassis number, the make (manufacturer) and model (commercial name);
• information about the seller and buyer:
  • for natural persons: first name, surname, address, signature;
  • for legal persons: company name, address, VAT number;
• the sales price, and whether or not VAT is included;
• VAT-related data: the VAT on a vehicle must always be paid in the country of destination – i.e. the country where the vehicle is registered.

Registration certificate

The Luxembourg registration certificate (formerly known as the carte grise, or grey card) now consists of:

• a grey part (Part 1); and
• a yellow part (Part 2).

Both parts are required to register the vehicle. The seller has no obligation to give the registration certificate to the buyer. However, the seller must forward the registration certificate to the SNCA within 5 working days of the transfer.

Registration number

When purchasing a vehicle, the purchaser must determine the type of vehicle registration number.

If a vehicle has previously been registered under a standard registration number, the future owner must register the vehicle under the same registration number, unless the purchaser decides to register the vehicle under a personalised number.

The future owner must file a new application for a new registration number if the purchased vehicle has:

• a personalised registration number that belongs to the former owner;
  
• a registration number in the old format (2 letters and 3 digits or 1 letter and 4 digits).

Licence plate

Once the purchaser has received confirmation that a registration number has been reserved, they must have the licence plate printed by a licence plate manufacturer.

A vehicle that has been purchased or is to be purchased and has not yet been registered in the name of the new owner may be driven if it is:

• fitted with red licence plates; or
• fitted with licence plates bearing the number that will be used when the vehicle is registered; and
• covered by civil liability insurance.

These conditions also apply for the direct trip:

• between the point of sale or vehicle warehouse and the place where the vehicle will be registered; and
• to a garage or repair shop to undergo a repair, technical modification or conversion, or inspection.

Civil liability insurance

To drive a road vehicle on a public highway, a third-party liability insurance policy (RC Autos) must be taken out with an approved insurance company in Luxembourg.

As soon as future owners are able to inform their insurers of the vehicle chassis number and Luxembourg registration number, they can ask them to issue a green card and proof of insurance (in the form of a sticker) attesting that the owner has taken out liability insurance for the vehicle.

Valid proof of insurance is required to register the vehicle in the future owner's name.

Roadworthiness inspection

When registering a vehicle that is already registered, the roadworthiness inspection documents for the vehicle must be current. As such, a valid roadworthiness inspection certificate issued for the vehicle by an approved technical inspection body in Luxembourg must be presented at the time of registration of the vehicle.

Vehicles not subject to periodic roadworthiness inspections must be covered by a roadworthiness sticker.

Costs

In addition to the cost of the vehicle itself and the insurance fees, the following charges will apply:

• the cost of the licence plates, if required;
• additional registration and acceptance fees for any converted/modified vehicles;
• if any, the cost of the roadworthiness inspection, or the cost of a roadworthiness sticker for vehicles not subject to periodic roadworthiness inspections (such as tractors and machines).

'Droit de Chancellerie' (stamp duty)

For a vehicle to be registered, the future owner must pay stamp duty by purchasing a tax stamp (timbre fiscal or timbre de chancellerie) in the amount of EUR 50.

When a vehicle is registered with a personalised registration number, an additional EUR 50 is payable on top of the standard amount of stamp duty. In the event of the transfer of a personalised number from one vehicle to another vehicle that is to be registered, the amount payable is EUR 24.

Stamp duty can be paid:

• at one of the competent offices of the Luxembourg Land Registration and Estates Department (Administration de l'enregistrement et des domaines); or
• by bank transfer into the account LU76 0019 5955 4404 7000 (BIC: BCEELULL). 
  

If paying by bank transfer, the future owner must submit proof of the transfer (debit notice) at the time of registration.

The following information must appear on the proof of payment:

• surname and first name;
• specific reason for the transfer;
• vehicle registration and chassis numbers.

Tax stamps are also available from the SNCA Registration department. There will also be a EUR 3 supplement for administrative fees.

How to proceed

Registering the motor vehicle

The applicant must register the vehicle purchased in Luxembourg with the National Society for Automotive Traffic (SNCA). To do this, they must complete and sign the form 'Applying for a registration certificate' (see 'Forms / Online services' below).

The applicant can choose to carry out this procedure at any one of the SNCA's 3 sites:

• in northern Luxembourg (Fridhaff);
• in central Luxembourg (Sandweiler);
• in southern Luxembourg (Esch-sur-Alzette).

The Sandweiler, Esch-sur-Alzette and Fridhaff sites invite applicants to make an appointment to submit the administrative documents, either online or by phone on (+352) 26626 - 400.

Owners must submit the administrative documents in order to register their vehicle with the Luxembourg authorities and obtain a vehicle registration certificate in their own name.

The person submitting the registration documents to the SNCA must bring their identity card. If the documents are submitted by a third party (a person other than the new future owner of the vehicle), that party must produce a mandate and a copy of the future owner's ID document at the time of registration. In that case, it is important to ensure that the name of the owner, and not that of the representative, appears on all of the documents.

Supporting documents

The application must be accompanied by the following:

• the tax stamp(s) Droit de Chancellerie;
• the bill of sale;
• proof of valid insurance;
• the registration certificate (Parts 1 and 2);
• the vehicle owner's/holder's identity document;
• a valid roadworthiness inspection certificate for vehicles subject to regular roadworthiness inspection;
• the European certificate of conformity for vehicles registered for the first time on or after 1 February 2016.

Original copies of all required documents must be produced.

If the vehicle has been modified or converted and the modifications/conversion have not yet been registered on the registration certificate, the vehicle is subject to a conformity check and documentary proof of the modification(s)/conversion must be produced.

The customer can choose to carry out this procedure at any one of the SNCA's 3 sites:

• in northern Luxembourg (Fridhaff);
• in central Luxembourg (Sandweiler);
• in southern Luxembourg (Esch-sur-Alzette).

The Sandweiler, Esch-sur-Alzette and Fridhaff sites invite applicants to make an appointment to submit the administrative documents, either online or by phone on (+352) 26626 - 400.

Original copies of all required documents must be produced.

Owner's obligations

Vehicle owners must inform the SNCA of any change in home address within one month.

Road tax

When registering the vehicle at the SNCA, the owner is issued a temporary road tax disc, which is valid for 30 days.

Apart from some exceptions, all road vehicles registered in Luxembourg, and used on the public roads, are subject to road tax.

The Customs and Excise Agency (Administration des douanes et accises – ADA) sets the amount of the tax based on the data registered by the registration authorities and according to the applicable rates. The amount of the tax due is communicated to the tax debtor.

If payment of the road tax for the vehicle in question has been outstanding for:

• fewer than 60 days, the Grand Ducal police and customs and excise officials may issue a fine of EUR 74;
• more than 60 days, the Grand Ducal police and customs and excise officials may immobilise the vehicle on the public road.

Parking permit

Many communes now require motor vehicle owners to obtain a permit to park in the neighbourhood where they live. Residents' parking permits are issued by the commune in question, subject to the production of a registration certificate.

Forms / Online services

Authentic sources

Who to contact