A city in Western Laos, Savannakhet is the second largest city and densely populated. A cultural and economic center of the country, it is known for the various antique heritage monuments.

Irrespective of whether you are planning to stay there temporarily or permanently, moving from USA can be a big change. You will need to move your vehicle with you as the public transportation isn’t as regular as you’d want and language barriers can be an issue.

When you need to import your vehicle to Savannakhet, it is essential that you work closely with an expert international shipper like A1 Auto Transport. Laos is a landlocked country and all freight shipping cargoes are offloaded at the Port of Ho Chi Minh City or the Da Nang Port in Vietnam. Further on, land transportation is used to cross over the border to Laos.

There are high taxes on imported vehicles so clarify with the Embassy of Laos before you ship out your vehicles, though diplomats can import the vehicle tax free.

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.

Documents and cost of importing vehicles.

There is a flat tax of 40% when you import a vehicle to Savannakhet in Laos. If your vehicle is listed as luxury car/automobile, there are additional taxes. It is essential to remember that you are not allowed to import right hand drive cars and is absolutely prohibited. As per Laos Customs Department, on standard vehicles, there are turnover tax and import duty while on luxury vehicles, there is an added excise tax that is levied.  You are allowed to import vehicles temporarily (but have to be re-exported within the time period) and permanently.

Some of the factors that are considered when the cost of the vehicle is being evaluated are:

• Value of the insurance.
• Price of the vehicle (resale/based on valuation)
• Cost of freight.
• Age of vehicle.
• Type of vehicle
• Size of the vehicle.

You are required to submit a multitude of documents which include:

• Purchase invoice- make, year, model, VIN, registration, and chassis number.
• Owners passport and driving license details.
• Registration documents of the vehicle.
• Insurance certificate.
• Bill of Lading.
• Import license.

For a smooth shipping experience, it is good to have the documents in order and work closely with A1 Auto Transport service. To get an idea of the total shipping cost the method and cost of shipping has to be decided. We recommend these options:

Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO): The car is driven onto the ship deck and secured in the allocated parking bay, along with many other vehicles. When the vehicle reaches the port in Vietnam, it is driven off the ship using ramps. This is the most cost effective way of shipping only vehicles as personal goods are not allowed.

Container shipping: You get to hire large containers measuring 20 feet or 40 feet and secure your car inside it. Additionally, if you are relocating and need to send the personal belongings, all of it can be adjusted within the same shipping container. Plus, your vehicle is protected by an extra layer of protection when it is sealed inside the container.

As laws keep changing it is essential that you know all about the current procedures and requirements so there is no delays. Contact the Embassy of Laos and get the latest information.