- Car Shipping Europe
- Ship Car To Or From Europe
- Car Shipping To Europe From The Usa What You Really Need To Know
- Looking For A Car Shipping Company? We Can Help With Your Auto Car Transport!
- Required Documents For Shipping Cars To Europe
- Financials On Shipping Cars To Europe Taxes And Fees
- Tips For Shipping Your Car To Europe
- Related Information & Faqs
Car Shipping Europe
Ship Car To Or From Europe
Typical Car Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?
- Car transport costs to Europe from the U.S. can range from $1,200 to $5,000, largely depending on where the vehicle is being shipped to and from.
- Distance and the destination country have a lot to do with the price range of the international car shipping company. So, car shipping from the East Coast to Western Europe has the lowest international car shipping cost.
Car Shipping To Europe From The USA: What You Really Need To Know
- No matter what type of clearance you have, your car will be on a visa of its own: an auto tourist visa. Therefore, you must own it outright with a title in hand or have documentation from the lien-holder stating it is okay for you to import the car overseas to your preferred destination country.
- You must obtain temporary holiday insurance with a European company in order to legally drive your car around in any of the countries in the Union. This is an important rule followed by all the international auto transport companies.
- Shipping a custom vehicle in an enclosed shipping container? It’s going to cost you roughly $2,000 more to ship a car than the more traditional form of shipping vehicles.
- Shipping your car via air freight for quicker vehicle shipping? Then, be prepared to pay up to $10,000 more on international vehicle shipping services, depending on the weight of your vehicle and where it is going in Europe.
- Luxury cars may cost more in international auto transport fees; for instance, for some vehicles, when shipping to Germany, there is a larger import duty tax on rare or expensive vehicles than there is on more traditional vehicles. This import duty fee is often refunded upon leaving the European country.
Looking for a Car Shipping Company? We Can Help with Your Auto Car Transport!
Shipping cars overseas can be much more nerve wracking than shipping domestically. Often, it is hard to schedule car shipping at the same time of travel, which means your vehicle is traveling and arriving well before or after you.
We can help make the international car shipping method much more seamless and help to put you at ease for finding a company and seeing the vehicle shipping process from start to finish.
One of the international car shipping methods that can be used when shipping a vehicle to Europe is the method of Rolling On, then Rolling Off (RoRo Shipping). This occurs when car shipping is done via boat and the car in question is driven onto the ship versus being loaded onto a container, which is then loaded onto the ship. Think of it as ferry-style shipping.
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Required Documents For Shipping Cars To Europe
- Passport
- Proof of ownership
- Registration certificate & copy of title
- Vehicle license
- Invoice
- Proof of insurance
- Commercial invoice
- Declaration
Process of registering a vehicle in Europe.
Financials on Shipping Cars to Europe: Taxes and Fees
You must be prepared to pay tax when you ship a car overseas to Europe. As of 2022, the fee breakdown for getting your car delivered is as such:
- New cars: Shipping to Europe for a new car is 19% of the value-added tax (VAT)
- Dutiable rate: 10%
* Cars that have been owned for at least six months in the U.S. will not be charged a value-added tax
Tips for Shipping Your Car to Europe
It is key that you do not make plans to move your vehicle to an overseas location until you have confirmed that you do have a visa for yourself, an auto visa for your vehicle and that you have identified an international car shipping company that specializes in a move of this magnitude.
The Federal Maritime Commission should license your chosen international car shipping company. This ensures that the auto transport company not only has the experience in moving vehicles to Europe but also they have the monetary bond in which to do so.
You also need to know the rules on international car shipping from the U.S. For instance, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has a policy on the regulation of products leaving the country to ensure that they are legit and legal. Check on requirements for exporting something out of the country so that you are properly prepared as a car owner.
When you are shipping a vehicle to Europe, it is important that you know where the nearest terminal is located. You should also be aware about how much it will be to get to your new home or the place in which you are staying for the duration of your trip from the terminal.
Mapping out this auto shipping information well in advance can help you to anticipate some of the added costs to the vehicle shipping fees. Additionally, you must get documentation for shipping a car from the West coast before the international car shipping company can ship your vehicle. For example, you must fill out a Declaration of Dangerous Goods and Shipper Export Declaration asked by the international car shipping companies.
Related Information & FAQs
- Safely ship your car from the US to Europe with an overseas transporter
- How to ship a motorcycle to Europe?
- Import vehicle into USA from Western Europe
- How to import a car into Europe from the USA
- Can I drive a US plated car in Europe?
- Can I drive my car in Europe?
- Car shipping to Europe price
- Cheapest way to ship a car to Europe
- Exporting a vehicle from USA to Europe
- Ship a car to Europe for vacation
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping a car to Europe requires proper documentation:
Bill of Sale
- Declaration of Dangerous Goods (this identifies whether your auto shipping car contains specific items such as airbags, car battery, gasoline, etc.)
- Title/Certificate of Origin
- Registration of own vehicle
- License Plates – if possible, submit the plate to the European regulatory authority where your car is arriving.
- Lien Release – if you don’t own your vehicle in full, you’ll need written authorization from your lienholder that allows you to take the car out of the country via shipping container.
- Get your car serviced to ensure that it’s in good condition before your ship a car to Europe.
- Remove all personal items if you’re shipping car to Europe using the RoRo method (FAQ #5). If you’ve chosen the shipping container method for vehicle shipping, you will be allowed to leave non-hazardous goods inside.
- Leave all standard car equipment (spare tire, emergency kit, etc.)
- Leave the license plates on the vehicle before the car shipment
- Clean your car and take out personal belongings before shipping a car to Europe
- When beginning the journey to the European country, take photos to document its condition, i.e., pre-existing dings, dents, and scratches.
- Make sure the battery is fully charged and well secured while shipping a car
- Leave ¼ tank of fuel in the tank while shipping a car
- Ensure the emergency brake works correctly before getting the car shipped
- Make sure tires have proper pressure while shipping a car
- Disable the alarm system while shipping a car.
There are two ways to get your car to the port for international car shipping – drive it yourself or hire a delivery transport service (pickup truck) to pick it up and deliver it.
Check with your transport service of choice or broker to determine which way is best for you.
The cost of car shipping to Europe varies depending on a few factors:
- Where in the U.S. is your point of departure, the east coast or the west coast?
- What is your destination port and final destination to get the car shipped?
- What is the size of your vehicle? For example, is it a compact SUV, classic car, or pickup? The smaller your car, the less expensive will be the car shipping rates.
- Will you be driving your car to the shipping dock, or will it be picked up and delivered by a transport service?
You can get an estimated car shipping rates from car shipping companies or car shippers. Be prepared to answer the questions above.
Here are the top 5 international car shipping methods with the best shipping process.
- RoRo Shipping (Roll-on/Roll-off) – It is the most convenient and least expensive shipping method to ship your car to Europe. Vehicles are driven onto the ship on their power, tied down securely in its designated spot, and driven off when it reaches its destination.
- Consolidated Container Shipping
- Shared container shipping – They load your vehicle along with other vehicles onto a shared shipping container for international car shipping. Because they load your car with other cars, you aren’t guaranteed a set departure date for international car shipping to Europe. This shipping method is best when you have two or more cars for international car shipping.
- Exclusive container shipping is best for shipping an exotic or classic car due to the protection of being exclusively in a container. It’s the costliest way to ship a car, but the best if you have the budget for higher destination charges.
- Airfreight – This is used when the additional costs aren’t the primary concern, and the delivery time is. When using air freight for shipping a car internationally, the total transit time can take a few weeks. This mode of transport has high destination charges for shipping cars to Europe and best for highly valued vehicles and has a tight deadline for delivery. It also covers the all risk insurance till the final destination.
Yes, you will need international car shipping insurance to European countries. The overseas auto transport company you select should offer (by law) you adequate vehicle insurance through their insurance program. But, if they don’t have it to ship cars, they can offer it through a third-party company with whom they partner.
On average, you can expect to pay 1.5% - 2.5% of the estimated value of your car for international car shipping insurance.
Yes, there will be import duties, import tax, and miscellaneous charges related to destination fees. These charges vary depending on the shipping method and will be higher for container shipping than for RoRo shipping. Your transport company or broker can help you determine what these fees will be to ship a car via consolidated container, ocean container, or RoRo shipping.
One thing worth noting here is that you should only work with the best car shippers to ship your car internationally as they offer competitive rates and excellent service.
Yes, you will need insurance to drive in foreign countries. Once your car arrived in a shared container, this kind of insurance can be bought at your destination port when you pick up your own car. You can also arrange insurance for your compact car before shipping from the west coast.
Ask your international auto transport company or broker to help you with this. They’re the experts and know exactly what is required!
There may be. Each country in Europe has its own power to implement their own import rules and regulations for car shipping. You should check these out through the Embassy, your transport company, or broker who helped to transport your vehicle overseas in their own container. A1 Auto Transport has shipped cars to Europe since 1998. Contact us today at the phone number on the top of this page to know more information.
You can get estimated delivery dates for shared container shipping. One factor to include is whether you’re using RoRo shipping, exclusive container shipping, or the shared container shipping method. However, delays can occur even if seldom.
Some reasons for delays include U.S. Customs, Port congestion, canceled sailings, delay in import customs, or delays due to not enough freight, ships being overbooked or rerouted, and weather conditions. The destination charges will also vary depending upon the mode of transport you have chosen to take your car inside Europe.
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