My Little Blue Fiat Becomes Danish! February 23, 2024
It's finally done! After three weeks in my new Danish home, I've tackled the challenge of registering my beloved little blue Fiat 500 special edition here. A task that had already given me headaches back in Germany, because I was well aware that a substantial registration tax would be coming my way—around 8,500 €.
There's this saying here: "Buy a car in Denmark, pay for three. But if you want to buy a house, they'll throw it at you..." Funny, but that's honestly how it feels! Though I have to say, we definitely didn't get our house thrown at us. Our impressive craftsman's house certainly came with a price tag. On the other hand, I have to admit that I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much house for the same money back in Germany.
The car registration process began with an appointment at Dekra. There, my car was thoroughly inspected, got its Danish inspection certificate, and everything else that goes with it. Afterwards, they sent me home with the promise that I'd receive an email explaining the next steps. And sure enough—the email arrived the next morning!
They offered me the option to register my car in Denmark for a payment of 64,000 DKK (which is pretty much exactly the expected 8,500 €). I could have declined, which would have resulted in another inspection. But why? I knew what I was getting into. So I paid and drove back to Dekra with my receipt, paid for the license plates, and was on my way.
At home, there was one more small challenge waiting: Danish license plates have a completely different standard than German ones, and I couldn't attach them myself. So I drove to the nearest car dealership and asked for help. For 100 kroner, they mounted the plates properly—a fair deal!
Now I'm the proud owner of a little, blue speedster with Danish license plates. And even though the Danish state is now considerably richer, I somehow feel a bit more Danish too. Proud as can be, I now drive through our new home!
