Danish cars – How to import a car and not waste money
Compared to vehicles from other countries, used Danish cars have never been particularly popular in Poland. In the rankings of source countries of importing cars, Denmark has always oscillated around the 10th position. All because of high prices. Where do they come from – and how to save up on them?
*The information given in the article concerns only the Polish regulations.
Danish cars – what to pay attention to?
People who are looking for a good quality vehicle decide to buy a Danish car – not necessarily at a very favorable price. In many cases, the price is of secondary importance. However, the process of importing a Danish car requires proper preparation.
The main thing – and in this respect Danish cars are no different from cars from other countries – is to find an interesting advertisement and ask the seller to provide the VIN number or the license plate number (it is best if both are included in the advertisement, but unfortunately this is not a common practice). On the basis of this, you can verify the basic information about a car, make sure what is included in its factory equipment, as well as how many owners it had.
Before purchasing a car, it’s a good idea to check its vehicle history included in the autoDNA report. The autoDNA database contains over 500 million records on damage, inspections or mileage. Order a comprehensive report before you devote your time and money. Make sure you know everything you need to know when buying a car!
What to check before buying?
When looking for a Danish car, it is worth paying attention to the following:
- mileage of the car,
- technical condition,
- the car’s legal status,
- car registration,
- the manufacture year,
- equipment,
- number of owners,
- MTPL insurance.
For more experienced users, such elements are quite obvious when buying and selling cars. However, it certainly does not hurt to remind about them, because with the considerable value of the car, any oversight or forgetfulness can turn out to be very costly in consequences.
How to check a Danish car – platforms
How to buy a car and not be fooled? When it comes to Danish cars, the matter is a bit easier, because there are several platforms on which you can get a range of official information about the vehicle you’re interested in for free.
The first and most important of the available is the website of the Danish road safety agency, Færdselsstyrelsen.
When deciding to get a Danish car, you can check it for free on a government website: findsynsrapport.fstyr.dk. A license plate number or VIN number is enough for this purpose, it is not necessary to know both.
It is a publicly available platform that allows you to verify the basic information related to the current car registration. You can check the mileage of the car – so far recorded, the results of technical inspections, and even defects detected during them, provided, of course, that they have been recorded in the system.
Those looking for a car in Denmark will also be interested in two other websites:
What to consider when importing Danish cars
Some issues are relatively obvious, others may come as a surprise – regardless of whether you need to prepare well first when importing a car or a truck.
Technical condition of a Danish car
The technical condition of the vehicle is by far the most important. After all, the costs of any repairs or the possibility of safe use of the purchased vehicle depend on it. Information on whether the car is accident-free can usually be found in the reports created on the basis of the VIN number or license plate number.
Analyzing how much Danish passenger cars cost, it can be concluded that they are disproportionately expensive in relation to the actual value of the vehicle. This is mainly due to the large tax, which is going to be discussed in a moment, but also to the usually good technical condition of used cars. Danes, although of course there are exceptions, generally take care of their cars and do not change them very willingly. In addition, Danes regularly maintain the chassis, and reversing the meters practically does not occur, because they face serious penalties for them. Sounds like paradise? Yes – although certainly not for “bargain hunters”.
Number of owners
When signing a contract for the purchase and sale of a Danish car, the presence of all owners (co-owners if the vehicle is registered for more than one person) is required. For this reason, it is worth making sure that everyone comes to the place and gives their signatures. Otherwise, the transaction may be considered invalid, which is associated with completely unnecessary stress.
Car registration or unregistration
If the car has been unregistered for some time, it is necessary to import it on a tow truck. If not, you can return to Poland by driving it, but in such a situation, special export plates should be issued. This also entails additional fuel costs. The legal status is therefore one of the factors that significantly affect how much it costs to import a car from Denmark.
Mileage of a Danish car
The mileage is also of great importance. Cars can be used sporadically or very often, to cover hundreds of kilometers every day. This affects their exploitation. This is why it is so important to check the odometer readings. You can do this using your license plate number (Registreringsnummer) or your chassis number (Stelnummer).
[i] If you do not want to go through the Danish services yourself, you can easily order a vehicle history report containing all the most important information. At autoDNA, you can do it without leaving your home – easily and quickly, and most importantly, completely safe!
Some formal details, basic knowledge of the automotive industry and patience – this is all you need to go in search of a used Danish car.
Where to look for a car on the Danish market?
Danish automotive classifieds sites
There are many pages with Danish automotive advertisements. The most popular among them include:
It is also worth checking the websites of international platforms aggregating advertisements for car sales from different countries. They also collect offers from Denmark. They are also more accessible for users who do not speak Danish. Another alternative is to use the services of intermediaries – both companies importing cars from Denmark to Poland, as well as those that sell vehicles on the local market, after thoroughly checking them and removing any defects.
This may slightly increase the cost of importing the car to Poland, but in the end it may turn out to be a good investment. Regardless of the choice, it is always worth remembering to exercise the necessary caution.
How to import a Danish car?
Denmark is certainly not the first direction that comes to mind for a Polish driver who wants to import a car from abroad. In the rankings, the country usually closes the top ten, but the numbers speak for themselves – in a popular classifieds website with almost 210.000 ads, in only 800 cases the seller declares that the car comes from Denmark. Does that mean that you should stay away from Danish cars? Certainly not. What should you keep in mind when buying a Danish car?
Importing a Danish car on your own
One of the available options is to bring a Danish car by driving it. However, then you have to take into account both the need to spend time and the cost of fuel – there will be about a thousand kilometers to cover. Moreover, this is only possible with fully operational vehicles. It is also best that the car has the original license plates, not the “temporary” ones. When buying a car, a set of documents should be provided:
- export permit,
- vehicle registration book,
- purchase and sale agreement,
- valid MTPL insurance policy
- vehicle card (not every car has a vehicle card issued).
A Danish car should be unregistered at the local office. You also need to make special export plates, thanks to which you can return to Poland. These should be obtained from the local equivalent of the communication department. After arriving in the country, you need to register the car, taking care of all the formalities, including paying excise duty.
Importing a car via an agent
There is also the option of transporting the car to the country by an intermediary. Then they take care of the necessary formalities. Importing a car this way is a convenient solution for people who do not have time to go for a given car on their own.
Using the help of specialists involved in importing a car also facilitates formal issues in the event of ignorance of the language. Then a car from Denmark arrives to Poland on a tow truck. This way, even a faulty car can be transported, and importing involves fewer formalities necessary to complete on your own. This means a cost of several thousand zlotys, but it is often the only possible solution.
How to decrease the price of a car with the tax refund charged in Denmark?
Cars in Denmark cost much more than in Poland – the difference is sometimes even double. It is due to the very high tax. Fortunately, you can get a refund of up to 60% of this tax. How to do it? First of all, the car should meet some particular criteria:
- car intended for export
- unregistered car, without the possibility of re-registration in Denmark
- gross price
You also need to make sure that the tax has not been deducted beforehand. Danish passenger cars available at the checkpoints have most often already undergone the procedure, so there is no need to count on further deductions.
If a Danish car no longer has a significantly higher price at first glance, a tax deduction is unlikely to be possible. However, it is always worth checking the car – just because of the usually good technical condition of Danish cars.
Formalities connected with the tax refund
At skat.dk, you need to submit the proper export application document 21.044 to the Danish internal revenue office. The application should be sent along with a copy of the vehicle registration book via e-mail. After that, the car should stay in Denmark for the next 14 days. This is due to the fact that at this time, the Danish tax office may want to inspect your car.
The next step is to register your car in Poland.
Once this has been done, the registration certificate must be scanned and sent to the Danish tax office SKAT.
For all the mentioned formalities you have the maximum time of 3 months. After this period, the tax refund is not possible anymore.
Arriving by a Danish car to the country – the first inspection
If you already know how to bring a car, it’s time for the things that need to be done when you arrive in Poland. The temporary license plate number is only valid for 30 days, so immediately after returning, you need to complete the formalities – pay fees and register the car.
It is important to pay the excise tax, and only then the technical examination should be carried out. Both documents are necessary to carry out further activities, i.e. to register the vehicle in the office.
The first inspection after buying a car must be done in Poland, which means that upon arrival you should go to the vehicle inspection station. You can do it in different places on the map of the whole country.
Car registration in Poland – step by step
A used car imported from Denmark must be registered with the Polish office. This requires completing certain formalities and collecting specific documents. What does buying a Danish car involve? How to register it correctly?
Documents needed to register a Danish car
In order to register a used car from Denmark, it is necessary to bring certain documents to the office. A license plate number of the Danish car will also come in handy. You should also prepare the following documents:
- confirmation of payment of excise duty,
- translation of the contract,
- vehicle registration book,
- confirmation of the technical inspection,
- license plates,
- confirmation of payment of registration fees.
You have 30 days from the moment you bring your car to Poland to register it. Often, however, ready-made plates or a new vehicle registration book are available earlier. Still, it is worth remembering that translating documents into Polish also takes time, so it is worth getting it done early.
Costs of registering a Danish car
The imported car requires registration with the Polish office. It costs PLN 256. However, some people opt for individual license plates, and then the sum increases. In the case of a standard plate, the costs are as follows:
- license plates – PLN 80,
- vehicle registration book, verification signs – PLN 66.50,
- time permit – PLN 13.50,
- vehicle registration fee – PLN 0.50.
The formalities necessary for completion also require the payment of excise duty. It amounts to 3.1% of the value for vehicles up to 2000 cm3 of engine capacity and 18.6% for cars with a larger capacity. It also costs to transport a car from Denmark to Poland.
[i] Paying excise duty is as necessary as it is unpleasant – especially for cars with a larger engine capacity. However, it is worth knowing that for electric and hybrid cars (where the engine capacity does not exceed 2,000 cm3) the excise duty is 0%.
Translating the documents
Documents obtained during the transaction should be translated. This is mainly a purchase and sale agreement (however, a translation of the vehicle registration book is not required). In the case of the contract, it is necessary to use the help of a sworn translator. Only such translations of documents are accepted by Polish authorities.
Technical review of the vehicle
Regardless of whether the Danish car has a valid technical inspection, it should be performed again in Poland – this is needed to register the vehicle with the Polish office. It is worth doing it in time to complete all formalities within the indicated time limit.
Danish car – How to import a car and not waste money
Did you like this article? Anything you’d like to ask in your comment? Feel free to share your feedback and comment at the bottom of the article. And remember – always before buying a car, motorcycle or even a trailer – check vehicle history and free VIN lookup with autoDNA based on the VIN number. VIN check is one of the most important things to do before deciding to buy a used vehicle. Thanks to this, autoDNA helps you make an informed decision.
Also read how to import a car from:
Is it worth importing a Danish car?
Danish passenger cars may seem disproportionately expensive, which is due to the absurdly high tax rate. However, in many cases, the tax can be deducted by reducing the final price. In addition, Danish cars are often in very good technical condition – they are well maintained, which for many drivers may be an argument for reaching deeper into your pocket.
Are Danish cars popular in Poland?
According to data from the Samar Institute and insurance companies, the annual import of cars from Denmark amounts to approx. 20.000 copies, which places this country at the 10th position on the list of the most popular sources. Whether this is a good result or not, it is worth assessing for yourself – taking into account, for example, the fact that from the leading in the ranking of Germany every year comes down to approx. 20x more cars.
