Import Car From Germany To USA
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Shipping a Car From Germany to the USA
Are you thinking of shipping a car from Germany to the USA? Well, let Ship Overseas handle the logistics for you. We make it easy and affordable to ship any kind of vehicle from Germany to anywhere in the USA. We have compiled this guide to let you know what’s involved in the process.
For a free, no-obligation quote, we will need the Year/Make/Model of your car, Pickup Zip Code or Departure Port in Germany, and Destination Country, in this case, USA. Ship Overseas offers weekly sailings from one port in Germany to six in the USA.
What to Know When Shipping a Car to the USA From Germany
First of all, you will need to provide this documentation and possibly more:
- Bill of Lading
- Bill of Sale
- Registration from country of origin
- Proof of ownership
- EPA Form 3520-1 showing emissions compliance
- DOT Form HS-7 showing safety compliance
- Manufacturer’s label on engine showing emission requirements have been me
In addition: Temporary auto imports into the USA are available for other vehicles for up to one year. Non-residents can no longer import a private use vehicle into the USA for up to 1 year WITHOUT pre-approval from the EPA in advance of arrival. The vehicle must have less than ¼ tank of gas.
Vehicles must pass United States EPA & DOT standards so it can pass U.S. Customs. Motor vehicles less than 25 years old must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in order to be imported permanently into the United States
The company made it easy to ship my car overseas. No fuss and no problems!
Abe Roman
08:40 18 Apr 22
Very professional when it comes to shipping my vehicle to Central America
Kendra Gutierrez
21:10 13 Apr 22
Shipped my car to Nigeria . It was fast and easy . Best part they handles majority of the work . Very convenient and definitely will go through them again .
Heather :3
14:24 12 Apr 22
Very reliable agents. Thanks for being there for us!
BRAND VIEW (BVL AGENCY LTD)
18:07 21 Mar 22
Great and fast service. I ship my car from Baltimore to Wiesbaden Germany only took 5 weeks and the process was fast and easy
Carlos Perez
00:18 19 Mar 22
Shipped my car from NC to Puerto Rico. They took care of the transport of my car from NC to the port in FL, and then on the ship from FL to PR. The staff was very responsive to all communications I sent, especially while my car was in transit. I always knew exactly where my vehicle was. Very kind and helpful staff, especially when I was just calling to inquire in the beginning. Will use them again if I ever need to ship my car back stateside.
Brittany Bates
01:51 18 Mar 22
Nigeria. Thanks
Humphrey Osazee Odeh
08:51 17 Mar 22
Very helpful, quick response to questions. Shipped my car to Costa Rica, no issues what so ever. I had shipped cars previously with other companies but Ship Overseas helped with the best solution which for my needs was RORO. I will definitely ship with them again, thanks again SHIP Overseas..
Robert Murillo
00:03 17 Mar 22
Super business partner, fast and correct shipment of my car.ThanksDany
dany lambrecht
19:14 16 Mar 22
Shipped my vehicle from Newark, NJ to Southampton, United Kingdom safely and quickly. All the complicated paperwork was laid out clearly for me to figure out the process. I was able to drive my own car in England a few weeks after dropping it off in the US. Would recommend!
Cai Ytsma
14:11 16 Mar 22
Very good service. I was shipping for the first time and they helped me with everything that needed to be done.
Luka Bradesko
06:53 16 Mar 22
Thank you for shipping my car
hareb alkuwaiti
04:34 16 Mar 22
We shipped our car to Uganda from California and the services were exceptionally good 👍, regular feedback and updates were excellent and provided a peace of mind.
Fred Kizito
01:34 16 Mar 22
I used Ship Overseas back in 2019 to ship my 2008 Harley Softtail from Galveston Texas to Belgium. I forget exactly how long it took, perhaps in the two month range. However, the bike did eventually arrive and was completely ready for me at pickup. They even handled all the import paperwork etc. My only complaint would be that somehow the bike had accumulated almost 100 extra miles on it from when I dropped in off, and picking it up. Perhaps they needed to run it around the boat a few 1000 times. Also, there were a couple of parts missing from my saddle bags. Lesson: NEVER leave anything that can't be bolted to the object you are shipping. Otherwise, great service and a very good shipping experience.
Vincent Parrilla
22:41 15 Mar 22
Shipped my car from the Netherlands to the US(via Belgium), everything went smoothly. The whole thing was relatively painless.
Daniel Snow
22:12 15 Mar 22
Everything was ok. Thanks!
Carlos Paz Salinas
20:24 15 Mar 22
ShipOverseas was a great partner in shipping a Chevy Bolt EV to Helsinki Finland. The representatives provided easily understood descriptions of the roll on-roll off process, required paperwork, payments, etc. We drove the car onto the Galveston, TX dock with an accompanying guide. It was 100% smoothly accomplished. The car was transferred in Germany without problems (it is an electric vehicle with some unique starting characteristics) and offloaded near Helsinki, Finland. The photo shows incredibly clean conditions at the destination despite weeks at sea. I can highly recommend ShipOverseas for safe, economical, and successful vehicle shipping.
Leora Evans
20:05 15 Mar 22
Our company, Jackson Creek Mfg., Inc. has used Ship Overseas, Inc. numerous times to ship vehicles overseas and have always received excellent service. Great company to work with!
Warren Brown
20:00 15 Mar 22
Used to ship from NY to Germany. Process was easy and straightforward. Saved money versus buying a second vehicle overseas. Would use again.Good communication throughout. Thank you.
John Wlasniewski
19:19 15 Mar 22
Vehicle was shipped without any issues, easy process.
Michal Durdina
19:16 15 Mar 22
They were efficient, transparent, and no nonsense. Planning to use them again for another shipment.
Johnny Yee
19:14 15 Mar 22
If you never had your car shipped before, I can tell you that it can be a very fearful, and stressful event, but I can vouch 1st hand that this agency took all the thought fear and stress away! We moved my XT-5 from DFW to overseas (Bahrain). We didn't have any issues, and it was relatively fast considering it's been shipped across the seas. I will 100% recommend this company to anyone and everyone. Hassle-free and delivers what was promised. I'll definitely be using them whenever we decide to return stateside!
Ehte Price
19:08 15 Mar 22
i shipped an 89' Land Rover Defender from italy to the US without troubles, they took care of all docs and around 60 days later the car was at the port in VA. i'd definitely use them again in the future.
Magnum Opus Customs
19:07 15 Mar 22
I shipped two cars from Savannah to Germany. Super easy process and the rates were better than anyone elses that i was getting for the same route. Would recommend them to anyone for their shipping needs. They helped along the way to get the documents needed and explained the process clearly so i knew exactly what needed to be done to have my cars on the boat that I needed them to be on. Pickup on the other side was easy as well with who shipoverseas was partnered with where my vehicles arrived. They were in contact with me often so i knew that the vehicles were on time and when to have everything ready. I will certainly be in touch again when it's time to return from my oversea travels. Thanks for the smooth process!
B Harch
20:06 24 Feb 22
Timely service and my car arrived in the same condition I dropped it off in. Great job!
Johnnie V
18:42 22 Feb 22
Myron took great care of me on shipping 2 vehicles to Germany. Accurate quotes and great communications.
Michael Birlin
11:42 22 Feb 22
It was an easy an quick process
Rudolf de Jong
09:19 22 Feb 22
Ship overseas helped me ship my car to senegal when some companies refused to do so in the heat of corona virus.thank you for your professionalism.
Kade Mady
03:44 22 Feb 22
My car purchase and shipping to the Middle East was full of challenges and complications, however the one thing that was 100% smooth was the part handled by Miron from Ship Overseas. Great service and communication from beginning to end. Highly recommend.
William Elischer
03:35 22 Feb 22
This company and team were tremendously professional & also the least expensive company I found. I researched quite a few before settling on ShipOverseas. I’m glad I chose them, they were able to deliver my vehicle to my destination port in Korea when others said they could only deliver to one port in Korea and for less money. I will definitely use them again and recommend anyone shipping anyone to consult with ShipOverseas.com. Well done!
Robert Gibson (GMANROK)
03:06 22 Feb 22
These guys are super, fair priced and very helpful.
Mike Crooks
00:28 22 Feb 22
I have used them few times and they on point great service and always answer all my request in timely manor.
Moe Awad
14:09 21 Feb 22
Hello Tere! Last summer I sent my car to Estonia. I was scared little bit because it was my first time ( maybe even last!) to do this kind of thing. But it went very smoothly - unexpectedly . Most difficult thing was driving myself to the port, but I did it! I could order somebody from Ship Overseas, but it cost money. And paperwork was pretty normal. The same day, I left to the airport, I got phone call that they sent car title to my old address. Wow! I thought that this title goes directly to the Estonian port, but I was wrong. They sent this very important paper over to my son.It arrived on time when I was ready to show car documents to the toll office. Everything ended very well ! Thanks to Ship Overseas. And , by the way, sending my car to Estonia was much, much cheaper than other companies offered. I am thankful !!!
Lydia Kivi
13:24 21 Feb 22
Ship Overseas did a great job. There's no reason to use anyone else.
Taylor Brown
13:22 18 Feb 22
Ship Overseas is a 6 star organization. They have answered all my shipping questions and provided rapid thorough service each and every time. Look no further, Your overseas shipper search is over.
VanniGio VanniGio
08:20 18 Feb 22
Very trustworthy company, they were always available to resolve issues with the correspondant at destination, no surprises, my Boat arrived as promised
HSA
03:51 18 Feb 22
Overseas is the best definitelyNo complaints i received my suv without scratch no missing parts
Donald Boris
00:59 18 Feb 22
First time I sent a vehicle with this company, and I will be using them to sent another one, they were very helpful.
Joash Escobar
00:14 18 Feb 22
Shipped several cars with this company to Nigeria.Exceptional service. Drawback is the vehicle hauling that wasn't reliable. Granted no fault of ship overseas.Ship Overseas is my go to shipper.
sylvanus monyem
22:17 17 Feb 22
Great and reliable service. Thank you. Will always use your company.
Ricardo Quasu
18:59 17 Feb 22
Used this company 3 times for an overseas PCS. Would do it again if I had to.
Michael Mejias
18:33 17 Feb 22
Great service at a reasonable cost !!!
Ronald Robertson
18:28 17 Feb 22
I have worked with this company for many years. We started shipping cars overseas in 2004. They are the BEST! They take a serious interest in making sure your car gets where it needs to go and will walk you through all the steps to make it a smooth move! We have shipped many cars to the UK and Germany as well as several to Bahrain, I cannot imagine using anyone else. Jack, Paul, Miron and April all made my job a lot easier for over 18 years
Joanie Devaney
18:26 17 Feb 22
Shipped twice with them. No idea what I was doing, but they were helpful, always available to answer questions, and made it very easy.
J J
18:14 17 Feb 22
It has been a great and exciting experience to have our car being shipped from New Mexico to Spain.
Fernando Meseguer
18:03 17 Feb 22
everything is fine, gladly again
Beat Thomas Straumann
15:27 11 Feb 22
Om my GOSH! Words can't express how grateful I am for the experience I had with Ship Overseas. Living and working overseas can be a challenge but when I called they knew exactly what to do. Other shipping companies gave a long list of the things I needed, the paperwork, questions, and the costs. Overseas got me situated in one phone call. It was fabulous!!
Vitania Quinland
18:21 10 Feb 22
Ship Overseas has great rates and staff! After using them to ship my car to Germany I knew I would use them when returning to the US as well. I did get quotes both times from numerous companies but no one could beat Ship Overseas. Shipping is a breeze with them and their staff are great at getting back to you in a timely manner!
Hallie Quattlebaum
17:41 10 Feb 22
So far, I'm well pleased with the service I've received from Ship Overseas. Whenever I had a question, it was answered quickly and thoroughly. Thanks!
Christopher Meyer
16:55 10 Feb 22
Everything went very smoothly with no problems!
John O'Donoghue
15:28 10 Feb 22
They handled my car's transport 100% positive. It was not their fault that my radio was stolen somewhere along the path, port houston, Sirius leader, or port Limon, God only knows.
Tim Patterson
15:27 10 Feb 22
Excelente experiencia en todos los aspectos
Jorge Luis Lestani
15:09 10 Feb 22
I've used their service five times. I'm very satisfied. They are very reliable.
gigolok529
14:49 10 Feb 22
Shipped my vehicle to Germany. Excellent service and a low cost to ship my Acura. Zero issues!
Jose O
09:04 25 Aug 21
The communication was fantastic. I shipped my sons car to Germany and they made the process incredibly easy. I was told exactly where to drop the car off. How I could track its progress and they even helped arrange for delivery on the Germany side. If I ever have to ship a car again I would definitely use them.
Brian Payne
16:15 29 Jul 21
I had a great experience with this company. I was insane enough to buy a car in Spain, sight unseen, in the middle of a pandemic. Paul and the team made the shipping part of the equation as easy as if had been shipped from a few towns away. Excellent communication, very professional work. Will definitely use again.
Ike Chiladze
18:57 16 Jun 21
Outstanding service! Ricardo was so helpful with the whole process. Will definitely use ship overseas for shipping future vehicles.
tarek mikulak
18:34 08 Jun 21
Very smooth and easy transaction for shipping the car to France. Great price. Recommend this company to arrange shipment. Would use them again. Car was damaged during transport and they contacted the new owner in France when I informed them of damage. Great support so far.
Murray Walker
01:39 03 Jun 21
Two years ago I used ShipOverseas to ship a vehicle to Cameroon by Ro-Ro and very recently to Ghana by container. The staff, especially Gary and Jack, in both occasions were very responsive and professional. Shipment to Ghana was unduly delayed but that was beyond their control - ports were congested because of the COVID-19 pandemic - so I don’t hold anything against them especially that they kept me updated. I will not hesitate recommending them to prospective clients.
Augustine Langyintuo
04:11 02 Jun 21
Excellent customer service!! two years ago I sent with them a cargo van to Nigeria yesterday sent a car , easy transaction, clear instructions , great company , the best I ever seen, will be back soon and recommend to all my friends, Miron and Kendra are very kind.
Benjamin “Texas Cowhide” Schwam
01:52 21 May 21
5 stars for service, expertise and friendliness! Paul was extremely great to work with. Overall a very positive experience!! I would always recommend and transport my car with Ship Overseas again!Sabine
Sabine Dworak-de Vries
02:53 26 Feb 21
They take care of you and answer any questions you have. The staff was friendly and guided me through the crazy process of moving my cars overseas.
Francisco Solis
08:16 25 Feb 21
Excellent service.
Mohsen Vahedi
14:50 24 Feb 21
Great service, no problems shipping car from Tacoma WA to the UK, would use again
Lian Walton
10:09 24 Feb 21
I used Ship Overseas Inc. to ship my vehicle from Texas to Costa Rica. It was the 1st time I had every shipped a vehicle overseas. Ship Overseas guided me through the process and were extremely professional and so very helpful. I will use them again and have the utmost trust and confidence in them. My vehicle arrived in Costa Rica in fine shape.
Tom Johnson
01:32 24 Feb 21
Miron was great. The trucking company that picked up my truck was also great. Thanks for the great work.
Dan E
00:14 24 Feb 21
Excellent service! Very professional Extremely helpful! I recommend to all my friends! Thank you very much keep the great work!
Margaret Vassilev
23:19 23 Feb 21
Great service at reasonable price.
papo vale
23:13 23 Feb 21
I have been shipping multiple cars every month to Africa with ship Overseas and I haven’t thought about switching since then, I have always been satisfied with their professionalism. I’ll recommend them anytime anyday.
Tochy Edeh
17:47 22 Jun 20
I've been using Ship Overseas for well over 12 years.Everything is professional and on time. We've had some vehicles that had to be picked up in semi remote locations and there has never been any problems.I recommend Ship Overseas to anyone that need vehicles shipped here to Qatar
Terry Robinson
19:55 19 Jun 20
great experience !! professional support all the way from usa to uaethank you so much
Maiky Reiter
07:46 29 May 20
My car was shipped on time and arrived in the same condition that it left. I can not thank the team at shipoverseas enough! They made the whole process seamless. I was initially worried about shipping my car, but this company is the best. Shipping to Germany was an absolute breeze.
Jenna Friedman
20:14 29 Jan 20
This was my first time ever shipping a vehicle and I was nervous because I'm stationed overseas and I brought the car from a dealer on the states. But with this company it seemed so easy and the rates were lower than any other company I got a quote from. My car was shipped on the 29th ig may I picked it up on 18 June. It traveled from GA to Belgium. I will be using them again to ship my car back to the states upon my departure.
Christian Hicks
05:30 19 Jun 18
Paul and Gary could not have been more professional and helpful. Paul was always super informative, gave me great advice and always replied to my emails by days end. Gary got all my Customs, EPA, and DOT paperwork in order and sent them as soon as he got them. I also got quotes from other shipping companies that typically were 30%-50% higher. Thank you
Hossein
19:50 11 Jun 18
Departure and Arrival Ports
Your car will leave the Bremerhaven port in Germany, the fourth-largest container port in the world.
It will arrive at one of six ports in the USA:
- New York, NY
- Baltimore, MD
- Charleston, SC
- Brunswick, GA
- Galveston, TX
- Port Hueneme, Ventura County CA
How Long Does it Take?
The on-water voyage time is as follows for each U.S. port, with the number range representing DAYS:
| NewYork | 12-19 |
| Baltimore | 15-21 |
| Charleston | 16-24 |
| Brunswick | 16-25 |
| Galveston | 18-25 |
| Port Hueneme | 27-31 |
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car From Germany to the USA?
- The cost to ship a car from Germany to the U.S. is $1,498.
- The cost to ship an SUV from Germany to the U.S. is $1,627.
Your final price will be determined by:
- Whether you’re shipping a car or an SUV/truck (it’s cheaper to ship a car than a larger vehicle).
- Whether the car is driven to the Bremerhaven port by yourself or a friend, or if you need one of our truck drivers to get it there for you. Those who live far from the port may not find it worth it to spend money on gas, lodging, time off work, etc. The same goes on the other end when receiving the shipment in the U.S. (it’s more expensive to have a truck driver bring it).
- Whether you’re shipping to the East Coast USA from Germany or the West Coast USA (it’s cheaper to ship a car to the East Coast).
Documents Required to Ship a Car to Germany
The passport of consignee is required when shipping a car from Germany to the USA. The consignee is the one who receives the goods at the destination port.
Salvage Titles
No salvage titles are accepted.
Customs Broker Information
Your customs broker/agent is Paul Alpren. His services will cost you $280.
Destination Handling Charge
The destination handling charge (DHC), or Terminal Handling Charge (THC), for shipping a car from Germany to the USA is $215 to $275.
Do Returning Citizens Have to Pay Import Fees (Terminal Handling Charges)?
Returning citizens pay THC+US Customs Entry (Duty only if applicable).
Duty is applicable only for vehicles entering the USA for the first time, not returning vehicles.
Vehicle Age Limits
For US Spec vehicles, there is no age limit. For non-US Spec vehicle, cars must be a minimum of 25+ years old, generally applying to classic cars.
How Much is Import Tax?
Import tax is 3% (this number includes 2.5% Duty + HMF & MPF fees). HMF is the Harbor Maintenance Fee and MPF is the Merchandise Processing Fee.
Weekly sailings from Bremerhaven Port in Germany to USA
Shipping Method for Shipping a Car to Germany
We only offer RoRo shipping from Germany to the U.S. — not container shipping. Our shipping vessels depart weekly from the Germany port to sail into the United States.
RoRo Shipping (Roll On/Roll Off)
RoRo is for when a vehicle can make it up the ramp and onto the ship on its own power. Our most popular and cost effective option, RoRo is not only efficient but reliable as well. That’s because you can be assured of set departure and arrival dates (just like an airport). You can use RoRo to transport wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles, cars, motorhomes, campers, trailers, buses, construction vehicles and boats.
Your car will be secured to the deck with no exposure to the ocean water and air.
Do You Need Marine Insurance?
We highly recommend you do purchase it, but you don’t have to. We offer 1.75% of the value of the vehicle for FULL coverage of theft, vandalism, damage and total loss with a $500 deductible. Note: coverage starts at the time your car is loaded onto the ship in Germany and lasts until it is collected and signed for at the arrival port in the USA. Total Loss is 1.25% charge for the value of the vehicle.
If paying for 100% coverage is not something you’re willing to do, you may purchase partial coverage of 50% to 75% of the value. But if damage or loss occurs, you would have to pay for any damage that exceeds the covered amount.
When shipping a car from Germany to the USA, you need the professionals at Ship Overseas on your side. Get in touch to learn more when you call toll free at 888-805-4994 or 858-547-0840
Should I purchase Marine Insurance?
We think it’s a wise idea. Ship Overseas offers FULL COVERAGE Marine Insurance against Loss or Damage from the time your car is loaded onto the ship. The cost is 1.75% of the value you wish to insure the car for. You can purchase optional insurance through us that gives you extra protection in the event your car suffers damage or loss.
Keep in mind, the chance of damage or loss while transporting a car from Germany is very slim. The only time this would be a problem would be during hurricane season, lasting from June till November, when the ocean is rougher. Learn more about Marine Insurance by clicking on the link below.
We hope this page put your mind at ease. If you’re ready to get going on the international car shipping process from Germany to USA, give us a call toll free at 888-805-4994 or 858-547-0840.