How to bring your car to Hungary

Hello All
I brought 4 cars, a motorbike, a van, a caravan & a car trailer with us from the UK 😝
We had the first 2 cars, the van & the motorbike registered for us by a local 'guru' ..... but when we found out how much his 'experience ' was costing us, I started doing them myself (notwithstanding that I had to learn the language in the meantime 😝)
I've done 4 since then, some to help friends, and de-registered the van when I sold it to a Slovakian.
For me, now, it's as easy as anything involving Hungarian Bureaucracy can be 😂
I just need to make the time / sirt the funds to sort out all the rest ....
😉

If one doesn't have mastery of the lingo, one would need a 'Native' to help with form filling correctly - other than that, having made sure the vehicle complies with HU road rules (right dipping headlamps, rear foglight on the left, 'E' marks on lamps & seatbelts etc etc) it's relatively straightforward......
Oh, and have cash & debit card to hand .... as usual !!!

I'm always happy to advise others how to do this, or to do it for them if they prefer (Muszaki worthiness / service / headlamp change / foglight duplication I can do, too, at the same time !)
I'd expect the whole process to usually take about 2 weeks - all depends on how long the queue is at the 'muszaki' check station .....
Have a good weekend everybody peeps!
T

I should add to the subject, that if a LHD car has a  EC Certificate of Conformity, registered in an EU country, then it's just administrative to register it in Hungary.   

Not all cars are EU compliant even if they are made and used in EU countries and they are LHD.

Some of them are built to local regulations.  I know this occurs in Spain. I also know it occurs in  Turkey which is of course, not EU, but is supposed to make and use EU versions of vehicles for local use. But without the CoC, they are less easy to register. 

There's mutual recognition of US/Canadian car parts on vehicles so US headlights etc do not need to be changed (in LHD vehicles).

Its obviously ALL different out here in the sticks :-O

I've NEVER had to supply a Certificate of Compliance for anything, ever .... AND, I spent 4 months getting alternative Headlamps etc for a USA made Nissan that they wouldn't even look at until it had 'E' marks on lamps & belts, with orange rear indicators too .........making the rear indicators flash Orange was a doddle in comparison ........

see what I mean about Bureaucracy ??!!

Fluffy2560, where do you get yours done that the rules are applied so differently, it'd be good to know, for future reference !

Ta

Now that I'm back indoors, I can go through the original posting a bit [a lot!!] more thoroughly .......

Q:If you exported your car to Hungary, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they?
A: It helps if all the vehicle documents are in the name of the end user in Hungary, but there are, surprisingly [!!] forms that can be used to circumvent this if its a recent purchase .

Q;What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the age of the vehicle? Are there limits on emissions or emission controls in Hungary?
A: I have driven &/or trailered everything here - it makes no odds [unless of course they're out of MOT or uninsured ....] . Getting a 3rd party [Shiply etc etc] to do the delivery is convenient, but often expensive ...There is no published limit to the number of vehicles - I'm on my 5th 'own' registration now ....the age only affects the VAM duty & the Local Authority Registration fee - as a very general generalisation, the older it is, the lower the fees [like for like on capacity / power] unless its VERY recent, in which case the lower emissions help to reduce fees too ......there ARE limits on emissions - as with all EU countries - these are determined by the age & fuel type of the vehicle.

Q:What are the expected costs of exporting a car? In your opinion, is it worth it?
A: There are assorted costs involved, depending on whether it has a current MOT, on the age of the vehicle, its engine size & power, its fuel type & its emissions - some small, new cars are very reasonable to register here, most older larger ones less reasonable - but, it saves buying another 'unknown' vehicle - in every case I have seen it is DEFINITELY worth it, especially as the 'domestic' cars I've had the horror of inspecting have all been complete shonkers .........

Q;Once you arrived in Hungary, what were the applicable taxes? What was the customs process like?
A: As above, the taxes vary according to different parameters - the smartphone app 'regado' will let you know if the VAM will want 1 or 2 kidneys for the duties :-O .... the Customs [VAM] process itself is very straightforward, once the MOT [muszaki] is completed, and with Hungarian language knowledge .....

Q:How do you go about registering an imported car in Hungary?
A: The simplified process is thus: ensure vehicle is compliant with relevant Road Traffic Rules for Hungary, and that it is MOT worthy - book the vehicle for its Registration Inspection [quicker & cheaper if there's a valid MOT test] - Insure the vehicle - then, from the MOT, visit the relevant VAM office, and on presentation of their documentation, duly completed, pay their fee - then, off to the Onkormanyzat to register the vehicle, get the documents & number plates, after paying yet another fee ,,,,, I can do all this for you if you wish .....

Q:Is it best to buy a car once you have arrived or to bring your car with you, in your opinion?
A: Every domestic used car I have seen is a shed, on differing levels - the car sales places generally buy them abroad [often at auction] then put a few hundred thousand forint on top & sell it on to you - AND charge on top for the registration process - I have NEVER encountered a domestic sale that has had sufficient Pre-Sale preparation [most have had NONE whatsoever...], and they have all been in need of copious TLC & servicing & maintenance to get them into acceptable 'family usage' condition .....
Due to the above [and I thought UK Car Sales Emporiae were bad !!!] I would personally always recommend bringing your own with you, and putting it through the due process - as long as you are staying put over here - if its only a brief sojourn, taking the chance on a Domestic sale might be better value [even if greater risk]

Ok, thats a bit full-on I'm afraid, but it'd be a shame not to spread the knowledge .... as before, message me should you need help with Importing / Registering / Buying / Selling a vehicle ..... I'm not going to promise a speedy reply, due to work commitments, but will always get back to you

Jó hetveget!!

Angolhapsi wrote:

The simplified process is thus: ensure vehicle is compliant with relevant Road Traffic Rules for Hungary, and that it is MOT worthy

I had to look up "MOT" the first time I saw it here some years ago in another discussion. For non-British expats like me:

The MOT test (Ministry of Transport, or simply MOT) is an annual test of vehicle safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions required in Great Britain (from Wikipedia)

Bhavna wrote:

Is it best to buy a car once you have arrived or to bring your car with you, in your opinion?

We moved from Switzerland. From outside the EU. Importing it was not worth it as the fees and taxes were more than the car was worth (it was about 10 years old). So we just sold it in Switzerland and bought a new one here. Bought a new car because used cars in Hungary are often not worth the the asking price.

Angolhapsi wrote:

Its obviously ALL different out here in the sticks :-O

I've NEVER had to supply a Certificate of Compliance for anything, ever .... AND, I spent 4 months getting alternative Headlamps etc for a USA made Nissan that they wouldn't even look at until it had 'E' marks on lamps & belts, with orange rear indicators too .........making the rear indicators flash Orange was a doddle in comparison ........

see what I mean about Bureaucracy ??!!

Fluffy2560, where do you get yours done that the rules are applied so differently, it'd be good to know, for future reference !

Ta

I've had many imported cars but actually I import them into England where there are no language issues, it's very cheap (relatively) to get them on the road and then in few places, I've imported them into other countries - like Holland. 

As my HU language skills are pretty bad, have a look at the UK IVA tests in the following link: Class M Passenger Cars.

Check it out in Page 27 and Page 197 (of the PDF).

Big document but for nerds, worth a read.

klsallee wrote:

Bhavna wrote:

Is it best to buy a car once you have arrived or to bring your car with you, in your opinion?

We moved from Switzerland. From outside the EU. Importing it was not worth it as the fees and taxes were more than the car was worth (it was about 10 years old). So we just sold it in Switzerland and bought a new one here. Bought a new car because used cars in Hungary are often not worth the the asking price.

Cars are a rip off in Hungary.  The registration requirement used to be so tough, the EU was going to take action against Hungary.  Hungary even tried to levy taxes on second hand EU sourced imported cars at the new price!   

Anyway, they are much cheaper in the UK. In some countries I've been in, it's cheaper to simply import RHD cars from the UK and change them to LHD.  In Africa, they do this and they also take out most of the electronics so they are easy to repair.

Thank you everyone for your feedbacks and detailed posts.

Very much appreciated. 

Have a nice day,
Bhavna

Bhavna

It depends on where you are bringing the car from and how old it is. 

If you are bringing in an "old timer", which is typically a car at least 20 years old, the process is pretty straightforward and not too expensive.  However, with OT (Old Timer) plates, you are restricted on how much you can drive each year.  So, use as a daily driver is typically not allowed but is also not well monitored.

If you are bringing in a new or newer car, I am not sure it is worth it any longer unless the car is coming from somewhere within the EU.  If it is an EU car, the process is not too difficult but you will need someone familiar with the process to help manage your way through the process. 

If the car is not coming from the EU, the Hungarians have wrapped a ton of bureaucracy around the process of registering a non-EU car which can easily run the costs up well over 1M HUF. 

The last car I registered took more than 6 months to get through the process and ended up costing 1.2M.  It was still cheaper than buying the same car here but the aggravation cost made it hardly worth it in the end.

Net-net, I no longer see the advantages of bringing in anything other than an Old Timer or an EU car.  Everything else is just too much trouble and hardly worth it in the end.  Plus, this country is so flooded with used cars due to the number of company provided cars being dumped on the market, you can now get some pretty good deals compared to several years back.

Whatever you decide I wish you luck and hope this answers most of your questions.  However, if you decide to go the registration route, be prepared to be frustrated and very patient.

I have literally been trying for years to get my LDV Convoy 3.5 tonne van registered on Hungarian plates. The closest I got was last Autumn when I had a Hungarian guy staying with me. I was told it had to have different headlamps (you used to get away with the beam cut-off stickers) but there were very few left hand drive Convoys made so the correct lamps are not available. We went to a car breakers and looked for lamps of the same size and shape. I got some that were from an Opel Kadett  (in UK it would be the Mk2 Vauxhall Astra) and fitted those. I have no means of setting beam height etc so I want to find a garage which will adjust the lights and do a pre-MoT to make sure it will pass. So far I have been unable to find a garage or mechanic who will undertake this work. We were quoted 35,000ft for the technical inspection and I think if it fails it is another 35k for a re-test. This is why I want it checked over at a normal garage before taking it to the government testing station.

People have suggested I take the van back to UK every 12 months for an MoT and keep it on UK plates but my UK insurance has lapsed so I would be starting with zero no claims bonus. If my little Chevrolet Spark is anything to go by, vehicle insurance is much cheaper in Hungary anyway. I pay about £80 a year.

fidobsa wrote:

.....I have no means of setting beam height etc so I want to find a garage which will adjust the lights and do a pre-MoT to make sure it will pass. So far I have been unable to find a garage or mechanic who will undertake this work. We were quoted 35,000ft for the technical inspection and I think if it fails it is another 35k for a re-test. This is why I want it checked over at a normal garage before taking it to the government testing station.

Years ago I used to adjust my car headlights in the UK using lines marked on the wall at the far end.  It was tricky and it was 30+ years ago.  It might work if you can look up the technical details.

fidobsa wrote:

People have suggested I take the van back to UK every 12 months for an MoT and keep it on UK plates but my UK insurance has lapsed so I would be starting with zero no claims bonus. If my little Chevrolet Spark is anything to go by, vehicle insurance is much cheaper in Hungary anyway. I pay about £80 a year.

Couldn't you get just RTA (Road Traffic Act) insurance?   

Insurance from the UK could cover 3rd party anywhere in the EU.  This would surely be enough.

NCD from anywhere in the EU should be acceptable (it was when I did it years ago).  I haven't done it for a while.  Mrs Fluffy is the main driver and I'm the additional driver.

I always thought in UK you had to build up no claims bonus on an individual basis for each insurance policy. I know this is illogical as it is supposed to be an adjustment that rewards safe drivers but that is how I understood the system to work. I want use of the van as well as the car so I can't transfer NCB from one to the other.

The other aspect that would bother me is driving all the way to UK with no MoT. I know you are allowed to drive to a pre-booked test but when you are 1000 miles from the testing station it is stretching a point somewhat!

fidobsa wrote:

I always thought in UK you had to build up no claims bonus on an individual basis for each insurance policy. I know this is illogical as it is supposed to be an adjustment that rewards safe drivers but that is how I understood the system to work. I want use of the van as well as the car so I can't transfer NCB from one to the other.

I think you are right about the NCD being only on one car but years ago I remember it was possible to get a kind of certificate for NCD which one could use with different insurers.  Maybe they don't do that now as they have the MID (Motor Insurers' Database).

I was also looking once at a multi-car policy which is also possible from the UK.  The European issue on insurance is a problem with no transparency at all on equivalents cover to determine  insurance.  UK Comprehensive seems to be unheard of in Hungary or other places. In HU insurance, everything is an extra. So much for EU integration.

fidobsa wrote:

The other aspect that would bother me is driving all the way to UK with no MoT. I know you are allowed to drive to a pre-booked test but when you are 1000 miles from the testing station it is stretching a point somewhat!

To be honest, I've driven MoT-less across Europe when my working schedule didn't allow me to reach the UK in time.  I've simply had no choice.  I maintain my cars extremely carefully so I've been confident they would pass an MoT no problem.  I've been stopped plenty of times in my UK cars in different countries but the only thing they've ever been interested in is the insurance and registration documents and now with Schengen it's rare to be stopped.  That might change with the terrorist stuff (the Austrians are particularly deranged in their enthusiasm over border stops - it's like they don't trust the Hungarians to have control over their borders - another subject). 

Also, no-one ever asked me about the MoT and Mrs Fluffy has accidentally given the MoT document to the HU cops and they've accepted it as insurance - cops have poor language skills.

There's an MoT station in Dover I use which promotes itself as doing MoTs for those with UK cars n Europe - it's called Andy's of Dover (Google it as I have Internet trouble).  It's in an awkward place down a kind of back alley.  But they do have online booking and some info on vehicle testing.

BTW, when I drive in a UK car across the border into Austria, I always get stopped for passports now but if I'm in our HU car, they just wave us on. 

While I'm having a general whinge,  UK should move to 2 years MoTs like they have in France. Pain in the derrière.

My advice is very old, not even sure if it matters now.
We imported a couple of Mercedes  in 1989 for HU friends, they sent us funds, trusted us ( we are the "good guys") these helped one old friend be able to start his own Mercedes dealership, he actually did very, very well over the years, moved on the sale brand new models etc.
We also sent over 2 fairly new at the time cars for ourselves in 2000.
Sold one for profit and used the other for our own getting about.
Back then from San Pedro, Cal, to Hu they charged $100. a foot on each car. So our Audi was 17' long, total of $1,700. the almost new Mustang was about the same size.
I am sure the costs are more now.
We did our  own customs paperwork but my husband understands Hungarian and was able to do both ends of the shipping, one in English and one in Hungarian. Both cars arrived at a port in Germany and he arranged  to get them into HU.
I will say unless your car plates are registered in Hungary and have cleared their safety checks etc. You will be spending allot more on monthly car insurance.
Had a HU friend who shipped their new Honda to HU a few years back, paid to have everything up to HU standards, new lights, new windshield, new  everything, only to have to stolen within days of them receiving the car. Not sure what to say about that, maybe someone in know knew where to pick up the car.
Another US friend had her car stolen before her eyes without any way to stop 4 men. They actually told her to go inside or she might get hurt.
This happened in a good neighborhood in Buda but about 20 years ago.
All said it would be best to get HU plates ASAP and if the car is worth shipping over then it is worth getting a garage.

Hi there Mike, I am so glad to read your post, as I brought in a '67 MGBGT from Canada, and I really want to register it as an OT. I live in BP and am learning the language but finding info online is a bit of a challenge. Any details and help you can offer would be very much appreciated! Also, I don't yet have my Hungarian driver's licence (not sure if it's needed to register a vehicle) .
Thank you,
CSzarko

fidobsa wrote:

I have literally been trying for years to get my LDV Convoy 3.5 tonne van registered on Hungarian plates. The closest I got was last Autumn when I had a Hungarian guy staying with me. I was told it had to have different headlamps (you used to get away with the beam cut-off stickers) but there were very few left hand drive Convoys made so the correct lamps are not available. We went to a car breakers and looked for lamps of the same size and shape. I got some that were from an Opel Kadett  (in UK it would be the Mk2 Vauxhall Astra) and fitted those. I have no means of setting beam height etc so I want to find a garage which will adjust the lights and do a pre-MoT to make sure it will pass. So far I have been unable to find a garage or mechanic who will undertake this work. We were quoted 35,000ft for the technical inspection and I think if it fails it is another 35k for a re-test. This is why I want it checked over at a normal garage before taking it to the government testing station.

People have suggested I take the van back to UK every 12 months for an MoT and keep it on UK plates but my UK insurance has lapsed so I would be starting with zero no claims bonus. If my little Chevrolet Spark is anything to go by, vehicle insurance is much cheaper in Hungary anyway. I pay about £80 a year.

It took me 2 hours to convert the headlamps on my LDV - for me, a VERY straightforward job - registration was a formality afterwards, and the taxes quite acceptable, as its a Commercial vehicle - mine had the Peugeot engine that I doubled the torque on, too, to make it tow our 2 tonne caravan properly!!

if you'd like me to do your lamps, drop me a message here or on Facebook

Toby

fidobsa wrote:

I always thought in UK you had to build up no claims bonus on an individual basis for each insurance policy. I know this is illogical as it is supposed to be an adjustment that rewards safe drivers but that is how I understood the system to work. I want use of the van as well as the car so I can't transfer NCB from one to the other.

The other aspect that would bother me is driving all the way to UK with no MoT. I know you are allowed to drive to a pre-booked test but when you are 1000 miles from the testing station it is stretching a point somewhat!

Many times in the UK, Third Party Insurance is more expensive than Fully Comprehensive !!

Last year I restored an older UK Mercedes that was then driven back to the UK for a pre-booked MOT just outside Dover - the rule is valid, despite the distance .....

Oh, and I'm happy to do your pre-Muszaki check too, whilst converting your headlamps ...... ;-)

Toby

christineszarko wrote:

Hi there Mike, I am so glad to read your post, as I brought in a '67 MGBGT from Canada, and I really want to register it as an OT. I live in BP and am learning the language but finding info online is a bit of a challenge. Any details and help you can offer would be very much appreciated! Also, I don't yet have my Hungarian driver's licence (not sure if it's needed to register a vehicle) .
Thank you,
CSzarko

Christine, that should be fairly straightforward - the OT check is a bit long-winded & over technical, sometimes its more convenient to just use conventional plates, so there's no query over mileage covered annually etc etc

You don't need an Hungarian Licence, but you DO need a residency card & a Tax Card ....  I've done 10 or so registrations here since moving in 4 years ago [not ALL mine, before you ask !!!], and am happy to offer experience if required ....

Toby

Wow, thanks so much, Toby! I need to wait until I can afford the fees, I think (not sure what it may round out to;) , but I certainly will call on your excellent experience and kind offer when the time comes! Many thanks,
Christine

Angolhapsi wrote:

... was then driven back to the UK for a pre-booked MOT just outside Dover - the rule is valid, despite the distance .....

Oh, and I'm happy to do your pre-Muszaki check too, whilst converting your headlamps ...... ;-)

Toby

Thanks for your kind offer, I will send you a PM.

I'm now told there is a new rule which came in this year that you can only register vehicles under 10 years old. I'm hoping this is not the case as my van is a 2003 model but does anyone here know anything about a 10 year rule?

This can't be true, as I registered my 2002 BMW this year, and a friends 2003 Citröen too 😁

Hi Bhavna,

I imported my car from Belgium, very easy for me to do it, not to much problems. From where do you want to import? Grtz. Yves.

gyado wrote:

Hi Bhavna,

I imported my car from Belgium, very easy for me to do it, not to much problems. From where do you want to import? Grtz. Yves.

She's prompting discussion, she doesn't want to import a car.  She's a staff member of expat.com.

Hi everybody. This thread is a few years old now, and maybe some laws have changed now?
I am a Belgian, currently living in Spain, and considering moving to Hungary (as soon as my house here is sold).
So, I own two cars, a 1987 registered Porsche 911, still on Belgian plates (since the Spanish may charge me between 3200 and 3400 Euro's (depending on the value they estimate), and a 2013 BMW Diesel. Both cars were originally sold in Germany, so EU cars indeed.
Is there a way to know what the cost to import them would be?
Since I don't speak one word of Hungarian (I do speak German if necessary), I could use all the help available.

The only major change to the rules has been the introduction of a Compulsory ‘Originality Check - Eredeti Vizsgálat) át 20,000ft
Otherwise, everything I've done this year has been the same as in the previous 4 years - so: Műszaki (TUV type test) at 40,000ft (ish), Eredeti Vizsgálat, VÁM (Customs & Excise),  Insurance and then Plates & Documentation.
I usually allow 1.5 days for that lot (plus any prior checks to ensure compliance) ....
You can get an App called Regado that you can input your details to find out the VAM charges after the two compulsory tests, before you go to get your plates etc - there are standing fees for the Plates around 15,000ft (I'm not in my workshop so don't have the precise figure) plus a ‘first use' tax based on age, power & emissions .....
You WILL need someone who speaks Hungarian to help you.
I'm in Vas County if that's near enough to where you will be 😁
Toby

Thank you for your answer Angolhapsi
. I am not sure where I will live yet, but I will try  to find a place in the South-West, close to the Austrian border.

polowonder wrote:

Hi everybody. This thread is a few years old now, and maybe some laws have changed now?
I am a Belgian, currently living in Spain, and considering moving to Hungary (as soon as my house here is sold).
So, I own two cars, a 1987 registered Porsche 911, still on Belgian plates (since the Spanish may charge me between 3200 and 3400 Euro's (depending on the value they estimate), and a 2013 BMW Diesel. Both cars were originally sold in Germany, so EU cars indeed.
Is there a way to know what the cost to import them would be?
Since I don't speak one word of Hungarian (I do speak German if necessary), I could use all the help available.

Do you have certificates of conformity?

Which Euro standard are they?  (Suspect the Porsche is Euro 1 or 2 and the BMW is Euro 4).

Euro standard is a killer on the costs.

polowonder wrote:

Thank you for your answer Angolhapsi
. I am not sure where I will live yet, but I will try  to find a place in the South-West, close to the Austrian border.

You cannot really go wrong with Sopron but Budapest is mainly where all the city type services etc are located.  Many people in Sopron can speak good German.

Do you have certificates of conformity?

Which Euro standard are they?  (Suspect the Porsche is Euro 1 or 2 and the BMW is Euro 4).

Euro standard is a killer on the costs.

The Porsche is from an era that  there were no Euro qualifications yet, the BMW is a Euro5

And yes, I have COC (certificates of conformity) for both cars

polowonder wrote:

Do you have certificates of conformity?

Which Euro standard are they?  (Suspect the Porsche is Euro 1 or 2 and the BMW is Euro 4).

Euro standard is a killer on the costs.

The Porsche is from an era that  there were no Euro qualifications yet, the BMW is a Euro5

And yes, I have COC (certificates of conformity) for both cars

I cannot remember the age but the Porsche might be considered an Old Timer.  People say don't bother with OT special plates but I am not sure of the advantages and disadvantages - I think OT can only be driven less than 10K km per year.  The pollution control will be an issue.

The Euro5 BMW should be easier and very routine to register if you have the CoC.

fluffy2560 wrote:

polowonder wrote:

Thank you for your answer Angolhapsi
. I am not sure where I will live yet, but I will try  to find a place in the South-West, close to the Austrian border.

You cannot really go wrong with Sopron but Budapest is mainly where all the city type services etc are located.  Many people in Sopron can speak good German.

Those that deal with the public in or near Sopron all speak German I've noticed. I've found someone that doesn't. If you are really lucky you might find someone that speaks English as well.

SimCityAT wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

polowonder wrote:

Thank you for your answer Angolhapsi
. I am not sure where I will live yet, but I will try  to find a place in the South-West, close to the Austrian border.

You cannot really go wrong with Sopron but Budapest is mainly where all the city type services etc are located.  Many people in Sopron can speak good German.

Those that deal with the public in or near Sopron all speak German I've noticed. I've found someone that doesn't. If you are really lucky you might find someone that speaks English as well.

Yes, for sure.  I've been there many times.  There are people who speak English but they aren't as obvious as the German speakers.  You are right that many customer service people can deal with people in German there.   I am not sure about further south, like Szombathely.

I have no problem with German. I speak 4 languages, and als (a little) bit of Spanish. But I think with English and German you can manage in HU.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I cannot remember the age but the Porsche might be considered an Old Timer.  People say don't bother with OT special plates but I am not sure of the advantages and disadvantages - I think OT can only be driven less than 10K km per year.  The pollution control will be an issue.

The Euro5 BMW should be easier and very routine to register if you have the CoC.

The Porsche is now 31 years old, so is an old timer for sure. The age for a car to be considered was 25 years before in Belgium, but they are now trying (or already have) to make that 30 years as in the Netherlands and some other countries. But, since the car is registered in 1987 (built in 1986), age is no problem. In Belgium, there are no more limits on how many kilometers you drive yearly.

I am only worried about those pollution tests, since in those (happy) days, cars were built for performance.

polowonder wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I cannot remember the age but the Porsche might be considered an Old Timer.  People say don't bother with OT special plates but I am not sure of the advantages and disadvantages - I think OT can only be driven less than 10K km per year.  The pollution control will be an issue.

The Euro5 BMW should be easier and very routine to register if you have the CoC.

The Porsche is now 31 years old, so is an old timer for sure. The age for a car to be considered was 25 years before in Belgium, but they are now trying (or already have) to make that 30 years as in the Netherlands and some other countries. But, since the car is registered in 1987 (built in 1986), age is no problem.
I am only worried about those pollution tests, since in those (happy) days, cars were built for performance.

For some reason, I think it's 30 years here.  If it's registered as an OT, then they will probably forgive you the pollution test or not care too much.   

Sorry this is going to be complicated.

Anyway, to check your car tax for registration, you can go here (in Hungarian):

Registration Tax

I put in your Porsche with a 1st Jan 1987 manufacture date and a 30th Sept 2018 registration in Hungary, 3 litre engine and no Euro standard (the standards in the list are actually UNECE) and it came up with 515,697 HUF or around 1600 EUR.  Not too bad but that's because it's really old. 

That's just the registration tax.  You still have to pay for all the other stuff.   So I don't think you'll get change out of say 2K EUR.   BTW, last time I imported an older car (several months ago) and it cost me just over 2.2K EUR (including the tax).  It was just too much hassle for me so I just used an agent.

As the car I imported was from North America, I had to change some of the lights to be EC marked. Be careful about that on your car.

Try sticking in different numbers for the BMW.

Additionally, here are the relevant Euro standards (from my own notes).  The UNECE standards you need to search for.  I have them but cannot find them right now.  Essentially, you need to check if there's an electronic pollution control system on the Porsche, catalytic convertor, fuel injection and all that kind of thing. 

Euro 1 (EC93)
Implementation date (new approvals): 1 July 1992
Implementation date (all new registrations): 31 December 1992

The first Europe-wide euro emissions standards were introduced in July 1992 and the regulations weren't anywhere near as stringent as they are today. That said, the fitment of catalytic converters became compulsory on all new cars, and Euro 1 required the switch to unleaded petrol. Back then, only hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide were tested, along with particulate matter in the case of diesel engines. Over the years, the regulations have become stricter and the limits lowered.
Euro 1 emissions standards (petrol)

CO: 2.72g/km
HC + NOx: 0.97g/km


Euro 5
Implementation date (new approvals): 1 September 2009
Implementation date (all new registrations): 1 January 2011

The big news for Euro 5 was the introduction of particulate filters (DPFs) for diesel vehicles, along with lower limits across the board. For type approvals from September 2011 and new cars from January 2013, diesel vehicles were subject to a new limit on particulate numbers.  DPFs capture 99% of all particulate matter and are fitted to every new diesel car. Cars meeting Euro 5 standards emit the equivalent of one grain of sand per kilometre driven.

Euro 5 emissions standards (petrol)
CO: 1.0g/km
THC: 0.10g/km
NMHC: 0.068g/km
NOx: 0.06g/km
PM: 0.005g/km (direct injection only)

Euro 5 emissions standards (diesel)
CO: 0.50g/km
HC + NOx: 0.23g/km
NOx: 0.18g/km
PM: 0.005g/km
PN [#/km]: 6.0x10 ^11/km

Thank you so very much fluffy2560 for all the work (research) you've done.

The Porsche is a 3.2 Carrera, 231 Horse Power, no cathalist convertor, injection (the Bosch Motronic (that gave really good numbers of pollution in those days. But it remains a sportscar, so the Cc2 must be quite high, compared to 'newer' cars.

The figures you mention are not cheap, but at least a bit more reasonable than what Spain charges.