No Stress. Just Drive.
Your personal car from day one in Germany. A pragmatic, turnkey service for expats and long‑term residents. We handle the vehicle preparation, official registration, and nationwide delivery before you even land. No hassle, fully compliant, and your dealer warranty remains completely intact.
Who it’s for
StandBy Auto is built for professionals, expats, and long‑term residents relocating to Germany who want their car ready on arrival.
Normally, the German bureaucracy requires a local residency document (Meldebescheinigung) to register a vehicle — creating a frustrating gap in your mobility. We bridge this gap. We prepare, officially register, and deliver your vehicle so you can drive immediately, legally bypassing the waiting time for your local residency appointment.
Modular Services & Transparent Pricing
Every relocation is different. Instead of rigid packages, we offer a modular approach. You choose only the specific services you need, ensuring transparent pricing with no hidden expat fees.
- Core StandBy Registration — €300*
Includes official registration via Authorized Recipient (Zulassung mit Empfangsbevollmächtigtem), electronic insurance setup (eVB-Nummer), and a seamless administrative address update once your residency is confirmed. Covers our authorized representation for up to 3 months. Each subsequent month of representation is €100. Please note: Mandatory external costs such as car insurance (minimum 3-month policy), annual vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer, billed for a full year), license plates, and registration office fees are not included and are paid separately at their exact official rates. - Optional Modules:
- Vehicle Sourcing & Negotiation — €300*
We carefully source and propose 5 hand-picked vehicles matching your exact criteria and handle professional price negotiations with the dealer. (Please note: Extensive independent VIN checks and history reports are available as a separate add-on service). With rare exceptions, we strongly recommend a comprehensive physical inspection by an independent specialist (e.g., DiePrüfer.de or our video inspection) before transferring any funds. Read more about protecting your purchase and warranty in our blog:
Top Mistakes Expats Make When Buying a Car in Germany & How to Avoid Them. - Remote 4K Video Inspection — €100*:
Comprehensive physical verification before you buy. Includes a detailed 4K walkaround video (interior and exterior) plus a live test drive recording.
Base coverage: Vehicles within an 80 km radius of Erkelenz (includes major hubs like Düsseldorf, Cologne / Köln, Aachen, and Mönchengladbach).
Extended range: For distances between 80 km and 200 km (covering cities like Frankfurt am Main, Dortmund, Essen, Bonn, and Münster), a travel surcharge of €0.50 per km applies. Beyond 200 km, inspections are arranged individually via our trusted network of local agents. - Nationwide & Airport Delivery — from €1 per km*: Have your car waiting at any convenient location or exactly where you land.
- Driven Delivery (€1/km, but not less than €200): Available exclusively if the vehicle is covered by full comprehensive insurance (Vollkasko). Client covers the fuel cost.
- Carrier Delivery: If the car has only mandatory basic insurance, we strictly use professional auto transporters to eliminate any risk of road damage. We charge a €200 organization fee, and the actual towing company’s rate is paid directly at cost.
- Vehicle Sourcing & Negotiation — €300*
* 100% Transparent Pricing Policy:
The prices listed above reflect our pure service fees. All third-party expenses — such as official registration office fees (Zulassungsstelle), vehicle tax, insurance premiums, license plates, or external logistics — are billed strictly at cost with zero markup. All original receipts are provided. We guarantee absolute transparency.
Tip: Already importing your own US car? If you’re bringing your vehicle, use our dedicated import and registration service; if you want a freshly sourced European car waiting for you on arrival, choose StandBy Auto.
How it works
1. Agreement and sign‑up
Action: eSign the service contract, pay the sign‑up fee, and share preferences (budget, model) and documents (ID; residency plan).
Outcome: Clear timeline and checklist; priority onboarding.
2. Custom Sourcing or Direct Processing
Action:
If you already purchased a car remotely, we jump straight to logistics and registration. If you need assistance finding a car, we activate our sourcing module: searching the market, verifying history, performing remote inspections, and negotiating the final price with the dealer.
Outcome:
You get exactly the level of support you need — from simple paperwork processing to a fully managed premium purchase.
3. Registration and delivery
Action:
We speak German bureaucracy (Behördengänge), so you don’t have to. To ensure your vehicle’s manufacturer or dealer warranty remains strictly valid, we never use risky temporary or export plates (Ausfuhrkennzeichen). Instead, we utilize a compliant legal procedure called Zulassung mit Empfangsbevollmächtigtem (Registration via Authorized Recipient) at the Heinsberg (Erkelenz) vehicle registration office (Zulassungsstelle). The car is registered entirely in your name. We act purely as your local authorized representative for administrative mail. We set up regular insurance and deliver the car anywhere in Germany.
Outcome:
You are officially the first owner in Germany from day one. You receive standard German license plates, and your dealer warranty is fully secured and active.
4. Address Update after Residency
Action:
Once you obtain your local registration (Meldebescheinigung), we perform a simple administrative update (Ummeldung) of your address in the system.
Outcome:
You keep the exact same license plates and continue driving without interruption.
Ready to have your car waiting for you?
Choose Base or Elite, and we’ll prepare your car, issue export plates, deliver nationwide, and register permanent plates once you’re settled. Premium expat service, turnkey car registration, no hassle.