Estonia cracks down on suspended vehicle registrations with new 2027 rules

Estonia will introduce new rules for vehicles with suspended registration starting in 2027. Owners of such cars will face auto tax, while the process for removing vehicles from the register will also change. Over 185,500 vehicles currently have suspended registration in the country. From 2027, vehicles that are destroyed, missing, or illegally disassembled can still be taken off the register. The state fee for this will rise from €15 to €800. Owners of unused vehicles can also temporarily remove them from the register online for €15, avoiding tax the next year.

Starting 1 July 2027, the Department of Transport will review vehicles with suspended registration for seven years or more. More than 140,500 of these may become taxable. If vehicles are not re-registered, temporarily removed, or permanently de-registered by 31 October 2027, they will be automatically removed from the register by 1 November. The changes aim to clarify the status of inactive vehicles. Owners must act before the deadlines to avoid fees or automatic removal. The new tax and higher removal costs will apply from 2027 onwards.