“Low Number of Re-registered Ukrainian License Plates in Dresden: Views of Ukrainians and Politicians”

Dresden. Because the war after Russia’s attack on Ukraine has been going on for so long, there is also a discussion about whether Ukrainians who have fled to Germany have to register their cars.

So far, at least in Dresden, very few have done so, as the answer to a city council request revealed.

What is the starting position?

Normally, cars with non-EU license plates are only allowed to drive on the road for one month, after which they need approval from a German authority. A special regulation of up to 16 months applies to war refugees from the Ukraine. Entries in documents such as the stamp in the passport when crossing the border from Ukraine to Poland show when the refugees arrived. The special regulation begins with this entry.

The deadline was recently extended in Saxony until the end of June. Then there should be a national regulation.

Are Ukrainian vehicles insured?

Yes. Those affected receive a green card from their Ukrainian insurance company, which guarantees motor vehicle liability insurance protection. In accordance with the Green Card Agreement, this is possible in more than 40 countries, including Germany. Other Ukrainians are covered by border insurance that applies throughout the EU.

“Anyone who is damaged by an uninsured Ukrainian car in Germany has no disadvantage as a result,” according to the General Association of the German Insurance Industry (GDV). The traffic victim assistance is responsible for the compensation.

How many re-registrations have there been in Dresden so far?

More than 8,000 people from Ukraine have come to Dresden since the beginning of the war. The city administration cannot say how many vehicles with Ukrainian license plates are in Dresden. This emerges from a request from the Dresden AfD city councilor Wolf Hagen Braun.

But so far there have only been four registrations from Ukrainian license plates to German ones in Dresden and so far no vehicles with Ukrainian license plates have been taken out of service in the city.

What is the politician asking for?

“Numerous Ukrainian cars are part of the traffic in Dresden,” says Braun. It is not known exactly how many vehicles there are. “In the event of an accident involving a Ukrainian vehicle, the citizens of Dresden shouldn’t be left with their losses.”

From Braun’s point of view, the problem was only solved temporarily because the exemption was extended until the end of June. Then there should be a nationwide solution. “For the Dresden AfD parliamentary group, it is important that those responsible for politics create clear legal certainty and that the accident victims affected receive the necessary support quickly.”

How do Ukrainians in Dresden see it?

For the many people who fled from the Ukraine before the war, the central point of contact is the Ukrainian coordination center headed by Natalja Bock. “For many Ukrainians, the license plate is a piece of identity, they long for their homeland,” she explains. “We would like a simple solution, otherwise the re-registration causes a great deal of effort, a lot of bureaucracy and unnecessary costs.” Because many of the people who fled to Dresden want to go back to the Ukraine, says Bock.