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Driving an Irish registered car in Europe (Germany)

  • 09-09-2019 11:36pm
    #1
    Onaragatip
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭


    Hi All,

    Just looking for some advice, I am moving for 9months to Germany to work. I would like to bring my Irish car over.

    Would anyone know what is involved from an insurance perspective? I have been told that I can drive under my Irish insurance for 60days / year, but after that I would need to get a European / German type motor insurance to cover me.

    Has anyone done anything similar or might be able to give some insight into what is involved?

    Thanking you in advance
    Onaragatip


Comments

  • #2
    redcup342
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭redcup342


    Just keep your primary residence in Ireland, when you are registering at the City Hall in Germany choose the option for secondary residence. 
    It's worth it to get the Green Card, the German cops think we made our insurance certs ourselves. 
    Also make sure you switch your lights over and fit the car with all year tyres to save the hassle with messing around with Winter Tyres.


  • #3
    Onaragatip
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭Onaragatip


    Hi redcup342,

    Thanks very much for the reply. TBH, I never considered winter tyres and adjusting the lights.

    My employer has requested that I pay German contributions while I am over here, so I wont be able to declare myself an Irish resident.

    Sorry for the silly questions, but:


    what is the benefit of a green card and while I am in Germany?
    will I have to register the car while I am in German and if so will I have to pay duty on the car as part of registration and German road insurance as my Irish insurance will be invalid once I have the car over here >2 months?

    Thanks again
    Onaragatip


  • #4
    redcup342
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭redcup342


    Onaragatip wrote: »
    Hi redcup342,

    Thanks very much for the reply. TBH, I never considered winter tyres and adjusting the lights.

    My employer has requested that I pay German contributions while I am over here, so I wont be able to declare myself an Irish resident.

    Sorry for the silly questions, but:


    what is the benefit of a green card and while I am in Germany?
    will I have to register the car while I am in German and if so will I have to pay duty on the car as part of registration and German road insurance as my Irish insurance will be invalid once I have the car over here >2 months?

    Thanks again
    Onaragatip

    Green cars is just like an international translation of your Irish certificate, you don’t specifically need it but the polizei will know easier what it is.

    The contributions don’t matter, I was a cross border worker for 7 years paying German social security contributions (which you have to pay anyway)

    What matters is what box you tick when registering. Make sure you register within 2 weeks or you risk getting a fine with the city. If you don’t manage within two weeks just say you got there yesterday


  • #5
    Onaragatip
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭Onaragatip


    Hi redcup342,

    Thanks for the replies. When you brought your Irish car over to Europe,

    did you have to re-register your car?
    did you have to pay any excise (duty) on the car?
    did you have get European Car Insurance?
    When you brought the car back to Ireland, did you have to re-register the car?

    Sorry for all the questions, trying to find information online and its not easy!!


    Cheers
    Onaragatip


  • #6
    CiniO
    Registered Users Posts: 16,088 ✭✭✭✭CiniO


    As far as I know no Irish insurer will entertain the idea of providing you with full cover for 9 months abroad.
    However under EU law, you third party cover remains valid all over EU for the whole period of policy, so you still will be road legal.
    Crucial thing for you though is to remain resident in Ireland.
    Normally you are resident in a country where you spend more than 183 days a year, but in case where your 9 months in Germany will be related to work contract for 9 months, then you can still keep your residency in Ireland from what I understand, which allows you to keep you Irish insurance policy on your car, as well as be able to lawfully drive foreign registered car in Germany for 9 months.

    I wouldn't worry about green card. Irish insurance cert will be more than enough for German polizei.

    I'm not sure about lights is there any law in Germany prohibiting driving with RHD lights setup. You'd need to check with their road traffic laws.
    Winter tyres are obligatory in winter when driving on roads covered in snow, ice or slush. Alternatively all season can be used but I would discourage you from that option.
    If you're planning to spend a winter there just buy a set of winter tyres and put your summer ones to storage. Then in spring you can put back your summer ones, and sell you winter tyres if you feel you won't need them again.


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  • #7
    redcup342
    Registered Users Posts: 1,387 ✭✭✭redcup342


    CiniO wrote: »
    As far as I know no Irish insurer will entertain the idea of providing you with full cover for 9 months abroad.
    However under EU law, you third party cover remains valid all over EU for the whole period of policy, so you still will be road legal.
    Crucial thing for you though is to remain resident in Ireland.
    Normally you are resident in a country where you spend more than 183 days a year, but in case where your 9 months in Germany will be related to work contract for 9 months, then you can still keep your residency in Ireland from what I understand, which allows you to keep you Irish insurance policy on your car, as well as be able to lawfully drive foreign registered car in Germany for 9 months.

    I wouldn't worry about green card. Irish insurance cert will be more than enough for German polizei.

    I'm not sure about lights is there any law in Germany prohibiting driving with RHD lights setup. You'd need to check with their road traffic laws.
    Winter tyres are obligatory in winter when driving on roads covered in snow, ice or slush. Alternatively all season can be used but I would discourage you from that option.
    If you're planning to spend a winter there just buy a set of winter tyres and put your summer ones to storage. Then in spring you can put back your summer ones, and sell you winter tyres if you feel you won't need them again.

    Pretty much what Cinio said, except I found the green card made things go much more smoothly, green card is not necessary (my insurer gave it for free back then so it was worth having)

    The Police in NRW definitely do check lights, seen them doing so with some kind of card on Autobahn checkpoints.

    If you are up north in Germany we get so little snow I'd just stick with all weathers.

    Onther thing would be to check if you Landeshauptstadt provides subsidised parking garage, parking a foreign plated car in a German neighborhood can get you unwanted attention since many cities can be oversubscribed for parking permits :)

    Dusseldorf do it anyways:
    https://www.duesseldorf.de/verkehrsmanagement/mit-dem-auto/parken-in-duesseldorf/anwohnerquartiersgaragen.html

    Have great time :)


  • #8
    grogi
    Registered Users Posts: 8,615 ✭✭✭grogi


    All seasons will be absolutely fine, and one will be able to use them in Ireland as well.


This discussion has been closed.
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