What Does Vehicle Registration Look Like?

Moving to a new country? Unsure about how to read car registration plates, or want to know more about what car registration plates look like in other countries? 

This blog post will cover all you need to know about reading car registrations. You will discover when you need to get a new registration plate for your vehicle, and what car registration looks like in different countries. 

Want to know what a car registration is? Need to know if you need a new registration for your vehicle when moving to a new country in Europe? Looking for car registration information in the UK? Click these links to read more.

Examples of Vehicle Registration Plates in EU Countries

While most vehicle registration plates across the European Union are similar, there are some notable differences that you should be aware of when reading a registration plate.

Germany

In Germany, the colour of a vehicle registration plate is white, and the characters that make up the registration digits are black. Like the majority of plates in the EU, German licence plates  display the EU flag on the left. The letter ‘D’ is also displayed on the plate denoting that the plate belongs to a vehicle registered in Germany/Deutschland.

The remainder of the German registration plate is divided into 3 sections. The section on the left immediately following the EU flag and the country code is a group of characters that corresponds to the region in Germany where the vehicle was registered for example: D for Düsseldorf, B for Berlin, or HH for Hamburg.

The second section of the plate consists of a registration sticker of the corresponding German state at the bottom and a safety test sticker with an expiry date at the top. Both stickers appear on the back plate, while front plates usually only display the registration sticker.

The final section of the plate comprises letters and numbers that serves as a unique serial number for the vehicle the plate is registered to.

France

Similarly to Germany, registration plates in France are white with black characters, display the EU flag on the left, and a letter code denoting that France is the country of registration – F. 

The characters on French registration plates consist of three groups: two letters, three numbers, and two letters. Each group is separated by a dash.

The final component of licence plates in France is a blue strip at the right end of the plate. This blue section contains the logo of a French region and its corresponding code. Unlike plates in Germany, French car owners can decide the region displayed on their car, regardless of the region where the vehicle gets registered.

The Netherlands

Unlike France and Germany, registration plates in The Netherlands are yellow with black characters. Registration plates in The Netherlands do still show the EU flag on the left of the plate combined with the country code ‘NL’ to denote the country of registration is The Netherlands. 

The characters on the licence plates for cars in the Netherlands are a combination of letters and numbers and their format is determined by the year of registration. You can view the full list here.

Spain

Spanish registration plates are white with black characters and also show the EU flag on the left hand side of the plate. The country code ‘E’ is also present denoting that the vehicle has been registered in Spain. 

The format of registration plates in Spain consists of 7 characters – the first 4 characters are numbers, and the last 3 characters are letters. For example: 1234 BBB. No vowels are used on licence plates in Spain with only consonants (excluding the letter Q) being displayed.

No characters on Spanish licence plates carry any specific meaning denoting region or location of registration. Vehicles registered in Spain are provided with a plate on a serial system with plates being assigned based on the order of vehicle registration. The current system began with the registration ‘0000 BBB’ and will expire when a vehicle is registered with ‘9999 ZZZ.’ 

Ireland 

Vehicle registration plates in Ireland are made of metal or plastic and contain black characters displayed on a white background. The plate displays the EU flag on the left of the number plate, the county within Ireland where the vehicle is registered displayed on the top of the plate, and IRL displayed on the left hand side to denote that the vehicle is registered in Ireland.

Irish registration plates follow an AAA-BB-CCCCCC format. 

The first 3 characters (AAA) of an Irish registration plate denotes the year the vehicle was registered (rather than the year the vehicle was manufactured.) The second group of characters (BB) denote the county in Ireland where the vehicle is registered, and the final group of characters (CCCCCC) is made up of 1 to 6 characters made up of serial numbers given to vehicles in the order in which they were registered in the country for that given year.

When Do You Need a NEW Vehicle Registration?

When you are travelling within Europe for a short period of time from another country, you can often drive your vehicle in the country you are visiting without having to display new registration plates on your vehicle. You can find this information on the website of the country you are visiting.

Travel from the UK

The Gov.UK website details official legislation from the UK government about what documentation you need to carry with you when driving your car abroad, and what you need to display on your vehicle in order to drive legally.

If you’re taking your vehicle to the EU for less than 12 months, you should carry one of the following documents with you in your vehicle:

• your vehicle log book (V5C), if you have one
• a VE103 to show you’re allowed to use your hired or leased vehicle abroad

You must also display the UK identifier when driving a UK-registered vehicle abroad.

If your number plate includes the UK identifier with the Union flag (also known as the Union Jack), you do not need a UK sticker.

However, you will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of your vehicle if your number plate has any of the following:

• a GB identifier with the Union flag
• a Euro symbol
• a national flag of England, Scotland or Wales
• numbers and letters only – no flag or identifier

You should also note that in some countries like Spain, Cyprus or Malta, it is a legal requirement to display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate.

If you are importing your vehicle to a new country for a prolonged period of time, or making a permanent move to a new country, then it is very likely that you will need to display new registration plates on your vehicle. You will need to register your vehicle with the correct authority in the new country in order to be able to apply for the new registration plates.

It is also important to check whether the registration number you are given for your vehicle is registered to yourself as an individual, or your vehicle. In France, for example, the registration plate on a vehicle stays with that vehicle for the entirety of that car’s life. When a vehicle changes owner in this case, they will need to register their ownership of that vehicle and keep the registration number. 

You can double check whether a vehicle registration plate is attributable to yourself or your vehicle by asking the local authority in the country in which your vehicle is registered. 

Where and How to Register Your Vehicle Abroad

When importing your vehicle into another country, you will need to register your vehicle with the local authority there. A list of notable European countries and their transport registration authorities is available below: 

Below is a list of countries in the EU and the corresponding institution with which you will need to register your vehicle: 

What Else Do I Need to Register My Vehicle?

It is likely that in order to register your vehicle, you will need to show a Certificate of Conformity for your vehicle. A European Certificate of Conformity declares that a vehicle is compliant with EU transport regulations. If you buy a car abroad and want to register it, most EU countries require a Certificate of Conformity.

EUROCOC is the European market leader in Certificate of Conformity mediation for vehicles and has been since 2008. If you need a Certificate of Conformity for your vehicle when travelling or relocating abroad, then you are in the right place.

We can help you to obtain a COC for your vehicle in a simple, hassle free way. Simply click here to obtain your COC now. EUROCOC can help you to get a Certificate of Conformity for 53 different brands of passenger cars, 23 brands of light good vehicles, and 18 brands of motorcycles. With Trustpilot reviews of 4.7 / 5 stars, you can be confident that EUROCOC is the right choice to help you get a COC for your vehicle. Grab your COC here.