- Car Shipping Ukraine
- Ship Your Vehicle Overseas To Or From Ukraine
- Typical Vehicle Shipping Prices – How Much Is Its Price?
- Cost & Time Frame Examples For Usa Shipping Cars To Ukraine
- Popular Shipping Destinations
- Required Documents For Shipping A Vehicle To The Ukraine
- Taxes & Duties
- Car Shipping To Ukraine - Resources
- Other Services
- Related Information
Car Shipping Ukraine
Ship Your Vehicle Overseas To Or From Ukraine
Typical Vehicle Shipping Prices – How Much is its Price?
- USA Shipping costs to the Ukraine start at $2,400 for basic cars and go up to $5,200 for larger vehicles and premium services.
- There are additional costs that apply once the car arrives, both for import taxes and registration fees.
Cost & Time Frame Examples For USA Shipping Cars to Ukraine
| To/From | Ground | Ocean | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to (California port) to Odessa | $350 | $3,000 | 5+65 |
| Boston, MA to (New York port) to Odessa | $400 | $2,400 | 5+32 |
| Las Vegas, NV to (California port) to Odessa | $450 | $3,000 | 5+65 |
| Portland, OR to (California port) to Odessa | $475 | $3,000 | 6+65 |
| Seattle, WA to (California port) to Odessa | $550 | $3,000 | 6+65 |
| Columbus, OH to (New York port) to Odessa | $550 | $2,400 | 5+32 |
| Detroit, MI to (New York port) to Odessa | $575 | $2,400 | 6+32 |
| Chicago, IL to (New York port) to Odessa | $675 | $2,400 | 6+32 |
| Denver, CO to (California port) to Odessa | $775 | $3,000 | 7+65 |
| Houston, TX to (New York port) to Odessa | $1,075 | $2,400 | 7+32 |
*Prices and times are estimated. They can vary depending on the season and the type of vehicle.
*Save the ground transportation 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.
There are two factors that complicate the issue or exporting a car to the Ukraine currently. One is the political turmoil in the area due to the conflict between Russian and Ukraine. A related concern is that there may be sanctions imposed by the U.S. that will cause more restrictive trade agreements in the region, making it more difficult (and expensive) to ship a car to the country.
The Ukrainian government recently reversed direction on a measure that would have reduced the levy on imported vehicles, adding further confusion to the already murky legal framework governing auto imports into the country. We'll go into the specifics below but know that import tariffs and laws in Ukraine are subject to upcoming revisions, which we expect to be substantial.
Popular Shipping Destinations
The Ukraine had planned to reduce import duties on vehicles, but they reversed the decision and passed legislation that increases the import and utilization taxes on any foreign vehicle that is brought into Ukraine. Import duties for vehicles coming into Ukraine are assessed based on the following criteria. Percentages are based on the value of the vehicle.
- 6.46 % for engine volume between 1,500 CC
- 12.95 % for engine volume between 1,500 & 2,200 CC
For temporary stays in the country, vehicles are granted two months in Ukraine before they must be registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vehicles that are shipped to Ukraine must be manufactured in the past five years.
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Required Documents For Shipping A Vehicle To The Ukraine
You require these following documents for shipping your vehicle:
- Bill of lading.
- Original Vehicle title bill of sale.
- International residents passport & visa.
- License & international insurance.
- Customs cargo declaration.
- Certificates of origin and conformity.
- Evidence of payment of taxes & duties.
- Declaration of customs value.
Taxes & Duties
In addition to the excise duty mentioned above, there is also a value added tax (VAT) of 20% that applies to vehicles shipped to Ukraine. Customs charges may also apply, but only if you require temporary storage of the vehicle or customs inspection outside of normal business hours.
Click here to learn more about vehicle registration process in Ukraine.
Car Shipping To Ukraine - Resources
Cargo Clearance Documents - For a full explanation of the required documents and paperwork for importing cargo to Ukraine, this in-depth resource has all the information you’ll need.
State Automobile Inspection, Ukraine - Motor vehicles that will be shipped to the Ukraine for more than two months must be registered with the State Automobile Inspection.
U.S. Embassy In Ukraine - Perhaps the best resource available if you’re an American living in Ukraine or plan on moving there, either on a temporary or permanent basis.
Other Services
Related Information
- How much does it cost to ship a car to Ukraine and is it worth it?
- How shipping a car from the USA to Ukraine through professionals is beneficial for those relocating?
- What is the cheapest way to ship my car to Ukraine?
- How to safely ship a car from the USA to Ukraine?
Frequently Asked Questions
While the country has several ports bustling with activity (and others temporarily disrupted), the biggest and most important export/import center for Ukraine is the Odessa Sea Port. It is the largest port in the country and a major commerce center in the Black Sea region.
Not only does Odessa handle freighting operations in bulk, but is also a hub for passenger transport operations alongside the sister ports of Chornomorsk and Yuzhne. It has an annual cargo tonnage of over 31, 368,000 tons, 523,881 TEUs of yearly container volume, and passenger traffic exceeding 4 million every year!
For most of the international shipping operations, including car shipments, the port of Odessa is the most suitable destination seaport.
The cost varies drastically based on the type of vehicle being shipped and other factors like the optimal route, the container shipping services and whether or not you get a tax exemption. In general, the cost range is $2,400-$5,200, and if you’re confused about such variance, that’s because car shipment involves a lot of variables.
Do your research thoroughly and see how you can minimize the costs, i.e. by securing tax exemptions, better route planning, choosing a suitable vehicle shipment option to ship vehicles through, and so on.
The major portion of the time taken by the shipment process is covered by the overseas delivery of the cargo. Here, the time taken depends on the total distance traveled that varies from route to route. Based on the original location of the vehicle, you will have to pick a departure port, and your final destination port will most likely be Odessa.
For the California port to Odessa route, your shipment will take about 65 days to get through. However, if you choose the New York port to Odessa course, your car shipment will reach Ukraine in around 32 days. Of course, your choice of the departure port will depend on the current location of your vehicle.
A two-month delivery time is possible with the New York to Odessa route, however, if your shipment is coming from California, then you'll have to be more patient because in that case, it will take 65 days only to scale the overseas distance.
Here is the list of required documents for car shipping from the USA to Ukraine:
- Lading bill
- Your passport
- A valid visa
- Driver’s license from the USA
- Insurance coverage documents, applicable internationally
- Cargo declaration documents for the customs department
- Documents proving the origin and model year of the vehicle
- Certificate of conformity
- Taxes and duties payment record/receipts
- Bill of sale/invoice stating the price of the vehicle and its specifications
- Customs value declaration
- Certificate of title for the vehicle
If you have all of these at hand, then clearing the Ukrainian customs should not be troublesome for you, just make sure that the details on all of the documents are accurate.
The preparation part is very important if you want to avoid any trouble with the customs and the imports processing. You'll first have to clean the vehicle, both the exterior and the interior; this includes cleaning the undercarriage as well, preferably via steam cleaning.
Also, if you’re planning to use the open-air shipment method (roll-on, roll-off), you’ll have to make sure that none of your personal belongings are inside the vehicle.
Plus, you’ll have to fill the gas tank to the quarter of its limit, no more than that. You have fill the oil and check the water level also.
With all of this done, you’re good to go!
You can go with either open-air or closed-air shipment options, both have their applications and limitations. The former is also called roll-on, roll-off shipment, which as the name suggests, is simply getting the car onboard (uncovered, thus open-air), and then it is delivered to the final destination port where it is unloaded.
This works for runner vehicles only (i.e. those that are operable), and none of your personal belongings should be in the vehicle when opting for this shipment option (for obvious reasons).
The second option, also known as container shipping, involves vehicle shipping inside a loaded container, transporting it as such, unpacking it at arrival, and then delivering it where required. Of course, the vehicle does not have to be operable in this scenario, plus you can have your personal effects in the car while it is being delivered since it will be sealed.
For most people, the roll-on, roll-off method works fine because it is cheaper, simpler, and adequately reliable.
Sure, here are the important highlights you need to keep in mind:
- Research on your end – Research on topics like like:
- Legal requirements for imported vehicles in Ukraine.
- Modifications to cars to meet legal requirements.
- Optimal route of transport
- Cost/time required
- Exemption on customs duties and taxes.
- Compile your documents – Make sure you have them all:
- Bill of lading
- Passport and visa
- License
- International insurance coverage documentation
- Customs cargo declaration
- Documents proving the car’s origin
- Certificate of conformity
- Receipts for taxes/duties
- Invoice
- Customs value declaration
- Original title
- Figure out the costs – figure out every segment of the cost for shipping your car from the USA to Ukraine:
- Freight charges for importing
- Insurance dues
- Wharf storage charges
- Transport and delivery charges
- Customs duties/import taxes
- Car preparation cost
- Import processing fees
- Customs broker’s fee
- Charges for the logistics service provider
- Preparing for the import – you’ll have to do a couple of things before you can ship your vehicle to Ukraine:
- Cleaning the car
- Removing foreign soil from the undercarriage
- Selecting the departure port
- Choosing the destination port
- Selecting between the loaded container shipment and roll-on, roll-off shipment options
- Choosing a suitable car transport company – next, you need to find an auto transport company that deals with international shipping and has a decent reputation in their business. A1 Auto Transport is the sort of company that treats its clients with the utmost respect and strives to always exceed their expectations, without failure.
- Shipping the vehicle on the selected route
- Arrival at the destination port, most likely Odessa
- Import processing and customs clearance
- Vehicle registration
Once your vehicle arrives at the destination port, the customs department will take over. Their job is to ensure that the vehicle is the same as declared and that all the details declared on the documents are accurate so that they can determine the tax and duties.
As for the duties and taxes, there is a formula through which the department will assign you a sum in duties. Recently passed laws in the country have established base rates: EUR 50 in the case of gas-run vehicles and EUR 75 in the case of diesel-run vehicles.
These base rates are then multiplied with the cubic capacity for fuel storage of the car and its age (i.e. the time from the manufacturing date to present).
It works out something like this:
Base rate x fuel capacity x vehicle’s age
The resultant sum will be the customs duties for an imported vehicle, plus you'll also have to pay a value-added tax (VAT) of 20%, a 10% import duty, and a 3-5% contribution to the pension fund. Of course, you don't have to pay any of this for temporary import, but for permanent imports (as a Ukrainian citizen), all of this will be applicable.
Yes, originally, the Ukrainian government had planned on reducing the tax rates for car imports, but this did not come to be, instead, the opposite happened. Any foreign vehicle brought to the country permanently will only be cleared after the taxes and duties based on the customs department's assessment are paid in full.
This includes:
- 20% value-added tax/VAT on the car
- 10% import duty
- 3-5% contribution to pension fund
- And customs duties based on the formula: base rate x fuel capacity x age of the car
However, if you had to relocate to Ukraine temporarily for your job, you’ll be able to seek exemption for these taxes.
To import your car tax-free, you’ll first have to contact the immigration department and get a temporary residence permit. This will allow you to overstay the 90 days visa-free period, after that you can import your car to the country.
The customs laws in Ukraine allow you to import a car registered in another country for up to a year, temporarily, if you want an exemption on the taxes and the duties. In this case, you won’t have to pay the VAT or any of the other deductibles that would apply otherwise.
However, for this to apply, the imported vehicle must be operated only in the presence of the person who imported it, i.e. you need to be inside the vehicle if it is being driven by someone else.
In theory, the laws for car imports in Ukraine couldn’t be better, but in practicality, it is a completely different thing.
The customs officials and the bureaucrats are known for making the process much more complicated than it needs to be, and this often leads people to not registering their vehicle at all (and bribing traffic officers whenever stopped).
This is, of course, far from the ideal situation.
You can avoid such troubles by giving charge to a reputed car shipping company like A1 Auto Transport. This way, you’ll ensure that your vehicle passes the customs and the rest of the process problem-free, we’ll see to it that this is the case.
Intermediary services like this are necessary if you want to get things done, especially since you need to be able to speak and understand Ukrainian to get things done, which most temporary immigrants can’t.
As noted earlier, you'll need to speak Ukrainian to get your car cleared and registered in the country. If you don't have a decent grasp of the language, you'll need someone to lend you their services in the matter.
When you reach out to the registration office, you’ll need to provide them the following for getting your car registered:
- Customs clearance documents
- Export Vehicle Documentation including Vehicle registration documents from the USA (or the country originally registered with)
- A copy of your passport
- License plates from the USA
- Visa (only if it is applicable in your case)
- Insurance documents
- Payment for license plate and car registration
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