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.
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
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!
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
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!
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.
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.
I feel bad as I see a lot of people writing bad comments about this company. I've NEVER had a problem with them. NEVER.(Regarding the negative reviews..)Ship overseas is not an insurance provider, but rather a shipping company -- you must make sure to get insurance when shipping your vehicle so that no damages occur to it. They don't own the ship, nor workers, and of course as a result cannot guarantee the people on the ship won't damage your car.ShipOverseas is my go-to when I have to ship my cars. Which sounds funny to say, but I've actually shipped my car multiple times with them.Jack, one of the agents and owner is always very helpful, and does a great job of putting in trust in clients by making sure you understand the process in detail.I've transported my CLA45 AMG from the US to Belgium, without a problem, and have shipped it back, and am now buying a new car and shipping it back!You could say I'm somewhat of a (very happy) repeat customer – Photos for reference!
We highly recommend Shipoverseas services! Not only are they specialized in shipping gas/diesel motor operated cars but also specialize in shipping EV vehicles as well. We used there International shipping services to ship a 2022 Porsche Taycan to Dubai. The car arrived in less than a month in perfect shape, same as leaving our location. We worked with both Jack and Gary, both were great communicating and providing a timely status update. We will definitely be a regular customer! Thank you Jack and Gary!
Thank you Miron and Ship Overseas Team for helping me ship my car to Finland. I appreciate your response when I needed answers. Also many thanks for helping me find an agent in Kotka, Finland.I will definitely refer your company to my friends and colleagues.
We got a really good services. Jack always answers your so many questions with a short delay , for sure in the day , most of the time in the hour ( and in the minute too ). Really good communication. That's why we choose Ship Over Seas from the other company quotes we received. Good services , good prices , that's the criteria for our choice we don't regret at all. Thanks again.
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 .
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.
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..
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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 !!!
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.
Very trustworthy company, they were always available to resolve issues with the correspondant at destination, no surprises, my Boat arrived as promised
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.
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!!
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.
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
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.
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
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.
