Part I — the AutoPase service
Ordering a car from Germany — selection, history and mileage check, delivery
Pick a dealer ad from Germany in our catalogue or ask us to find one. We check the history and mileage before buying, buy the car in Germany, deliver it to Latvia within 14 days of payment and handle the registration.
An AutoPase manager will contact you, clarify what you want and suggest suitable cars. The request does not oblige you to anything.
How it works
- 1
Pick a car or leave a request
Pick a car among the dealer ads — every car page shows the seller's price and, separately, import through AutoPase. If none fits, leave a request: make, model, year and budget wishes — we will find options.
- 2
We check history and mileage
Before buying we check the car's history and mileage.
- 3
Payment and purchase in Germany
Once you have paid, we buy the car in Germany.
- 4
Delivery — within 14 days
From payment to the car being in Latvia takes up to 14 days.
- 5
Registration with CSDD
We handle the first registration with CSDD — this work is part of the import service; the CSDD fees are paid separately.
What the import service includes
At your order AutoPase buys the car from the seller, delivers it to Latvia and handles the registration with CSDD. The import service includes the AutoPase commission, delivery and paperwork. Not included: the price of the car (set by the seller), CSDD fees at registration, the natural-resources tax, the vehicle operation tax, OCTA and the roadworthiness test.
- AutoPase fee
- Delivery
- Registration
The exact amount of each line is on each car's page.
Time, checks and warranty
From payment to the car being in Latvia.
We check the car's history and mileage before buying.
AutoPase does not give its own warranty on the car.
AutoPase car selection
A car from Germany, all-in: AI picks the 5 most suitable, delivered in about 21 days
Search abroadStart with the listings or leave a request
If the listings do not have what you are looking for, we will find a car for you.
An AutoPase manager will contact you, clarify what you want and suggest suitable cars. The request does not oblige you to anything.
Part II — for reference
If you would rather do it yourself
A car from Germany can be brought in two ways: do everything yourself, or order it from us turnkey — that is covered above. Below is how ordering works on the market and what the price is made of if you handle everything yourself.
Ordering a car from Germany in 2026 costs what any import costs, plus the intermediary's fee: €550–800 for the carrier, €208 for CSDD registration with the first roadworthiness test and €100–180 for the first year of OCTA — €858–1188 on top of the car. The published Latvian fee starts at €800 plus 21 % VAT.
How "to order" differs from buying a car that is already here
In 2026 you either buy a car already here at a final price, or order one in Germany for €858–1188 of import costs plus a fee from €800 + 21 % VAT. What differs is when the price is known and who carries the risk.
| Question | A car already in Latvia | Ordered from Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Who searches | You, through the listings | The intermediary, to your brief |
| Who inspects the car | You or a Latvian workshop | The intermediary's person in Germany |
| When the final price is known | Straight away, before you pay | Only once a car has been found |
| Time | As long as the drive to view it | An open-ended search + 2–5 days of delivery |
| Who carries the hidden-fault risk | The seller and you | Whatever the contract says; if it says nothing, you |
| Extra costs | None — the price is final | €858–1188 of import + a fee from €800 + 21 % VAT |
The five steps an order goes through
An order has five steps in 2026, and no money moves in the first two — everything before a car is found can be checked for free.
- 1
The brief and the contract
Model, year, mileage, engine, budget ceiling — and what the service costs; published fees start at €800 plus 21 % VAT. Insist on a fixed sum and a written answer if no car is found.
- 2
Searching the ad sites
The same German sites, open to everyone. Nobody has special access — the difference is time and language.
- 3
Inspection before any money moves
The car is seen in person: HU/AU report, service book, mileage, paint thickness, VIN history. Photographs do not replace this step.
- 4
The purchase and the export papers
Kaufvertrag and Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II in the buyer's name, plus the Abmeldebescheinigung. Driving it home needs export plates with insurance: €100–150.
- 5
Delivery and registration in Latvia
Carriers publish 2–5 days. CSDD then requires registration within 5 days, with the unit-number certificate, the foreign registration document, proof of ownership and a passport.
How the price adds up
Above the advertised price 2026 brings €858–1188 of unavoidable costs; the intermediary's fee is a separate line from €800 plus 21 % VAT. Every row names its source and the date it was read.
| Cost and where the figure is from | How much |
|---|---|
| The car's price in GermanyThe listing itself | The advertised sum |
| Delivery by car carrierKurbads, BB Logistik, Elite Cars (2026-09-21)[2][3] | €550–800 |
| Export plates with insurance, if you drive it homeElite Cars (2026-09-21)[3] | €100–150 |
| CSDD registrationcsdd.lv price list (2026-09-21)[4][5] | €171 |
| First roadworthiness testcsdd.lv price list (2026-09-21) | €36.95 |
| OCTA for the first yearRe-measured 2026-09-12 | €100–180 |
| Intermediary feeCarWest (2026-09-21)[1] | from €800+ 21 % VAT |
| Total without an intermediaryThe three rows above | €858–1188 |
A used car pays no VAT twice: in the EU it stays in the country of purchase. A car is new for VAT under 6,000 km or within six months of first registration — then the tax is due in Latvia.[8]
The operation tax and any repairs the first inspection finds depend on the car, so no figure is printed for them. One car is worked out by the import cost calculator.
How long it takes
Delivery takes 2–5 days by carrier in 2026 — that is what carriers publish. The search has no deadline, and nobody can honestly name one before the car is found.
| Carrier | Published window | Read on |
|---|---|---|
| BB Logistik | 2–4 days | 2026-09-21 |
| BB Logistik | 3–5 days | 2026-09-21 |
| CarGoRiga | 5–10 working days | 2026-09-21 |
A second clock starts on arrival: a car used on the road must be registered within 5 days, and a car left standing still shown for unit-number comparison within five.[6]
Six risks and how to check each one
All six common risks can be checked before the first payment in 2026 — each has a document you can ask for.
- 1
A deposit with no written contract
- The sign
- A transfer to a private card, with the contract promised later.
- How to check
- Ask for the contract first: the sum, the deadline, what happens if no car is found. Check the company in the Register of Enterprises.
- 2
A fee quoted "from" with no ceiling
- The sign
- Only a floor is named — from €800 — and the final sum turns up on the invoice.
- How to check
- Ask for one number or a clear formula, and whether VAT is inside. Nobody publishes an upper end, so agree it before the work.
- 3
The car is bought in the intermediary's name
- The sign
- Kaufvertrag and Teil II name the intermediary, "to be rewritten in Latvia".
- How to check
- Insist the contract carries your name. If it cannot, this is a purchase from a trader with a markup — judge it by the final sum.
- 4
"Nur Export", "nur Gewerbe", "Bastlerfahrzeug"
- The sign
- The ad sells the car only for export, only to businesses, or as a project car.
- How to check
- These say private-buyer protection will not apply. Read the German original and ask why the words are there.
- 5
A wound-back odometer
- The sign
- Mileage does not match the wear, the service book has gaps, the TÜV report is "missing".
- How to check
- Compare the mileage with the HU/AU reports and service entries — each carries a date and a number. The VIN history is free to check.
- 6
A hidden markup on the car itself
- The sign
- The original ad and the purchase document are never shown.
- How to check
- Ask for the ad link and a copy of the purchase contract. A gap between the contract sum and yours is an unnamed markup.
What you can do without an intermediary
Four of the five steps are open to you in 2026, saving a fee from €800 + 21 % VAT. These pages replace each one.
Browse matching cars
Sources
- [1]CarWest — An intermediary charges from €800 + 21% VAT; transport averages €850–1200 + VAT depending on where the car is and how big it is.read 2026-09-21
- [2]BB Logistik — The average price for moving one car from Germany to Latvia is about €550–600; standard delivery takes 2–4 days.read 2026-09-21
- [3]Elite Cars — Transport from €400 to €800 depending on distance; export plates with insurance €100–150; registration in Latvia €150–250.read 2026-09-21
- [4]CSDD — First registration in Latvia with the certificate and two plates — €41.88; comparing the unit/VIN numbers with the car present — €19.25.read 2026-09-27
- [5]CSDD — The natural-resources tax on an M1/N1 vehicle registered permanently in Latvia for the first time — €110.00.read 2026-09-27
- [6]CSDD — A vehicle used on the road must be registered in Latvia within 5 days of being bought or brought in; a car that is not used on the road still has to be shown for unit-number comparison within five days.read 2026-09-21
- [7]CSDD — First registration needs the unit-number comparison certificate, the foreign registration document, proof of ownership and an identity document.read 2026-09-21
- [8]Your Europe (Eiropas Komisija) — You do not pay VAT again on a used car brought back from another EU country. For VAT purposes a car is new when it has done no more than 6,000 km or was supplied to the owner within six months of its first registration.read 2026-09-21
Frequently asked questions
What does AutoPase do when I order a car from Germany?
You pick a car among the dealer ads in our catalogue or leave a request. We check the car's history and mileage before buying, buy it in Germany, deliver it to Latvia within 14 days of payment and handle the first registration with CSDD.
How long is it from payment until the car is in Latvia?
Up to 14 days from payment until the car is in Latvia.
Does AutoPase give a warranty on the car?
No, AutoPase does not give its own warranty on the car. Before buying, we check its history and mileage.
What does a car ordered from Germany cost?
€858–1188 on top of the advertised price: €550–800 for the carrier, €208 for CSDD registration with the first test and €100–180 for the first year of OCTA. The fee is separate — the published Latvian one starts at €800 plus 21 % VAT (CarWest, read 2026-09-21).
Do I need an intermediary at all?
No — you can do it yourself; below is what that costs. If you would rather not, we will do it for you: what is included is above. The ad sites are open to anyone, a German workshop will inspect a car for you, and carriers publish their prices. An intermediary sells time and language, not access. Driving it home costs €100–150 for export plates with insurance.
Is paying up front normal?
A deposit proves nothing either way; what matters is what the contract says about it. A safe version names the sum, what happens if no car is found, and the deadline for returning the money. A transfer to a private card with no contract is a warning sign.
Whose name is the car bought in?
It is in the buyer's interest that the Kaufvertrag and the Teil II carry their name from the start: the car was then never the intermediary's property and Latvia registers it without a second sale. Buying in their own name and reselling is trading with a markup, not agency.
How long is the wait?
Delivery takes 2–5 days by carrier; a weekly groupage line has a longer published window, shown in the table above. The search has no deadline — it depends on how often a car matching your brief comes up. An exact date named before a car is found is a promise, not a calculation.
Is VAT due in Latvia on a used German car?
No — on a used car VAT stays in the country of purchase. A car counts as new when it has done under 6,000 km or was supplied within six months of first registration; then the tax is due in Latvia (Your Europe, read 2026-09-21). The intermediary's service carries its own 21 % VAT.
What if the delivered car turns out worse than promised?
It depends on what was signed before the trip. Bought in your name from a German dealer, the dealer's liability applies; bought from a private seller marked "gekauft wie gesehen", there is no claim. That is why the checking happens before the money moves.