Shipping Your Car to Germany? Car Shipping from the USA to Germany starts at a cost of approx. $899 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 4-6 weeks, depending on the make and model of the car, the port of origin, and the method of shipment. Below, we explore everything you need to know about shipping your car to Germany in our 2023 guide.
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Want more information on car shipping to Germany from the United States?
Read on below for our US to Germany Vehicle Shipping Checklist, Vehicle Import Options, US to Germany Car Shipping Costs & Time Frame, US to Germany Vehicle Shipping Options, Ports Served in the US & Germany, and other details for shipping cars from USA to Germany.
Upon arrival of your vehicle shipment to Germany, the vehicle must be declared in Customs.
You’ll need the following documentation to ship a car to Germany:
Things to Consider
Using a baseline of a compact car being shipped using the roll-on/roll-off method from the Port of Los Angeles to the Port of Bremerhaven, our estimate for Car Shipping from USA to Germany starts at a cost of $749 USD, with an estimated turnaround time of 4 to 6 weeks.
However, the cost to ship a car to Germany can vary according to factors such as the model and make of your motor vehicle, your current location, the nearest departure port in the USA, your shipping method of choice, availability of your chosen services, and your final destination. Additionally, you’ll need to consider costs in addition to the shipping cost such as storage, cleaning, other vendor fees, and German taxes & duties.
Prior to shipping a vehicle from US to Germany, verify your vehicle’s specifications and compliance with German requirements. The USA is not a member state of the European Union, therefore anyone shipping a car to Germany, which is an EU member state, needs to pay certain duties and taxes, such as the Import Turnover Tax.
If you are shipping a vehicle younger than 30 years to Germany from the USA, your car will be subject to local customs duties as well as a value-added tax or VAT of 19% levied by the German government on top of shipping costs. There is an exemption from the import duty in case your vehicle is in original shape and older than 30 years, your vehicle can then be considered as an old-timer. Please note that it will be the customs officers’ decision to waive the duties, we have no way to influence their decision.
However, in certain circumstances you might be able to gain exemption from paying customs duties and taxes when shipping a car to Germany.
The amount of taxes and import duties payable when shipping a car to Germany from the US will vary and depends on the details of your motor vehicle shipment.
Car Shipping USA to Germany Options – Methods for Shipping Cars
Car Shipping from USA to Germany can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service.
If you decide to ship your car with this method, transits tend to be faster than with the shared container service as the containers depart on a weekly basis.
One downside of this method is that shipping a vehicle overseas is only possible when there are enough vehicles to fill up the container, so there might be a wait if the requisite number has not been reached.
Container shipping offers a very high level of security among car shipments. Upon receipt of the car, photographs will be taken of the vehicle itself and the loading process, and the container door will be locked. The car will not be accessible by anyone until arrival at the final destination when the container is opened by one of our agents. Photographs will once again be taken to document the unloading process. As the vehicle remains completely secure throughout the entire process, items can also be loaded into the vehicle and transported along with it; however, it is advisable to pack and load all items securely as we will not be liable for any loss or damage when shipping a car to Germany.
This method of shipping a car to Germany from the USA tends to be faster as there are weekly departures for shipping containers, more than are possible with the roll-on/roll-off service.
We use only a steel loading system for added protection against loss and damage, unlike other shipping companies that use wood ramps for shipping containers.
Additional Car Shipping Services
Sourcing Vehicles – Vehicle owners wishing to sell their cars can benefit from our comprehensive list of car buyers, who source for and buy vehicles for clients located overseas for an additional fee or commission.
Other Services – Some of the auto shipping services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.
Cleaning Your Vehicle’s Undercarriage
Before shipping your car to Germany, the undercarriage must be cleaned and free of foreign soil to prevent the introduction of invasive plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms to Germany. This can be accomplished through steam cleaning or other thorough cleaning methods.
TD Freight can assist with finding an appropriate cleaner to help ensure you comply with this requirement. We do not recommend washing the interior of the car as it can cause mold during transport. Vacuuming the interior is usually more than sufficient.
Plating Your Vehicle in Germany
Vehicles shipped to Germany must be registered to operate on German roads. All shipped vehicles to Germany must pass a safety inspection (German TÜV) before they can be registered.
In case any homologation/conversion processes need to be done to the car to get it TÜV ready we can liaise you to our shipping services partner who is sitting right in the warehouse in Bremen. This way the car doesn’t need to be transported to another location as all can be done “in-house”. With offices in both Berlin and Bremen, Germany, one of our car shipping experts at CFR Classic can assist with vehicle inspections and other arrangements to ship your car to Germany.