How to buy a used car in Italy and bring it to Croatia

This guide is for a private buyer resident in Croatia who is bringing a previously registered used M1 passenger car from Italy into Croatia for their own use.

The short answer: do not pay for the car until you have matched the VIN, the actual seller, the current registered holder in the Italian PRA register and all the original documents. Before travelling, decide whether the car will be driven to Croatia on temporary plates or transported as cargo on a vehicle carrier or trailer. In Croatia, you must then deal separately with conformity assessment, possible VAT on a new means of transport, special tax on motor vehicles (PPMV), the end-of-life vehicle management fee, insurance, roadworthiness testing and first registration. 1 2 3 4

For a vehicle from Italy, the correct Croatian term is unos vozila (bringing a vehicle into Croatia from another EU Member State), because Italy is an EU Member State. This does not change the fact that Italian deregistration, physical transport and Croatian registration are three separate steps. 5 3

Before paying, match the person, vehicle and documents

Request a current digital visura from the Pubblico Registro Automobilistico (PRA) using the registration number. It shows the currently registered holder and recorded legal encumbrances, but it is not an official certificate or a complete history of the car's mechanical condition, accidents or repairs. Therefore, compare the VIN on the vehicle, the visura, the registration and ownership documents, and the invoice or sale and purchase agreement. Establish whether the seller is a dealer or a private individual, who is authorised to sign and who will apply for export. 1 2

Legal restrictions are not resolved through a single universal procedure. Any fermo amministrativo must be cancelled before export; for a registered attachment or seizure, the consent of the creditor or competent authority is required, while for an unexpired mortgage ACI requires the creditor's authenticated consent. Recheck the PRA after the relevant restriction has been resolved. 6

Separately inspect the car's actual condition, modifications and likely repairs. Once you know the VIN, ask an authorised representative of the manufacturer before purchase whether that model can be registered in Croatia. The subsequent conformity assessment is not a seller's warranty or a substitute for a pre-purchase condition inspection. 3 7 4

In Italy, keep deregistration separate from transport

For an ordinary definitive export, radiazione is carried out. The procedure requires the registration plates, a unified application, an identity document, the registration document and proof of ownership or the Documento Unico. If the applicant is not the person recorded in the PRA, original proof of acquisition may be required. The vehicle must comply with the applicable periodic revisione obligation; do not assume a fixed vehicle-age threshold for the inspection. 2

After deregistration, the Documento Unico records definitive export, but it is expressly not valid for driving. Driving the vehicle under its own power requires a separate foglio di via and temporary plates issued by Motorizzazione or an authorised automotive agency. Before departure, check the driver, dates, recognition of the plates and territorial insurance cover in every country on the actual route. If any of these points has not been confirmed, the safer lawful alternative is specialist transport on a vehicle carrier. 6 11

After definitive deregistration has been recorded, liability for the Italian bollo ceases from the following tax period. This does not in itself give the buyer a refund or price reduction, so expressly record how it is treated in the final invoice or agreement. 6

In Croatia, complete conformity assessment first

Before PPMV, the roadworthiness test and first Croatian registration, complete the conformity assessment of the individual vehicle. Bring the vehicle, its original foreign registration document and, as applicable, the certificate of conformity (CoC), manufacturer's confirmation or technical specification. The vehicle's identity and originality, homologation markings, installed parts and measurable parameters are checked. Non-conformity may require additional evidence, testing or modification, and the procedure may also result in refusal. 3 7

Italian evidence of roadworthiness may be recognised only if it was issued by an authorised body or station, confirms that the vehicle passed the test and remains valid under Croatian inspection intervals. The roadworthiness testing station (STP) may verify its authenticity, issuer and validity, so recognition is not an automatic exemption from a Croatian test. 14

Keep VAT, PPMV and other Croatian obligations separate

For value added tax (VAT) purposes, a road vehicle is considered used only when both conditions are met: more than six months have passed since first use and the vehicle has travelled more than 6,000 km. It is a new means of transport (NPS) if at least one opposite condition is met: it is no more than six months old or its mileage is no more than 6,000 km. If the acquisition is of an NPS, the private buyer must report it and pay Croatian VAT no later than 10 days after the acquisition evidenced by the invoice or agreement, and retain proof for registration. 8 9 10

If both used-vehicle conditions are met, a private buyer generally does not pay additional Croatian VAT on the acquisition. Nevertheless, check the seller's status, the invoice and whether the standard or margin VAT scheme applies. This branch does not remove PPMV or any other obligations. 9 10

File the PP-MV declaration no later than 15 days after bringing the vehicle into Croatia, together with the acquisition document, foreign registration document and conformity evidence. Service or receipt of the tax decision or notice starts a separate payment period of 15 days. First registration cannot be completed until the procedure has been concluded and proof of payment is available. 15 16 17

For a used vehicle, the remaining PPMV is derived from the tax that would have applied when the vehicle was new and the corresponding depreciation. The calculator basis is not the Italian purchase price, market price or invoice price, but the Croatian retail price of the equivalent new vehicle on the date of its first registration, including customs duty, VAT and factory-fitted equipment but excluding PPMV. The current Croatian Customs Administration page refers to NN 156/2022. 15 18 19

Table-based depreciation does not take the vehicle's physical condition into account. A market assessment may include Croatian market data, an inspection, a record, an objection and an expert assessment at the buyer's expense. The amount therefore depends on CO2, fuel, the date of first registration, the new-vehicle price in Croatia, equipment and the selected method. 15 19

Pure-electric vehicles, vehicles with CO2 emissions of 0 g/km and vehicles produced 30 or more years ago that are formally classified as oldtimers are not subject to PPMV. A vehicle of that age without formal oldtimer status has the special fixed branch shown in the budget. These are PPMV rules only; they do not automatically remove VAT/NPS, conformity, the end-of-life vehicle fee, insurance, road motor tax, roadworthiness testing or registration. 15 18 20

For the end-of-life vehicle management fee, the private person bringing the vehicle into Croatia submits the data to the Register of Producers with Extended Responsibility (RPPO) and obtains payment confirmation before registration. For a non-electric vehicle, 75 kg for the driver and 40 kg for fuel are deducted from the official mass; for a pure-electric vehicle, only 75 kg is deducted. The chargeable mass is multiplied by the rate of EUR 0.08/kg. 15 21 22

Arrange compulsory motor third-party liability insurance before use and registration. The annual road motor tax for passenger cars depends on engine power in kW and age; vehicles over 10 years old are not taxed under this branch, but the other registration costs remain. After the required roadworthiness test, the STP checks the documents and payments. Following successful entry in the register and the issue or validation of the registration certificate, the registration plates are issued. 13 23 24

Build a budget without a false total

The known official base amounts are not the total cost of the procedure. Quotes, details of the specific vehicle and decisions by the competent authorities are unavailable, so the total cannot be calculated responsibly in advance.

Follow the steps chronologically

Every item starts open: obtain and check the evidence before proceeding to the next step.

Frequently asked questions

What should I check before paying?

Match the PRA, seller and authority to act, the VIN on the vehicle and documents, the agreement, and the original registration and ownership documents. Establish who will apply for export; the visura alone is not a complete file. 1, 2, 3, 4

Does the PRA visura prove the car's condition?

No. The visura shows the registration and encumbrances, but it is not a certificate or a complete history of the car's condition, accidents and repairs. Resolve each encumbrance as appropriate, repeat the PRA check and inspect the vehicle. 1, 6, 3

Is the Documento Unico valid for driving?

No. The Documento Unico is not valid for driving. You need a foglio di via, plates and insurance for the driver and the entire route. If these have not been confirmed, arrange a vehicle carrier. 6, 2, 11

Do I pay Croatian VAT on a used car?

The vehicle must be more than six months old and have travelled more than 6,000 km. Otherwise it is an NPS; the declaration and Croatian VAT are due no later than 10 days after acquisition. Check the invoice and VAT scheme. 8, 9, 10

How much is PPMV and what deadlines apply?

The amount depends on the vehicle and method. File the PP-MV declaration within 15 days of bringing the vehicle into Croatia; a further payment period of 15 days begins upon receipt of the decision or notice. NPS has a separate deadline. 15, 16, 19, 8

Is the Italian roadworthiness test recognised, and is there a fixed total registration cost?

Conditionally: the evidence must be issued by an authorised body, show a passed test and remain valid under Croatian intervals; the STP may verify it. There is no universal total; determine transport, insurance, charges, testing and registration separately. 4, 14, 13

If the applicable tax, conformity, RPPO, insurance and roadworthiness obligations have been completed, check the official CVH first-registration procedure. It does not guarantee acceptance or a universal cost. 4, 14, 24

Check the first-registration procedure

Sources

1. ACI – Visurenet PRA
2. ACI – radiazione
3. Centar za vozila Hrvatske: Utvrđivanje sukladnosti pojedinačnog vozila
4. Centar za vozila Hrvatske: Prva registracija
5. Carinska uprava: Razlika između unosa iz EU i uvoza iz trećih zemalja
6. ACI – Radiazione per esportazione: informazioni utili
7. Državni zavod za mjeriteljstvo: Homologacija - česta pitanja
8. Carinska uprava: PDV na stjecanje novih prijevoznih sredstava
9. gov.hr: Porezne obveze pri kupnji rabljenih vozila iz drugih država članica EU
10. Your Europe: PDV pri kupnji ili prodaji automobila u inozemstvu
11. Your Europe – Buying and leasing a car in another EU country
12. Your Europe: Kupnja i leasing automobila u drugoj državi
13. Centar za vozila Hrvatske: Propisane obaveze kod registracije vozila
14. CVH: Pravilnik o registraciji i označavanju vozila
15. Carinska uprava: Obavijest građanima i pravnim osobama o postupku plaćanja PPMV-a (16.04.2026.)
16. Carinska uprava: Postupak oporezivanja motornih vozila
17. Carinska uprava: PPMV prijava i plaćanje kroz sustav e-Građani
18. Carinska uprava: Motorna vozila - predmet i visina PPMV-a
19. Carinska uprava: Informativni kalkulator za izračun PPMV-a
20. Zakon o posebnom porezu na motorna vozila, NN 15/2013 - original 2013 text
21. FZOEU: Naknada gospodarenja otpadnim vozilima za potrebe registracije vozila
22. FZOEU: Otpadna vozila - jedinična naknada
23. gov.hr: Porez na cestovna motorna vozila
24. Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova: Registracija vozila
25. CVH: Pravilnik o utvrđivanju sukladnosti motornih vozila i njihovih prikolica - pročišćeni tekst kroz NN 150/2022