When you are considering the idea of shipping your car from the U.S. to Europe, there are laws and policies that must be minded if you wish to stay out of legal trouble or avoid paying astronomical monetary fees for non-compliance. Luckily, when you hire the help of a reputable international car shipping company, they will make sure that you understand and are aware of all relevant policies and restrictions. You can also call the embassy of the European country you’re shipping the car to. The embassy will provide you with the current tax rates for auto imports as well as the most recent changes to the laws on importing cars.
If you’re going to ship a car to Europe, you’re probably wondering if you can drive it around with U.S. plates. Driving in Europe with a U.S. registered vehicle is NOT prohibited. However, only vehicles that will only remain in the country for under 6 months can be driven without registration in Europe. Any vehicles that will remain in the country permanently or over the 6 month timeframe must be registered before it’s too late. Vehicle registration in Europe is subjected to charges, fees and taxes.
The Benefits of Shipping a Car Overseas
Aside from the freedom you’ll have to travel in your own vehicle, there are many other benefits associated with overseas auto transports.
- International car shipping services are the most reliable, practical and affordable way to ship a car to Europe.
- You’ll have many shipping options for your car’s international transport. Options like high priority services are also available to most shipping customers. Some transporters will even modify your services to meet your needs and budget more suitably.
- The equipment, freight ships, shipping containers, and other transport tools used by the transporter are nearly impossible to come across otherwise. There isn’t any other established delivery process that can get the car into a foreign country successfully.
- By state law, shipping companies must carry the minimum requirements for insurance coverage. If you’d like to purchase more protection, you should be able to through the transporter.
- Any dependable international transporter will train their staff members to remember and keep up with the foreign import policies. They’ll make it easier to comply with all laws and to gather all the right documents to earn import approval through Customs.