Estonia to remove more than 90,000 vehicles from register

Estonia’s Transport Administration plans to remove 91,538 vehicles from the traffic register on November 1 because their registration status has been unchanged for at least seven years, ERR reported.

The authority mapped vehicles with suspended registration entries in July. Under the Road Traffic Act, they are considered missing vehicles and can be removed from the register.

In July, 97,668 vehicles met the criteria, including 72,488 in categories that will be subject to motor vehicle tax from 2027. Owners have taken action over the past three months, but 91,538 vehicles are still due to be removed. Of those, 68,053 will become subject to the tax next year.

Owners who want to keep a vehicle with a suspended registration entry must temporarily remove it from the register through the Transport Administration’s e-service and prove that it exists using a photo application. They can also return the vehicle to active use by passing a roadworthiness inspection and taking out compulsory motor insurance.

Owners who have the vehicle but do not want to keep it must take it to a waste handler working with the Transport Administration. The vehicle will then be removed from the register free of charge.

From 2027, motor vehicle tax will apply to vehicles with suspended registration entries. The state fee for removing a vehicle without a certificate of destruction will also rise to 800 euros, from 15 euros this year.