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Buying and owning a vehicle

Buying a vehicle? On this page you will find an overview of the steps — from concluding the contract and taking over the vehicle to obligations towards the insurance company.

Guide to buying and owning a vehicle

  1. 1

    We recommend concluding the purchase contract in writing.

    In addition to the basic details of the seller and buyer, also state important information about the vehicle, for example:

    • the vehicle’s current condition,
    • details of servicing carried out on the vehicle,
    • existing damage,
    • recent repairs.

    This information will help you assert your rights in the event of a later complaint.

    Signatures on the purchase contract do not need to be officially certified.

    Good to know
    If the contract also includes consent to a change of holder or ownership of the motor vehicle, the signature on this consent must be officially certified (for example by a notary or at a registry office); the contract can:

    • serve as proof of ownership of the vehicle,
    • also serve as a power of attorney for the re-registration of the vehicle.

    If you are buying a used motor vehicle, we recommend checking its condition before signing the purchase contract, for example at an authorized service centre.

    If you have expressed interest to the seller in buying their vehicle, you can ask them to use the Vehicle Verification serviceOpens in a new window, which provides summary information about the vehicle’s history, for example:

    • enforcement, court, tax, and customs holds,
    • basic data about the vehicle and its current holder and owner,
    • originality check,
    • compulsory third-party liability insurance,
    • technical and emissions inspection.

     

    The seller can send you the vehicle verification result free of charge in PDF format by email.

    You can also check the vehicle’s condition through the Register of Operating Records. This service is subject to a fee and allows you to check, for example:

    • mileage,
    • records of stolen vehicles,
    • enforcement proceedings,
    • insurance events.

    If you are buying a new car from a dealership, the dealer will provide you with all the necessary documents. We recommend reading the documents carefully so you know your rights and obligations.

    If you have decided on leasing financing, you will also have to prove your income to the leasing company.

    If you are buying a vehicle on lease, you only become the holder of the vehicle, not its owner. The owner of the vehicle in the vehicle documents is usually the leasing company. After the lease ends, the leasing company can use the electronic serviceOpens in a new window to change the owner.

     

    If you are the seller, hand over the vehicle to the buyer with all equipment and components, in particular:

    • two keys,
    • the service book,
    • the operating manual.

    Proceed according to what you agreed in the purchase contract.

    If you are the buyer, check that you received the complete vehicle equipment. Vehicle documents are usually handed over when the vehicle’s holder is changed at the traffic inspectorate.

  2. 2

    If you are buying a new vehicle
    The authorized dealer can handle the administrative steps for you, including the first registration of the vehicle. If you will register the vehicle electronicallyOpens in a new window yourself, arrange with the dealer not to issue the paper Certificate of Registration – Part II. You must then register the vehicle within 30 days of purchase.

     

    If you are buying a used vehicle
    The seller can apply for the change of ownership and holder of the vehicle. Within the service you choose whether the following changes:

    • only the holder of the vehicle, or
    • the holder and owner of the vehicle.

     

    Good to know
    When re-registering a vehicle, you can change the holder of the vehicle, or the holder and owner. In standard cases, both options are marked.

    • The holder of the vehicle is the person listed in the vehicle documents who uses the vehicle.
    • The owner of the vehicle is the person to whom the vehicle legally belongs. 

     

    In many cases the holder and owner of the vehicle are the same person. A difference can arise, for example, with leasing financing, where the leasing company is the owner of the vehicle.

     

    Administrative fee
    The administrative fee is paid by the person submitting the application to change the holder or owner of the vehicle (in person or electronically). The amount of administrative fees can be found on the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic.Opens in a new window

    Before submitting the application to change the holder or owner of the motor vehicle (electronically or in person at any traffic inspectorate), arrange compulsory third-party liability insurance.

     

    Important notice: Compulsory third-party liability insurance must be concluded before submitting the application to change the vehicle’s holder.

     

    You can submit the application to change the vehicle’s holder:

    Electronically Opens in a new window— to use the electronic service you need to have available:

    • a device with MS Windows, Mac OS, or Linux and installed softwareOpens in a new window,
    • an ID card with an electronic chip (),
    • a qualified electronic signature (),
    • a power of attorney from the buyer with their officially certified signature (not required if you agree with the buyer that they will attach the power of attorney within 5 days of the message being delivered to their electronic mailbox),
    • proof of valid compulsory third-party liability insurance (MTPL) — in standard cases, where the Slovak Insurers’ Bureau has sent information about valid MTPL to the vehicle register, this document does not need to be attached.

     

    Good to know: Electronic filing can save you time and money. The administrative fee can be up to 50% lower, but no more than €50 per action. 

     

    After sending the electronic application, check your electronic mailbox on Slovensko.sk. You will find instructions there for paying the administrative fee, which you can pay online via the payment gateway.

     

    In person — you can submit the application at any traffic inspectorate workplace.Opens in a new window You do not need to bring the vehicle in for inspection.
    If you want to avoid waiting at the traffic inspectorate workplace, book an appointment through the Reservation System of the Ministry of the Interior of the SR.Opens in a new window

     

    To complete the process you will need:

    • an ID card,
    • a power of attorney from the buyer with their officially certified signature,
    • proof of valid compulsory third-party liability insurance (MTPL).

    Good to know
    The buyer can also authorize the seller through the electronic service. In that case you do not need to submit a paper power of attorney.

    The change of holder can also be handled by the buyer, if the seller authorizes them for this action.
    If the owner of the vehicle is a leasing company, you also need a power of attorney from the vehicle’s owner (the leasing company).

  3. 3

    If you apply to change the holder or owner of the vehicle electronically, you can also apply for a change of registration plates at the same time.

    The seller can decide whether they want to keep the original plates.

    • If the seller does not keep the original plates, they remain on the vehicle and the buyer can apply for a change.
    • If the seller keeps the plates, the buyer must choose new plates or use their own plates that they have in storage.

    If keeping the plates, you can collect the new vehicle documents at the traffic inspectorate or have them delivered by courier to your chosen address.

     

    Good to know
    You can also change the registration plates through a separate electronic service.Opens in a new window This does not need to be related to a change of ownership or holder of the vehicle.


    Certificate of Registration Part II and the plates can be delivered to you by courier to an address within the Slovak Republic that you state when submitting the application.

    Upon delivery you must hand over to the courier:

    • Certificate of Registration – Part II,
    • Certificate of Registration – Part I,
    • when changing plates, also the original registration plates. Place the documents and plates in the envelope brought by the courier.

    Certificate of Registration – Part I will be delivered to you at the latest within 30 days of handing over the original vehicle documents.

  4. 4

    Compulsory third-party liability insurance automatically ends after the motor vehicle is re-registered to a new owner.

    The insurance company will refund unused premiums:

    • to the account from which they were paid, or
    • by postal order, if the account number is not known.

    If you also have collision (comprehensive) insurance, do not forget to cancel it.

     

    Buyer’s obligations
    As the buyer you are required to conclude new compulsory third-party liability insurance at the latest on the day the vehicle is first used.
    In practice, this means you must already have insurance concluded when submitting the application to change the vehicle’s holder.

     

    How to conclude insurance
    You can conclude compulsory third-party liability insurance online or by phone.
    After concluding the insurance, the insurance company will send you a temporary green card by email. You can print this card or save it in electronic form on your mobile device. You are required to present it at the request of a police officer. If travelling abroad, we recommend also having the green card printed.

  5. 5

    Information about highway toll stickers, tolled sections, and electronic tolling for trucks can be found in the articles Highway Toll Stickers in SlovakiaOpens in a new window and Electronic Tolling (e-toll) for Trucks in Slovakia.Opens in a new window

    If you agreed with the seller to buy the vehicle together with a valid highway toll sticker, and the registration plates changed, apply for a change of the highway toll sticker details.

    Attach to the application:

    • a photocopy of the original vehicle registration certificate, or the insurance policy issued for the original vehicle registration number, or the certificate of technical/emissions inspection issued for the original vehicle registration number,
    • a photocopy of the new vehicle registration certificate,
    • a photocopy of proof of payment for the highway toll sticker (not a bank statement),
    • in the case of a change from a Slovak vehicle registration number, also a photocopy of the fully completed and signed written consent of the original vehicle operator to the change in the record of highway toll sticker payments (available in the User Services section, under Documents for Download).

    More detailed information can be found in the article How to Apply for Changes to Details in the Highway Toll Sticker Payment Record.Opens in a new window

  6. 6

    You can check the validity of the vehicle’s emissions and technical inspection in the Unified Information System for Road TransportOpens in a new window. You can also set up notifications there for the approaching end of validity by logging in either:

    • with an ID card with an electronic chip (),
    • with vehicle details (registration number and Certificate of Registration Part II number) — JISCD, sign up for TI/EI notifications via vehicle details.Opens in a new window

    If you are submitting an application to change the holder or owner of the vehicle, notifications will be set up automatically once you enter your contact details.

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