Selling your car in Luxembourg: steps and advice

In Luxembourg, whether you want to sell privately or through a professional car dealer, you need to follow a few key steps to ensure the sale is legal and stress free. Here are the essential steps to take to ensure the transaction goes smoothly.

First of all, we advise you to gather together and check all of the documents you need to sell your vehicle.

• Registration certificate

To sell your car in Luxembourg, you need to de-register it (make a “mise hors circulation” declaration which takes it off the road). To do this, you need to return the vehicle registration certificate, part I (grey) and II (yellow) to the Société Nationale de Circulation Automobile (SNCA), the National Society of Automative Traffic.

• Technical inspection certificate 

If your vehicle is over 4 years old, you will have to provide a valid technical inspection certificate when you sell it, because the buyer will need this in order to register the vehicle. This rule applies if your car is registered in Luxembourg and, in principle, if it is registered abroad. You can find all the information you need to prepare for the technical inspection on the SNCT website.

• European certificate of conformity

If the vehicle was registered for the first time after 1 February 2016, you must provide the European certificate of conformity which guarantees that it meets European technical standards. 

If the European certificate of conformity is missing, during the new registration, the SNCA may require that the vehicle is taken to an approved Luxembourg technical inspection body for a technical report to be established.

• Vehicle service logbook 

A vehicle service logbook that has been filled out regularly provides proof that the vehicle has undergone continuous maintenance and therefore increases trust with potential buyers.

• A valid identity document

You also need an up-to-date identity card to complete the transaction. This allows you to identify yourself as the legal owner of the vehicle that you are selling.

Several criteria must be taken into account to determine the sale price that corresponds to the value of your car. In general terms, to make an accurate estimate for your car, you need to consider: 

• The make, model and version of your car
• The year it was first registered
• The number of kilometres on the clock
• The mechanical state of the bodywork
• The service history
• The equipment and any optional extras
• The market trends and local demand
• Reliable documentary evidence (technical inspection, invoices)

If your car is less than 7 years old, you can use the Eurotax evaluation tool to evaluate the price of your vehicle according to the market. This is a reference platform in Europe, used by professionals (garages, dealers, insurers etc.)

You can also consult online car resale websites to see what prices they usually charge, as well as the resale prices used by garages. 

By basing your consideration on solid and verifiable criteria, you will be better equipped to negotiate the sale price calmly with the buyer. 

Choosing to sell your car to a private buyer or going to a professional car dealer is a choice only you can make. There are advantages to each of these solutions. 

Selling your car to an individual will undoubtedly get you more money, but you will have to devote more time and energy to the sale, sending messages, negotiating etc. 

In Luxembourg, you can put your car up for sale on online platforms such as luxauto.lu, mycar.lu, marketplace on Facebook or autoscout24.lu. 

If you find a potential private buyer but the sale can't be completed immediately, you may, as a prior agreement, ask the buyer to sign a sales agreement which will commit both of you to the sale of the car according to set conditions.

Going through a professional is a quicker and easier solution since the professional can take care of all the steps associated with the sale of your car. You will also avoid any potential risks associated with meeting private buyers. However, the price you get will probably be lower, because the professional will take a percentage of the resale. 

If you choose this option, you can find out more information from your usual garage or a car dealership. You may also consider a dealership that specialises in vehicles of the same make as yours.

Once you’ve found someone who wants to take over your car, here are a few tips to give you the best chance of success on the day:

• Present your car at its best. Make sure you’ve cleaned it thoroughly, inside and out.
• Get all the documents ready that are useful for selling your car and put them in a little folder to ensure you don't forget anything.
• If your buyer is an individual, arrange to meet them in a safe place and check their identity.
• For the payment, use a bank deposit or bank transfer.
• Only give the buyer the keys once the payment has gone through.

In Luxembourg, the sale of vehicles is governed by strict regulations. Take time to ensure you are well-informed before the sale to avoid any nasty surprises.

If you are selling a car that was last registered in Luxembourg, you must inform the National Society of Automative Traffic (SNCA) within 5 working days of the sale by making a vehicle de-registration declaration, by registered post or by making a delivery in person with a receipt. Furthermore, you must remove the license plates..

You must draw up an invoice or a sales contract that identifies you as the owner of the vehicle that is for sale. The original of this document will be given to the buyer. 

This document: 

• contains information on the seller and the buyer: surname, first name and contact details
• contains information concerning the vehicle which serves to identify it (model, make, mileage, etc.) or attests to its condition.
• states the sale price and any additional information.
• must be signed by both parties involved in the transaction.

To help you, there are ready-to-use model contracts for car sales, such as the one published by the Automobile Club Luxembourg (ACL) which is available online.

If the buyer is a non-resident and needs to register their new vehicle in their own country, they will need an export certificate. This can be obtained from the SNCA for 19,80 euros. As the seller, either you can submit a request to have the document sent to the buyer, or the buyer can do it themselves. In which case, they will need to provide the SNCA with the invoice or proof of ownership of the vehicle.

If the vehicle that you are selling in Luxembourg was last registered abroad, the buyer must submit a registration request to the SNCA to be able to use the vehicle within the Grand Duchy. The latter will need a sales contract issued by you, which certifies that ownership of the vehicle has been transferred to them. They will also need the foreign registration documents that were in your possession prior to the sale. Where applicable, both parts of the certificate are required.

Inform your LALUX agent of the sale of your car without delay, so they can begin the process of cancelling your former insurance contract and start organising the transition to insure your new car.

Here’s to your new adventures on Luxembourg’s roads!