Fact check
Free check from Tüv Süd for Ukrainian cars stirs up envy
A state body does not pay for the simplified test for Ukrainian cars. photo
© Frank Molter/dpa
War refugees from Ukraine need a specific permit for their car in Germany. Tüv Süd offers a free service for this – and thus brings envious people on the scene.
The support for Ukrainian refugees is experienced in Germany generally has broad approval. But sometimes there is also envy. A letter from Tüv Süd is currently circulating on social media, stating a fee of zero euros for the technical inspection of a Ukrainian vehicle.
claim
German drivers have to pay dearly for the inspection for their vehicles, but Ukrainian war refugees get the general inspection for free.
Evaluation
Incorrect.
Facts
The letter from Tüv Süd that was passed around on the internet is genuine, as a company spokesman confirms to the dpa. However, the service listed is not a German Tüv test, i.e. the legally required general inspection.
Instead, Tüv Süd carried out a simplified test on the car registered in Ukraine: “The examination is limited exclusively to road safety, i.e. components such as steering, brakes, lights,” says Tüv Süd.
Tüv Süd actually offers this test free of charge for Ukrainians. “This is intended to express the full solidarity of the surveillance institutions in this crisis situation to all Ukrainian citizens,” explains the company. This is solely a business decision by Tüv Süd.
A government agency does not pay for this. At other testing centers – such as Dekra – this certificate is not free for Ukrainians, reports “t-online”.
However, if defects are discovered in the car during the inspection, the owner must have them remedied immediately and pay for the repairs, according to Tüv Süd. The aim of the measure is to increase safety on German roads.
What is the background of this test?
The federal and state governments have jointly decided on rules for Ukrainian vehicles. After the Russian attack on Ukraine began at the end of February 2022 and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees with their cars in Germany, the Federal Ministry of Transport proposed: These cars should be allowed to continue to drive in Germany with their Ukrainian registration for one year under certain conditions.
According to Tüv Süd, the planned re-registration of vehicles cannot usually take place due to their refugee status.
This rule was extended in May 2023 to April 2024. However, Ukrainians must apply for an exemption for their car from the registration authority at their German place of residence. To do this, you need liability insurance and proof of road safety issued by a testing organization such as Tüv, Dekra, KÜS or GTÜ – exactly the proof that is in question in the circulating photo.
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