Ship Car To Essen

The German city of Essen is situated in the North Rhine-Westphalia which is a part of the Rhine metropolitan area. It is the center of education and seat of the German corporations, with plenty of employment opportunities.

That is why there is a high inflow of foreign nationals and returning nationals in the last few years. Essen has been declared as the 2017’s European Green Capital, which goes a lot to say about the environmental laws of Germany.

Specific laws on auto imports

With similar import/export laws in Germany and USA, it is comparatively easy to import it to Essen. As every import has tax liabilities, you will be required to pay 10% as standard tax and additional VAT of 20% but if you are importing motorcycles, the duty is 6% to 8% depending upon the value of the vehicle. You are allowed to import the vehicle on a temporary basis if you are travelling through Germany to other EU countries or are on a holiday for a short while. A deposit fee is applicable for the permit and will be refunded when the vehicle is sent back.

You might be interested in knowing more about import taxes and VAT in Germany and A1 Auto Transport service can assist you with it.

With stringent environment and emission laws, there might be other additional expenses and restricted zones where you need a sticker to enter with your vehicle. For returning citizens or those seeking German citizenship and renouncing the U.S citizenship, you are allowed to bring in the vehicle without taxes as part of the household goods. However you have to be living abroad for at least 1 year.

Vehicle inspection requirements

Orange vests, First-Aid kits, warning stickers along with fire extinguishers are needed to be present in the vehicle. You might want to check with A1 Auto Transport Company about other criteria that are evaluated at the Port of Hamburg, before the vehicle is cleared for delivery to the owner.

Documents for vehicle import

The documents are standard requirements for imports and have to be submitted in advance to the German Customs Administration. These are:

• Owner’s passport and U. S. driving license
• Vehicle title
• Car insurance
• Bill of Lading
• Export permit
• Proof of stay/work visa

It helps to know the driving and traffic rules in Germany before you start driving your own vehicle in Essen. Though you are allowed to drive on your U.S license for the first 6 months, you need to get a new German license, if you want to drive your personal vehicle after that.

For more information and details about German laws, import duties and documents, please contact the German Consulate in USA or discuss it further with A1 Auto Transport.