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  #1  
Old 1 Feb 2012
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German Zoll plates
Does anyone have any info on a acquiring a custom plate, tourist registration, and tourist insurance in Germany on a motorcycle?

My plan is to purchase a US bike off of a US military member in Germany. The kicker is it is registered in the US military motor vehicle system. I would get the title, but no registration or license plate.

After speaking with the military vehicle registration they mentioned the Zoll plate, tourist reg., and tourist insurance...but didn't have much info in regards to what/if I needed any of that.

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Old 1 Feb 2012
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Originally Posted by MountaineerWV View Post
Does anyone have any info on a acquiring a custom plate, tourist registration, and tourist insurance in Germany on a motorcycle?

It is a temporary registration to allow you to export the vehicle. It must be gone by the date shown on the plates. Includes 3rd party liability for the period of registration.
Periods of validity are 1 week to 1 month... maybe more?

See How to get a temporary registration

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Old 1 Feb 2012
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Hmm...would I have to give the plates back when I leave the EU? Perhaps just get fake plates made for outside the EU...or just take the plate from my current bike and slap it on the new bike.

It's only the Title that is required outside the US...
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Old 1 Feb 2012
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The German authorities won't care, so long as you comply and leave the country by the time the plate expires; what you do after that would depend on where you are riding next.

For anyone who wants to be a spotter of German plates:-
Vehicle registration plates of Germany - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old 1 Feb 2012
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I know no great detail of this scheme, but I think you can only get Tax Free plates if buying a new vehicle in their country, free of local tax - not bringing your own vehicle in or buying it from others, even somehow tax free. Tourists are allowed to use their own vehicles with their home registration without paying local taxes anyway.

I often see vehicles (cars, never motos) at the RUS border and along main routes away from borders, wearing these red/black German tax free plates - but they have had to deal with RUS Customs taxes on entry and are therefore only being driven temporarily 'in transit' to await their RUS plates.
Therefore they get to keep the Tax Free plates as souveniers- which answers your query.

But, anticipating possible thoughts, other countries Customs/Borders will be perfectly aware of what such plates mean and will not respect the continuing tax-free status after the dates imprinted on them.
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Old 2 Feb 2012
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Hey MountainerWV,
i think you can not get a german plate as an non resident.
I think there are just non tax plates if you buy a car or a motorcycle in Germany and want to export it out of the country.
Is there a possibility to register this bike (you will buy) already in the US and bring with you an (your) us plate - then you will have no problems.
Because normally this is an US Bike (because it is on the military base - so it is not in Germany). And you can not import an Bike from US to Germany without a plate - and that is what you have to do.
But if you have some time i can ask your question to a german registration buro.
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Old 2 Feb 2012
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But, anticipating possible thoughts, other countries Customs/Borders will be perfectly aware of what such plates mean and will not respect the continuing tax-free status after the dates imprinted on them.
Tony, its not a tax-free status. They can be used on vehicle that's being exported from Germany. As stated, you must be gone by the date on the plate... within the EU states, you will get very little hassle, but how you insure it once the end date is past is anyone's guess.
I get insurance here in FR, pending re-registration on the VIN number and the German plate number... Max of three months though and I live here.

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