Buying a used car in Lithuania as a foreigner: contract, SDK code and transit plates

Every vehicle listing on naudotasauto.lt carries the VIN, so you can run a history check — mileage records, recorded damage, previous countries of registration — before you book a trip.

Ask the seller for a photo of the registration certificate and confirm that the car has a valid owner declaration code (SDK). Since 1 May 2021 a Lithuanian resident can sell only a vehicle that has an SDK, and without it the change of ownership cannot be declared.

If the car is worth the journey, arrange a pre-purchase inspection at an independent garage near the seller on the day you view it.

A private sale in Lithuania is concluded with a simple written sale–purchase contract signed by both parties; no notary is required.

Regitra publishes a standard contract form and recommends using it and writing the SDK into it. The contract should state both parties' details, the make, model and VIN, the price, the date and any known defects.

Keep your original copy: you will need it for transit plates in Lithuania and for registration in your own country.

Cash payments above 5,000 EUR are not permitted in Lithuania, so a car that costs more than that has to be paid for by bank transfer.

An instant SEPA transfer made in front of the seller is the usual way to do this. Do not send a deposit to someone you have not met, however good the price looks.

When the buyer lives abroad, only the Lithuanian seller declares the change of ownership: they submit a one-sided transfer declaration to Regitra within 5 working days of the sale, attaching the contract.

Once that declaration is submitted the seller's SDK is cancelled and the vehicle is automatically deregistered in Lithuania. From that point its Lithuanian plates no longer entitle anyone to drive it.

Agree with the seller exactly when they will file the declaration, so the car is not deregistered while you are still driving it on the old plates.

Lithuanian transit (temporary) plates are issued once for a vehicle, for a period of 30 days.

To get them you first declare the acquisition at Regitra — online or at a branch, with your passport or ID card and the sale contract — then take out compulsory third-party liability insurance, and then apply for temporary registration. According to Regitra's 2026 price list a set of transit plates costs 9.26 EUR; the registration service itself is charged separately.

The alternative is to move the car on a trailer or with a transport company, in which case it does not need plates or insurance for the road.

Whether your own country accepts driving in on foreign transit plates, and for how long, is a question for your national registration authority — check before you set off.

Registration, taxes and inspection at home follow your country's rules, not Lithuania's. You will normally need the sale contract, the Lithuanian registration certificate and proof that the vehicle was deregistered.

Within the EU there is no customs clearance on a used car bought from a private person, but national registration taxes or excise duties may apply.

If the car is leaving the EU, an export customs declaration is required, and exports of vehicles to Russia and Belarus are restricted by EU sanctions. Ask Lithuanian Customs (Lietuvos muitinė) before you commit to a purchase.