How to register a car in Luxembourg?

If you are a foreigner who moved to Luxembourg, be sure not to forget that after six months of residency in Luxembourg you need to register your car here. If your car is already and is still registered in your own country, then the procedure is a bit complicated. Click "preberi nadaljevanje" for details of the process.

If you want the car that is already registered in foreign country to be registered in Luxembourg, you will need to import it. I am not sure if this procedure works for all the ages of vehicles and countries of origin, but it did for mine which was imported from Slovenia and 8 months old on the day of registration.

Most of the details can be found on the web page of Département des transport (page is in French). To make it easier, I will write here the process.

1. First you will need the Luxembourgish licence plate number. Don't got to SNCT - the place where registrations and technical controls are done (you'll have to wait), don't call them (the line is busy most of the time) - simply send them an email to nplaques{at}snct.lu. Write your data and your matricule number and tell them that you would like to have a licence plate number for registration of a car that has a valid registration in your country. They will send you the number.
   
2. Second: You will need to import your car. To do that you will have to go to the Centre douanier and request Vignette 705. Be sure to bring these things:
• Certificat de residence which you get at Bierger center (this paper should not be older than 1 month)
• The proof how you got the car - original bill from reseller or contract of buying.
• The proof your car is currently registered - green paper (certificat d'immatriculation).
• ID or passport of the car owner.
• The car.
  It is not necessary that all these papers will be required but they told me to bring them.
  That will not cost you anything.
  
3. Third thing: Get yourself an insurance. You have several insurance companies in Luxembourg so this should not be a problem. Just don't forget: you can not get insurance before you get the licence plate number. If you need a contact of a good insurance agent of a fair price insurance company, send me an email.
   
4. Get the licence plates. You can buy them in many places, but also just across the street at the back side of the building that is very opposite to the SNCT place, it's callec Lux signalisation  Best do it when you go and make a registration (since you'll have plenty of time while waiting). 2 plates will cost you 32 € and the holding frame 6 € a piece (i had to buy new ones since our plates were wider than luxembourgish ones. The place there accepts only cash (no cards).
   
5. Go and make the registration (immatriculation). For that you need to go to the SNCT place. Get yourself an appointment at the contact from this page. I didn't have an appointment so i waited for 3 hours (don't know how long it would take having the appointment). Besides - getting this appointment is necessary to get the appointment for technical control. So for Christ's sake - give your best to get the appointment.
   If you'll be coming in from Luxembourg city, don't take the first exit to the building - that is for technical control. Go forward and park at the end of the complex. Then go to the far left side of the building and give all the papers at the information. They will give you the number and you will wait. You will need:
• demand de transaction automobile (paper you will get there at the information desk)
• timbre "Droit de Chancellerie" (it will cost you 50 € in cash (they don't accept cards) and you will pay it when your number is called)
• facture avec No TVA (the bill of the car, where VAT must be exactly specified)
• attestation d'assurance (that you will get from the insurance company)
• vignette 705 (that you will get at the douane)
• COC - certificat de conformité (homologation; you got that when you bought your car)
• document d'immatriculation en dehors du Luxembourg (papers proving that your car is currently registered - green paper (certificat d'immatriculation)
• I also brought: titre de legitimation, certificat de residence, current car insurance policy, copies of all the documents
  
  They will first check your car data (chassis number etc), they you will be called to pay and get your papers back.
  
6. Next thing is technical control. Regardless of the age of your car you will need to pass the technical control. For that you need to go at the long line at the far right of the SNCT complex. The control cost me 47 € (but observing i saw people paying between 17 and 47 €) - they accept cash or luxembourgish bancomat cards. Some warnings:
1. Make sure you check the lights on your car. If one is not working, you will not pass and I've been told that next time you come you pay more.
2. Make sure you are there before 4PM since people without appointment are only accepted till then. Try to get yourself an appointment at rendez-vous contact on this page. I tried it but they told me I could only make an appointment if I already had an appointment for the immatriculation. So i went without the appointment and waited for 5 hours. So save yourself some time - make sure you get the appointment for step 5 and then make sure you also get appointment for step 6.
3. Make sure you put your new plates on before you go to technical control.
   
7. Last thing (I heard, didn't have it yet) is to pay the road tax. The bill is supposed to come to your home mail box.

That's it. Good luck with the process. Hope it goes smoother for you that it did for me.