Table of Contents

Taxes & Duties When Shipping A Vehicle To Germany
Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?
Cost & Time Examples For Shipping a Car to Germany
Popular Germany Shipping Destinations:
Required Documents For Shipping A Vehicle To Germany
Germany Auto Transport Resources
Shipping Of Heavy Equipment & Oversized Cargo To Germany
Other Services
Related Information & FAQs

Taxes & Duties When Shipping A Vehicle To Germany

Shipping A Car To Germany.

Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?

The typical shipping costs for a car from the U.S. to Germany are $1,800 to $3,900, with much of the cost depending on which part of the U.S. you’re shipping from.

Both container and RORO shipping are generally available to Germany within the price range mentioned above.

Cost & Time Examples For Shipping a Car to Germany

To/From	Ground	Ocean	Days
San Jose, CA to (California port) to Bremerhaven	$200	$3,000	5+30
Denver, CO to (California port) to Bremerhaven	$775	$3,000	7+30
Boston, MA to (New York port) to Bremerhaven	$400	$2,100	5+12
Portland, OR to (California port) to Bremerhaven	$475	$3,000	6+30
Phoenix, AZ to (California port) to Bremerhaven	$550	$3,000	6+30
Detroit, MI to (New York port) to Bremerhaven	$575	$2,100	6+12
Chicago, IL to (New York port) to Bremerhaven	$675	$2,100	6+12
Los Angeles to (California port) to Bremerhaven	$350	$3,000	5+30
Memphis, TN to (New York port) to Bremerhaven	$800	$2,100	6+12
Miami, FL to (New York port) to Bremerhaven	$925	$2,100	7+12

*Prices and times are estimated. They can vary depending on the season and the type of vehicle.

*Save the ground transport cost by delivering the vehicle to the nearest port.

*Allow an additional 10 days to process the documents.

*Prices are for 1 car in a dedicated 20ft container. This is the safest and most reliable way to transport a vehicle internationally. Other items may be included in the container to help save you money when moving.

*Using the RoRo (roll on, roll off) method is less expensive and shipments can be completed in fewer days. Contact us now for a free RoRo quote.

It can be complicated to ship a vehicle internationally, but the import and export laws of Germany are more or less consistent with the United States, which makes the process a little easier than it would be from some other parts of the world. As a general rule, the duty on imported autos in Germany is 10% and there’s also a value added tax (VAT) of 20%. For motorcycles, the duty is usually between 6% and 8%. For more information about the value-added tax in Germany, this resource has a good explanation.

*Note that the value added percentages on vehicle imports can fluctuate slightly depending on a number of factors.

Germany has strict environmental standards, which can cause an unexpected expense for people that are having a car shipped to the country. There are also restrictive environmental zones in the country, which require a sticket if you’re going to operate a vehicle in the area.

If you’re becoming a permanent resident of Germany and forfeiting residence in the U.S., you may be able to import a vehicle without paying duties. This is contingent on being a new resident and having been outside of the country for 12 months consecutively.

Something that shouldn’t be overlooked when transporting a vehicle to Germany is that many of the roads are smaller and narrower than in the U.S., which can make it difficult to navigate with the larger, wider vehicles that are more common in the States.

Popular Germany Shipping Destinations:

A-1 Auto Transport ships vehicles worldwide. Click Here or call 1-800-518-8708 to get a free, no obligation to buy price quote to ship your car.Click here or call 1-800-518-8708 to get a free, no obligation to buy price quote to ship your car.

Required Documents For Shipping A Vehicle To Germany

The paperwork needed to ship a car to Germany is pretty standard as far as import and export laws for vehicles. Here’s what you’ll need to make sure everything goes smoothly when moving your car, truck or motorcycle to the country.

Original title & registration.
Passport.
Export permit (from U.S.)
Proof of insurance.
Bill of lading.
German driver's license.
Proof of ownership.
German registration (Anmeldebestatigung)

If you have questions about required forms or documents before shipping a car to Germany, your auto transport company should be able to explain the details and give you any assistance you might need along the way, including forms, documents, laws, duties, permits, licensing and taxation.

How to register your vehicle in Germany.

Germany Auto Transport Resources

U.S. Embassy In Germany - Information and resources for U.S. citizens in Germany, including citizenship, visas, security and general assistance with living in Germany for residents of the United States.

Getting Around In Germany - Learn the rules of the road for Germany, including right-of-way, licensing, legal and parking issues, traffic regulations and other resources for driving in the country.

Shipping Of Heavy Equipment & Oversized Cargo To Germany

Shipping heavy equipment or oversized cargo to Germany requires precision and a logistical aptitude that come with decades of overseas shipping. At A-1 Auto Transport, we have that experience to get your cargo to Germany and help you through all the permitting and regulatory processes along the way. Depending on what your shipping, there are going to be different procedures to get it there. Size, weight, and industry all play a part in the process and we are happy to have a wide array of successful transports in our history. Just in recent experience we have shipped:

Pile drivers
Pavers
Cranes
Large trucks and heavy vehicles
Engineering equipment
Agricultural equipment & machinery
Forklifts
Hydraulic equipment
Engines
Tractors, combines & other farm equipment
Backhoes and excavators
RVs and motorhomes
Industrial equipment

There are several ways to ship your oversized cargo and/or heavy equipment to Germany. The following methods are the most popular, yet we are open to special cases and welcome a call concerning those.

Lift On/Lift Off (LoLo) is a common form of transport for inoperable cargo like boats, crated equipment, or machinery. A bit more expensive than container and RoRo shipping due to the use of a crane and the precision involved.
Roll On/Roll Off, also known as RoRo Shipping is the most inexpensive way to transport heavy equipment or oversized cargo overseas. Given that your cargo is wheeled and operable, it will be stored within the ship’s hull. This shipping method requires the use of a ship’s ramp and there are height restrictions depending on the vessel and hull size.
Flat Rack shipping is a form of international transport that allows the most flexibility when it comes to your oversized cargo. Comes in variations of a flat rack, or a shipping container sans walls to allow your cargo to be attached to the corner points of the container frame. Your heavy cargo will be secured and then placed on the back of the ship. Since this type of shipping exposes your cargo to the elements you may want to consider having it shrink wrapped.
Container shipping is what most people are familiar with as it’s easy to see ships stacked high with shipping containers. As far as oversized cargo is concerned, 40ft shipping containers may be too small for your purposes. This is the most expensive and secure form of shipping we have available. It will protect your cargo from the outdoor elements.

Other Services

Related Information & FAQs

Written By:
Joe Webster

Joe Webster began his journey in the auto transport field by attending the University of Southern California (USC), where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Marketing.

After college, he started his career in the auto transport industry from the bottom up and has done virtually every job there is to do at A-1 Auto Transport, including but not limited to: Truck Driver, Dispatch, Sales, PR, Bookkeeping, Transport Planner, Transport Manager, International Transport Manager, Brokering, Customer Service, and Marketing. Working with his mentor Tony Taylor, Joe Webster has learned the ins and outs of this industry which is largely misunderstood.

With over 30 years experience in the industry, we've been helping people ship their vehicles, motorcycles, RV's, heavy equipment, household goods and more across the country or overseas without a hitch. Ask us anything.

Table of Contents

Taxes & Duties When Shipping A Vehicle To Germany
Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?
Cost & Time Examples For Shipping a Car to Germany
Popular Germany Shipping Destinations:
Required Documents For Shipping A Vehicle To Germany
Germany Auto Transport Resources
Shipping Of Heavy Equipment & Oversized Cargo To Germany
Other Services
Related Information & FAQs

Satisfied Customers

“I would just like to thank you for an excellent job in moving my car cross country. I will be using you again in the future, and have recommended you to others that will be moving cars shortly. Once again it was a pleasure to do business with you, and thanks again.”

Brian

★★★★★

“Hiring A1 Auto Transport was far cheaper than I thought it would be. I’ve always imagined auto transport services to be expensive as hell. It was easy to get in touch with them and the pickup was scheduled for the very next day. Despite being in Bucharest at the time, I was able to arrange for its travel from Atlanta to Indiana without much of a fuss. I really appreciated the driver’s efforts to keep me in the know and loved how understanding and helpful the staff was overall. My car got to Indiana on the promised day within the time frame they estimated. It was in good condition, with no damage suffered during transport. I heard open transport often gets vehicles scratched by the weather or from pebbles on the road, but nothing happened to mine. I’ll get back to you guys when I go back to Atlanta.”

Hiring A1 Auto Transport was far cheaper than I thought it would be.

★★★★★

“I called over 5 companies and a bunch of people on uship with no success. I found A1 Auto Transport first, and after a lot more unnecessary research, I stuck with it. I found talking to Joe simple and straight forward. He presented a summary of the process, answered the few questions I had with ease, and offered several transportation options for me to choose from. The driver arrived at 10 am as promised, though I was half an hour late. I apologized and he understood. However, from his face I could tell he was tired. After asking him about it, he explained he had another transport the day before and had to drive until 4 am. I was a bit worried, but he reassured me nothing will happen to my car. He seemed experienced, so I let it be. After going around it several time, looking at every nook and cranny and taking several pictures, he requested I remove the spoiler, so it wouldn’t fly into another car during transport. He grabbed a toolbox from his truck and helped with this as well. He arrived in Florida in the morning, 2 days later. Since the time window was 3-5 days, I was a bit unprepared, yet happy to get it sooner. I picked it up from la parking lot nearby, and it was in perfect condition. Thank you Joe!”

I called over 5 companies and a bunch of people on uship with no success.

★★★★★

“To whom it may concern: I currently work out of the Auto Driveaway Co - Atlanta, Georgia location. At this moment I would like to take this time to say "THANK YOU" to one of your representatives Ms. Cherie Morse. Repeatedly she has presented herself ( and a reflection on A1 Auto Transport ) to be quite capable to me - promptly answering my questions ( mostly quotes @ competitive rates ) and assisting me in tracking down those trucking movements - done in the past. Unlike other companies wherein I get a "machine" and MIGHT get an answer back that day - Even with her voice mail, her response is immediate and for the want of nothing else, I wanted someone to know at A1 Auto Transport that I "at least" sincerely appreciate all her efforts. Thank you again. Sincerely, Phillip Raila Auto Driveaway Company, Atlanta”

Phillip R.

★★★★★

“We had to move a car from Austin to Ohio, so we picked A1 Auto Transport to do it. Joe was fast to take our order and we were scheduled for transport immediately. I first talked to him on Monday, and the truck arrived on Thursday morning. I was also kept in the know throughout the move. I called several times, perhaps too many times, but they always answered promptly. The arrival was a bit troublesome. The car was supposed to arrive in Ohio between 10am and 3pm. Later, he called saying he’ll arrive an hour or 2 later due to traffic, so we had to spend some time waiting. But considering everything that can happen on the road these days, we’re glad it wasn’t delayed more. The car arrived as we sent it, clean and without a scratch. We double checked just in case.”

We had to move a car from Austin to Ohio

★★★★★

Ship Car To Germany

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Taxes & Duties When Shipping A Vehicle To Germany

Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?