Required Documentation for Shipping a Car Overseas in 2021

 

Do you plan to ship your car from the United States to Europe, Africa, Asia or elsewhere? If yes, then this article is for you. Before your car can be shipped to its final destination, there are a number of things that you are going to have to do. Yes, shipping your beloved vehicle on the high seas can be stressful, but there are steps that you can take to alleviate the pain. So, what do you need in order to ship your vehicle overseas in 2021?

 

1. Original vehicle title

The first thing that you need before shipping your vehicle from the United States to an international destination is the original vehicle title. This establishes that you are the real owner of the vehicle that you wish to ship with us. The certificate of title usually has the following information;

 

• The car’s VIN number (vehicle identification number).
• It’s make and model.
• The year in which it was manufactured.
• The license plate number.
• Your name and address.

1. What if my car has a lien?

If your car has a lien on it, it means you won’t be able to ship it overseas, unless you are a United States government employee. In those cases, you will need to get a letter of authorization from the lender.

 

1. Power or Attorney Form

This is another piece of documentation that you need before shipping your car from the United States to some other country. But what is the power of attorney form? Well, it’s basically a document through which you, the owner of the vehicle (or any other goods) grant us, the shipper, the authority to act on your behalf in customs and other legal issues.

This document is very much required. It’s not optional, unless you plan on being there at the exit port. Frankly speaking, there are a lot of steps that need to be taken before your vehicle leaves the United States for its destination. We take care of this red tape, and for that we require the power of attorney form.

Just to clarify matters, the power of attorney is a requirement by all international shipping companies. So, it’s not just us, at Ship Overseas who require this document. And the document needs to be notarized.

 

 

3. You will need to complete shipping forms

You will also need to complete shipping forms before we can ship your vehicle form the United States to its destination. But before you even get there, you need to get a free quote. That way, you know how much exactly you are going to have to pay to get your car to its destination.

 

4. A copy of your passport

This applies to international citizens who do not have US passports. These are probably the majority of people who ship vehicles overseas. Expatriates from South Africa, India, Zambia and elsewhere usually want to sent vehicles back home from the United States.

If you fall into this category, you will need to submit a notarized copy of your passport as part of the required documents for us to process and ship your vehicle overseas.

US citizens need to submit a copy of EIN letter. EIN stands for Employee Identification Numbers. This document was mandated by the IRS to replace the Social Security Number as part of the process of shipping cars overseas. The change from using Social Security Numbers was done to protect people from identity theft. You can get an EIN by taken the steps outlined here.

 

1. Requirements for vehicle

Those are the documents that you require in order to ship your car internationally from the United States. It’s nothing to be worried about. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. That’s what we are here for. Anyway, there are some steps that you are going to have to make relating to the vehicle itself before we can accept it for shipping;

1. Make sure that there is no more than a quarter tank of gas in the car at the time when we pick it up or when you hand it over. That’s done for safety purposes. The same applies for motorcycles.
2. You should also make sure that your car is clean.
3. Remove contents from the vehicle. You should not put personal items in the trunk or inside the vehicle that you are shipping. Certainly, it’s legal to do so, but we cannot guarantee that your goods will arrive safe at their destination.
4. The car’s windows must be crack-free. Otherwise there is a chance that these cracks will grow during the shipping process. So, make sure that you get this sorted out beforehand.

Please note that we do not collect import duty for the destination country. You, as the owner of the vehicle, are solely responsible for this. So, you need to carry out research on how much you are going to have to pay in the destination country.

If you are travelling on a temporary basis, a lot of countries allow you to import your car for up to 6 months without having to pay import duties. For Europe, you are asked to pay a deposit, which is refunded should you bring the car back to the United States within 6 months.

 

1. Summary

Anyway, those are the requirements for shipping a car overseas during the course of the current year. Please note that there may be delays in shipping due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Do you need a quote for shipping your car to Angola, South Africa, India the United Kingdom or to any other part of the world? If yes, then get a free quote from Shipoverseas today!