Question 1

Can you list some of the most important ports in France where I can expect to collect my car shipment from the USA?

Accepted Answer

France has several important ports both in the north and south, we have highlighted some of the most prominent ones as follows:

Paris Port: This port not only manages huge river traffic spread across 300 km of navigable waters. It is a major inland container shipment port, the first of its kind to be established in the country, in 1970, and its connection with the intensive river network makes it one of the most important shipment centers in Europe. The port has capabilities of handling both cargo and passengers, and it deals with 130,000 TEUs of container traffic every year by one estimate. Moreover, it is connected with the rest of France via five transport modes: waterways, sea, roads, rails, and pipelines for oil.

Le Havre Port: This port is the second-largest maritime commerce center of France and is managed by the Grand Port Maritime du Havre, a state organization based in the city of Le Havre. The overall tonnage is impressive, and the dense traffic of vessels makes it the largest container seaport in France. Apart from a huge influx of container ships, the port also handles a massive input of cruise ships and passengers.

Fos-sur-Mer Port: Situated on the Mediterranean coast, the port is present to the northwest of Marseille. The coastal city nestles a major container shipping center which is managed by the Autonomous Port of Marseille. The port manages a variety of cargo including methane/natural gas and steel, and container shipping and roll-on, roll-off is also very common, making it the perfect destination point to ship your car to France

Marseille Port: This is a major maritime port in France and handles both cargo and passengers. It sees a traffic of 88 million tons in containers and cargo every year which is managed by two administrative divisions of the port. It is the largest seaport in the country and the second biggest in the entire Mediterranean region. Not only is it historically significant but also forms an important commerce center for the modern Republic.

Lyon Port: Also known by the name of Édouard-Herriot, the Lyon port is largely a cruise port on the Rhone-Saone channel but also handles a fair amount of goods. By one estimate, the port handles about 12 million tons of cargo every year and this includes a huge proportion of edible items – mostly carbohydrates, which take up about 3 million tons of the port’s goods traffic.

This is merely the prelude of the actual list, your car shipment from the USA will most likely arrive at Le Havre or Fos-sur-Mer, unless you choose to have it delivered elsewhere.

Question 2

How much will it cost me to ship my car from the USA to France?

Accepted Answer

With maritime shipping, it is impossible to give an exact cost estimate to ship a car to France because there are several shipment options, variable route distances, and even the transport costs can vary with market fluctuations, i.e. the cost of fuel.

But for your reference, we’ll suggest that you keep a range of $1,800 to $4,100 in mind.

This cost range is based on container shipping cost estimates; roll-on, roll-off shipment is cheaper in comparison.

Just take a look at the cost variables and see how you can minimize your shipping costs.

Question 3

How much time will it take for my car to ship from the USA to France and to get through the rest of the process, i.e. imports processing, customs clearance, and registration?

Accepted Answer

The shipment time frame depends largely on the maritime shipping distance which is dictated by the route selected for shipping. For instance, the distance between the California port and Le Havre port takes about 30 days to cover.

In contrast, the distance between the New York port and Fos-sur-Mer port can be covered in merely 12 days. This is only one side of the picture, of course, you also need to factor in the overland travel for transport and delivery.

Then you'll need to spend some time going through customs clearance and vehicle registration which will be easier if you have all the documents ready beforehand.

Even at the earliest, it will take over a month for your car to arrive in France and then going through the rest of the process.

Question 4

What do I need to know about the preparations for shipping a car from the USA to France?

Accepted Answer

Considering that your car complies with the EU emission standards, there isn’t much you need to be worried about when importing your car from overseas. However, some preparations are still necessary and these include cleaning the car thoroughly, both the interior and the exterior.

You also need to clean the undercarriage to rid it of any foreign soil so that no bio-contaminants are introduced into the Gallic land (seeds, spores, cysts, etc.) For this, most people prefer steam cleaning the undercarriage, but you have other options as well.

If you plan on using the roll-on, roll-off shipment option then you’ll need to ensure that none of your personal belongings are inside the vehicle, including any valuables. Plus, you’ll have to fill up ¼ of the tank with gas, but no more than that.

There’s an easier way around this, especially if you’re too busy planning your move and managing your business: you can get experts from the A1 Auto Transport to handle the whole process for you.

Question 5

What shipment options can I choose between, when shipping my car from the USA to France?

Accepted Answer

There are primarily two options when shipping a car from the USA to France.

The first one is container shipping or closed-air shipment. This method involves sealing the car inside a shipment container and then transporting it overseas. Once the shipment arrives at the destination port, the container is unloaded, opened, and the car undergoes import processing and customs clearance.

This works well for non-runner vehicles (i.e. if you’ve purchased a new car from the USA and want to import it to France), plus you can have your personal effects inside the car. The extra protection afforded by the container also comes with a bigger price tag.

In contrast, the open-air shipment method or roll-on, roll-off shipment involves driving the car on board, as-is, fastening it with the deck, and then transporting it across the selected route. In this case, you can’t have your personal effects inside the car, for obvious reasons, and of course, it only works for runner vehicles (they need to have ¼ of their tanks filled with gas).

This is the cheaper of the two options and works well for most people since it is adequately reliable.

Question 6

I need to get my paperwork in order, can you give me a checklist of the documents I will have to declare for importing my car from the USA to France?

Accepted Answer

You need to have the following at hand when importing your car from the USA to France:

The original certificate of title alongside the VIN (vehicle identification number)
Documented evidence verifying the license plate numbers assigned to your car
Inventory list
Bill of lading
Freighting bill
Documented proof of residence in France, i.e. if you relocated for work/business
Vehicle registration documents
Bill of sale/invoice detailing the specs of the car and its price
Certificate #846 A (for customs entry)

Question 7

Can you summarize this whole process of shipping a car from the USA to France for my better understanding?

Accepted Answer

Sure, here’s how it all works:

Research – start with fact-finding, you need to discover how things work in practicality, look over the internet entries and check out people's experience to understand:
Import regulations on cars in France
Whether or not your car complies with those regulations
Can your car be made to comply via modifications if it does not do so as-is?
Common problems with shipping cars to France
How to get things done fast
And so on…
Documents – next, you need to gather all the necessary documents, paperwork, and necessary info/bills for your car import:
The original title of the car
Vehicle identification number
License plate numbers
Inventory list
Lading bill
Freighting bill
Sales invoice
Vehicle registration documents
Proof of residence
Customs entry #846 A form
Understanding the costs – you also need to do detailed research about the cost variables to understand what it is exactly that you're paying for and how you can minimize your shipment costs:
Freighting charges
Insurance dues
Car preparation fee
Wharf charges
Delivery/transport dues
Customs duties
Value-added tax (VAT)
Import processing fees
Customs broker’s fee
Logistics services charges
Vehicle registration charges (in France)
Before shipping – you’ll have to fulfill a couple of requirements before you can ship your car, these include:
Cleaning the exterior and interior of the car
Making sure that none of your personal belongings are inside the car
Filling up the gas tank up to ¼ of the full capacity
Selecting the departure port
Selecting the destination port
Selecting between container shipping and roll-on, roll-off shipping
Selecting a car shipping services provider – lastly, you need to find a company that offers international car shipping services and deals with France as well. A1 Auto Transport does both and ensures complete customer satisfaction throughout!
Transporting the car to the departure port
Overseas shipment
Arrival at the selected port
Import processing & customs clearance
Vehicle registration
Putting on the number plates

Question 8

What happens once my car arrives at the selected port in France?

Accepted Answer

Customs duties and taxes must be paid for vehicles imported from the USA at the port of entry, the former is applicable for all vehicles and is based on the actual value of the car. The customs department will decide whether or not your car qualifies for a tax exemption.

Usually, a value-added tax or VAT of 19.6% is also payable, collected by the concerned authorities (i.e. French Customs and Excise) at the port of entry.

Once your car goes through customs clearance and the tax payments have been made in the full, you can register it with the French authorities.

Question 9

How much customs duties are extracted from cars imported from the USA to France?

Accepted Answer

The customs duties for vehicles being imported to France are extracted based on the actual value of the vehicle and a predetermined percentage that applies to various categories. This is part of the job of customs officers – they need to ensure that the cost/value of the car as detailed on the papers is in reality the same.

After proper verification, the department will extract customs duties based on the following percentages:

10% for automobiles
10% for motor homes
9% for motorcycles
5.3% for trailers

For a fair estimate, you must provide the original invoice of sales for the said vehicle, otherwise, the value will be assessed via available resources, i.e. data from the manufacturer’s catalog or publications listing estimate prices.

Question 10

Can I import my car from the USA to France tax-free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is possible.

Certain conditions qualify for tax exemption when importing cars to France:

The first case is for those who’re bringing their vehicle over for the holidays. In this case, you’ll need to make an upfront deposit and take it back when your stay comes to an end and you leave France.

If you’re a USA citizen relocating to France, you may import the vehicle to the country as part of your personal effects (i.e. the stuff you are allowed to being as part of your relocation). In this case, you’ll still have to pay the customs duties but VAT will be waived. Also, for this to apply, you must’ve owned the car for 6 months prior to the move.

EU citizens who previously resided in the USA and were the owners of their cars for at least 6 months, can bring the car to France tax-free, but this only applies once.

To/From	Ground	Ocean	Days
San Jose, CA to (California port) to Le Havre	$200	$1,300	5+30
New York, NY to (New York port) to Le Havre	$275	$900	5+12
Boston, MA to (New York port) to Fos-sur-Mer	$400	$1,200	5+12
Las Vegas, NV to (California port) to Le Havre	$450	$1,300	5+30
Seattle, WA to (California port) to Le Havre	$550	$1,300	6+30
Detroit, MI to (New York port) to Le Havre	$575	$900	6+12
Atlanta, GA to (New York port) to Fos-sur-Mer	$700	$1,200	6+12
Denver, CO to (California port) to Fos-sur-Mer	$775	$3,400	7+30
Memphis, TN to (New York port) to Le Havre	$800	$900	6+12
Dallas, TX to (California port) to Fos-sur-Mer	$1,025	$3,400	7+30

International Car Shipping To France from the USA

International Shipping a Car France From USA

Export your car to France from the United States(USA)

Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?

Cost & Time Examples For Shipping a Car to France

Required Documents For Car Shipping To France

Popular FranceCar Shipping Destinations

Custom Duty Calculations for Car Shipping

Documents Required for Car Transport

Transporting A Car, Heavy Equipment & Oversized Cargo To France

Examples of Heavy Equipment and Oversized Cargo We’re Able to Transport

Overseas Car Transport Methods Offered through A1

Other Services - Transporting a Car to France

Frequently Asked Questions

Calculate your Shipping for Free

Auto Shipping to or from France

International Auto Shipping

ship car to France

how much does it cost to ship a car from usa to France

international auto transport - how much does it cost