Cars from Austria: where to look, what to check and what delivery costs

The short answer, in figures

What the Austrian used-car market looks like

Austria registered 825,477 used passenger cars in 2025 (4,848 more than in 2024) and 284,978 new ones (+12.3%); 63.4% of the new cars went to legal entities, companies and public bodies (ÖAMTC, Statistik Austria data). So many used cars may be former company cars — ask who owned the car and whether the service history is complete.

The Austrian inspection sticker is the Pickerl (§ 57a KFG). A passenger car’s first test falls 3 years after first registration, the next after 2 years and then every year. At home the test may be done from the start of the month before the due month to the end of the fourth month after it, but abroad that tolerance is often not recognised — the official page advises driving abroad only with a valid Pickerl (oesterreich.gv.at).

NoVA (Normverbrauchsabgabe) is an Austrian tax part of which can be reclaimed when a car is exported. Since 1 July 2026 the refund is possible only for cars no more than 48 months old; age is counted from first registration worldwide, and interim deregistrations neither pause nor extend the period (KPMG; ICON). The refund is based on the car’s provable value, and if it exceeds €5,000 the value must be proved by an expert report (ICON). If the car is not older than four years, ask whether the seller exports it with a NoVA refund and whether that affects the advertised price.

From 1 November to 15 April winter tyres are required on wintry roads in Austria (ÖAMTC). Ask whether a second set of wheels comes with the car and what condition the tyres are in — ÖAMTC recommends at least four millimetres of tread.

Where to look for a car in Austria

Searching starts on three sites: Willhaben.at, AutoScout24.at and Gebrauchtwagen.at. We only name them — we do not rate them, and every ad gets the same checks.

German words to know in Austrian ads and papers

• •“Kennzeichen” — number plate; “Fahrgestellnummer” — chassis number, the VIN
• •“Zulassungsbescheinigung” — the registration document; “Abmeldung” — taking a car off the register
• •“Pickerl” — the inspection sticker; “Gutachten” (§ 57a) — the inspection report
• •“Scheckheft” — the service book; “Vorbesitzer” — previous owners
• •“NoVA” — the Austrian tax, part of which can be reclaimed on export

Cars from Germany priced for Latvia

What to check before you buy

The Pickerl on the windscreen shows the month and year of the next test. Check that it is valid, not merely inside the tolerance period, because abroad the tolerance is often not recognised. Ask for the last § 57a report (Gutachten) and the service book (Scheckheft).

Check the mileage and the VIN history yourself, independent of the ad. This guide names no Austrian register extract, so the seller has to confirm in writing that he is the owner, that the car carries no charges and has not been in an accident.

• •The VIN in the document matches the VIN on the car
• •The Pickerl is valid and the last report (Gutachten) is at hand
• •The service book and invoices; the mileage fits the history
• •The seller confirms in writing: no charges, no accident
• •Winter tyres and a second set of wheels: what is included
• •If the car is no more than 48 months old: whether the seller exports it with a NoVA refund and how that affects the price

VIN check · Mileage check

Papers and taking the car off the Austrian register

The seller takes the car off the Austrian register (Abmeldung). Ask how and when that will happen, whether the trip to Latvia needs export or transfer plates and who arranges them. We do not describe the procedure because we have not checked an official page; the registration office or the insurer will tell you.

Before you pay, agree in writing who takes the car off the register, when, and when you will receive proof.

On the Latvian side CSDD asks for a registration document issued abroad and a copy of the certificate of conformity (COC), with the original shown (csdd.lv).

What to take from the Austrian seller

• 📄The Austrian registration document (Zulassungsbescheinigung)
• 📄The original certificate of conformity (COC) — CSDD requires it
• 📄A sale-purchase contract with the VIN, price and both parties’ details
• 📄The last § 57a report (Gutachten) and a valid Pickerl
• 📄The service book (Scheckheft) and invoices
• 📄Proof of deregistration
• 📄A written confirmation: no charges, no accident

Delivery to Riga

It is about 1,400 km from Vienna to Riga and about 1,600 km from Graz. Ask the carrier for a delivery date in writing.

This page states no transport price for the Austrian route — there is no verified published price list. Take two or three quotes from carriers that insure the load and sign a contract, and put the figures into the import cost calculator.

Car delivery — prices and times · Import cost calculator

Costs and registration in Latvia

There is no import duty on a car already in free circulation in the EU. CSDD fees, taxes and OCTA are payable; Latvian VAT applies only to a “new” car (up to 6 months or up to 6,000 km; VAT act, Article 1, point 9(a)). An ordinary used car leaves €208 at CSDD and €100–180 of OCTA, €308–388 together.

Show an imported car to CSDD for the unit-number comparison within five days of bringing it in. The operation tax depends on CO₂ and age — use the calculator or the tax guide.

CSDD registration · Import costs from any country · Vehicle tax 2026

Cars from Austria in the AutoPase showroom

Cars standing in Austria with a price for Latvia: see the available cars. In the AutoPase showroom delivery is included in the car’s final price (from Austria €600, from other countries €800).

Application for car search and delivery

If no suitable car is available yet, AutoPase accepts an application for car search and delivery: the history and the mileage are checked before the purchase, and delivery takes up to 14 days. What the service includes and what it does not is on the service page.

AutoPase does not give its own commercial warranty on the car. The consumer’s statutory rights against the seller remain.

Application for car search and delivery through AutoPase

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next

Sources

Prices and rates checked on 17 October 2026. Sources:

• ÖAMTC — Zulassungen 2025 — Austria’s 2025 registrations: new and used cars, the company and private shares (Statistik Austria data). (2026-10-17)
• oesterreich.gv.at — Begutachtung (Pickerl) — The Pickerl rhythm for a passenger car (3-2-1), the tolerance period and the warning about driving abroad. (2026-10-17)
• KPMG Austria — Neuerungen NoVA — The NoVA refund on export from 1 July 2026 only for cars up to 48 months old. (2026-10-17)
• ICON — NoVA: aktuelle Änderungen — How the 48-month limit is counted, what the refund is based on and when a valuation report is needed (above €5,000). (2026-10-17)
• ÖAMTC — Winterausrüstungspflicht — The winter-equipment rule in Austria: 1 November to 15 April, on wintry roads. (2026-10-17)
• CSDD — The list of documents first registration in Latvia needs, including the COC and the foreign registration document. (2026-10-17)
• Pievienotās vērtības nodokļa likums (likumi.lv) — Article 1, point 9(a): a new land vehicle is one used for under six months or driven under 6,000 km. (2026-10-17)
• CSDD — The CSDD price list: registration certificate and two plates, unit-number comparison; the natural-resources tax and the test fee come from the code module. (2026-10-17)