Importing a Car from the USA: the 2026 Step-by-Step Guide
2026 changed the math: the EU's 10% car duty dropped to 0% for US-built vehicles under the June 2026 EU-US agreement — but VAT, excise taxes, individual approval, and the salvage-auction reality of the US export market all still apply. Here is the whole process in six steps, the real landed-cost stack, and the single highest-leverage move: verifying the VIN's US auction history before any money moves.
Reviewed by Sam Reynolds, Lead Researcher, CarWhere · Updated October 2026 · Tax rates and regulations cited with sources below; always confirm current rates with the destination authority
Step 0: check the VIN — free preview
Salvage-auction sale records with damage photos, theft records, odometer timeline, and US listing history — readable from any country, before you bid.
The six steps
1Verify the car before any money moves
Most US export cars come from salvage auctions — that is the business model, not a scandal. The difference between a good import and a disaster is knowing exactly what happened: the salvage-auction sale record with the damage photos taken in the auction yard, reported salvage records, theft records, an odometer timeline, and the US listing history. All of that is keyed to the VIN and readable from anywhere in the world — check it before you bid or wire a deposit, not after the car lands.
2Buy and collect the US paperwork
Whether you buy at auction (through a licensed broker), from a dealer, or privately, the export set is the same: the title (salvage/rebuilt brands travel with the car), a bill of sale, and — for US Customs export clearance — the title must be submitted to CBP at the departure port at least 72 hours before the vessel sails. Exporters handle this routinely; private buyers forget it constantly.
3Ship it
Container (shared or sole-use) or roll-on/roll-off. Shared-container rates from East Coast ports to North European ports typically run around $1,000–$2,500 per car depending on port pair, season, and whether the car rolls or gets forklifted. Damaged auction cars usually ship in containers; running cars can go RoRo cheaper. Insurance for the ocean leg is cheap relative to the downside — take it.
4Clear customs: duty, VAT, and the 2026 change
The EU's standard car duty is 10% of customs value (car + freight + insurance). Since the June 2026 EU-US agreement (implemented in Regulation (EU) 2026/1455), duty is 0% for US-ORIGIN passenger cars — built in the US, not merely shipped from it. A Spartanburg-built BMW X5 qualifies; a Mexican-built Silverado or a German-built Audi re-exported from Miami does not. VAT is always due on the duty-inclusive value at the destination rate (19% Germany, 21% Lithuania, 23% Poland), and some countries stack an excise or registration tax on top. Thirty-plus-year-old vehicles typically clear as collectors' items: 0% duty and reduced VAT.
5Pass the destination inspection
A US-market car has no EU type approval, so it needs individual approval: Germany's §21 StVZO Vollgutachten (TÜV/DEKRA/GTÜ), the UK's IVA, France's DREAL homologation, and so on. Expect to convert lighting (US turn signals and headlamps often fail), rear fog lamp, and sometimes speedometer units. Budget real money and time for this step — it is where cheap imports become expensive.
6Register
With customs proof, the approval certificate, translated documents where required, and the tax receipts, you register locally — Poland within 30 days of clearance, Lithuania via Regitra (where you need the SDK owner-declaration code BEFORE the car even ships), Germany at the Zulassungsstelle. Plates, local insurance, done.
Destination quick-reference
Country-specific checklists (taxes, inspection, registration steps, official sources) live on the destination pages:
FAQ
Is the EU import duty on American cars really 0% now?
For qualifying vehicles, yes. Following the EU-US agreement of June 2026, Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 set the duty on US-origin passenger cars to 0% (the standard rate is 10%). The key word is origin: the car must be manufactured in the United States under the agreement's rules of origin — where it ships from is irrelevant. US-built examples include most BMW X-series SUVs (Spartanburg), Mercedes GLE/GLS (Tuscaloosa), Tesla, and most full-size American trucks; many "American" cars are actually built in Mexico or Canada and still pay 10%. VAT is unaffected and always due.
How much does it cost in total to import a car from the USA to Europe?
A realistic 2026 stack: car price + US inland transport + ocean freight (~$1,000–$2,500 shared container to North Europe) + marine insurance + duty (0% or 10% of CIF value) + VAT at the destination rate (19–25%) on the duty-inclusive value + country extras (Polish excise 3.1%/18.6% by engine size, Lithuanian CO2 tax, Dutch BPM…) + individual approval and conversion (commonly €500–€2,000+ if lighting work is needed) + registration. On a damaged auction car, add the repair — which is why verifying the damage photos before bidding is step one.
Why are so many US export cars salvage-title?
Because the US insurance system totals cars that are economically repairable elsewhere — labor costs make a $12,000 repair uneconomic on a $20,000 car in the US, while the same repair costs a fraction of that in Poland or Lithuania. Insurers consign totaled cars to salvage auctions (Copart, IAAI), exporters buy them, and the Baltic/Central-European rebuild corridor does the rest. The model is legitimate; the risk is information asymmetry — which car, with which damage, rebuilt how. The auction record with photos closes that gap.
Can I check a US car's history from outside the United States?
Yes — US federal and commercial records are keyed to the VIN and accessible worldwide. The CarWhere Used Car Report (one-time, USD, works from any country) covers the salvage-auction sale records with damage photos where published, reported salvage records, theft records, an odometer timeline, and the US listing and price history. Title brands live in the US NMVTIS system (checked separately via an approved provider), and no report replaces a physical inspection after rebuild.
What documents does US Customs require to export a car?
The original title (or a certified copy) plus the sale documents, filed with CBP at the exit port at least 72 hours before export. The destination side then wants the title, bill of sale, bill of lading, and usually sworn translations for registration. Keep every auction page and repair invoice — customs valuation and later resale both go smoother with a paper trail.
Sources: EU-US agreement of 27 June 2026 and Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 (0% duty on US-origin passenger cars; rules of origin apply) · Polish excise (akcyza) rates and 14-day customs/30-day registration windows per Polish customs guidance (3.1% ≤2.0L / 18.6% >2.0L; hybrid and BEV reductions through 2029) · German §21 StVZO Vollgutachten requirements per TÜV SÜD / TÜV Rheinland / GTÜ published guidance; 19% import VAT, 7% for 30+ year collectors' vehicles · Lithuanian requirements per Regitra (SDK owner-declaration code pre-import) and the 2026 pollution-tax schedule (CO2 > 130 g/km; BEV exempt). Rates verified October 2026 — tax law moves; confirm with the destination authority before wiring money. US record scope: auction/salvage/theft/odometer/listing data via licensed vehicle-data providers; NMVTIS title brands are a separate check; absence of a record is not proof of no damage.