How much does it cost to import a car from Europe to the USA?

The rate depends on where the car is collected in Europe, the US delivery ZIP and the container you choose. Our import calculator gives an instant door to door rate. On top of shipping, US Customs charges: Duty set by where the car was built: 10% for EU-built cars 25 years or older, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan Harbor Maintenance Fee (0.125% of value, ocean imports only) Merchandise Processing Fee (0.3464%, minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86)

What import duty does a car from Europe pay?

Duty follows where the car was built, not where you buy it. Cars 25 years or older: 10% if built in the EU, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan Cars under 25 years: 15% all-in for EU-built cars Pickups and light trucks: 25% if EU-built; UK-built ones pay 35% (25 years or older) or 50% (newer) A US-built car returning to the US can enter duty-free with proof of US origin

Can I import any car from Europe to the USA?

Import eligibility depends on vehicle age: 25+ years old: Exempt from DOT & EPA rules if unmodified Under 25: Must meet US standards Factory race cars: No age restrictions Show & display vehicles allowed for events

What documents do I need to import a car from Europe?

Required documents include: original bill of lading bill of sale foreign registration or US title NHTSA approval letter (Show or Display and RI imports only) EPA Form 3520-1 DOT Form HS-7

EUROPE TO USA CAR IMPORTS

Import a Car From Europe to the USA: Instant Rates & Duties

Bought a car from a dealer, auction or private seller in Europe? We collect it, ship it by ocean through Rotterdam or by air, to our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, and deliver it door to door anywhere in the US.

Get an instant door to door rate to import a car from Europe, including duty and fees, from our import calculator.

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Why Import Your Car From Europe With Us

Here is what we do on every import from Europe:

Container or air freight from Europe
Shared containers from Rotterdam, so you pay for one slot, not a whole box
Every import document prepared, with the US entry filed by a licensed customs broker
Pickup from a dealer, auction or private seller across Europe
Door to door delivery through our warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey
Cars checked against the 25-year rule and US import rules before they sail

We collect your car anywhere we serve in Europe, from a dealer, auction house or private seller, using open or enclosed car transporters, and take it to the port of loading.

You always have the option to deliver/drop off the vehicle yourself.

Every car is strapped and blocked in the container before it sails.

The car is cleared for export in Europe, and we send you the documents the US entry needs.

The car arrives at our warehouse in New Jersey, Florida or California, a licensed customs broker files the entry, and we deliver it door to door.

AIRPLANE

Need your car fast? Air is the fastest option, and the import calculator shows the transit for your lane. Documents can take up to two weeks to prepare, so start them before the car flies.

SHIPPING CONTAINER

Our containers fit 1 to 4 vehicles, running or non-running, and shared containers keep the cost down. For high-value cars, we load dedicated 20ft or 40ft containers.

RORO VESSEL

RoRo shipping requires vehicles to be operational and empty. Available ports and rates vary. Note: This method is only available for oversized cars

GERMAN CAR IMPORT COSTS

How Much Does It Cost to Import a Car from Europe?

US import duty on a car from Europe:

Duty follows where the car was built, not where you buy it: a Japanese or British car bought in Germany pays its own country's rate
Cars 25 years or older: 10% all-in if built in the EU, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan
Cars under 25 years old pay Section 232 rates set by where they were built (15% all-in for EU-built cars), and must meet US safety and emissions standards
25% for EU-built pickups and light trucks of any age; UK-built ones pay 35% (25 years or older) or 50% (newer)
Duty-free entry is possible only for a US-built car returning to the US, with proof of US origin

US customs fees on every import:

Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF): 0.125% of cargo value, ocean imports only
Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF): 0.3464% of cargo value (minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86)

Additional considerations:

A shared container splits the box with other cars, so you pay for one slot
Optional Cargo Damage Protection available
Door to door quotes list every handling and documentation fee

Duty rules on classic car imports changed in 2026: here is what a car built in Europe pays today.

“Excellent communication and genuine interest in our vehicles well being throughout the whole process. Highly recommend them for all your vehicle shipping needs!”

Alexander

San Francisco, California

Wholesale Car Import & Export Solutions

We provide high volume dealers, auctions, wholesalers and event organizers turn-key shipping solutions for their vehicles.

End-to-End solutions between the US and the world
Vehicle collection & export clearance
Private warehouses in CA, FL, NJ
Vehicle and parts consolidation
Use our carrier bookings or your own
Ability to choose your own import agent when shipping dedicated containers
Expedited Air Freight options

Documentation For Car Imports From Europe

Importing a car from Europe takes these documents:

Essential Documentation:

Original Bill of Lading
Bill of Sale
Foreign Registration or US Title
NHTSA approval letter (Show or Display and RI imports only)
EPA Form 3520-1
DOT Form HS-7

Vehicle Age Requirements:

Vehicles 25 years and older: Exempt from DOT & EPA rules if unmodified
Vehicles under 25 years: Must meet US safety and emissions standards
Cars 25 years and older still pay duty; the import calculator shows the rate

Paperwork is half the job; the other half is the car itself. Learn everything about international car shipping, from documentation to delivery, in our guide.

Car Shipping Cost & Duties:

US import duty on a car from Europe:

Duty follows where the car was built, not where you buy it: a Japanese or British car bought in Germany pays its own country's rate
Cars 25 years or older: 10% all-in if built in the EU, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan
Cars under 25 years old pay Section 232 rates set by where they were built (15% all-in for EU-built cars), and must meet US safety and emissions standards
25% for EU-built pickups and light trucks of any age; UK-built ones pay 35% (25 years or older) or 50% (newer)
Duty-free entry is possible only for a US-built car returning to the US, with proof of US origin

Additional mandatory fees:

Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF): 0.125% of cargo value, ocean imports only
Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF): 0.3464% of cargo value (minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86)

Age rules:

Cars 25 years and older are exempt from DOT and EPA standards, not from duty
Cars under 25 years must meet US safety and emissions standards
Show or Display imports need an NHTSA approval letter

Calculate Cost

Car Import Process From Europe

Importing a car from Europe to the USA runs the same way on every car: pickup, export, ocean or air, US entry, delivery.

Transit Times for Car Imports from Europe:

Rotterdam to New York is about 18 days by sea, to Miami about 33 days and to Oakland about 43 days
A shared container waits to fill, so it takes longer than a container of your own
The import calculator shows the transit for your lane

Car Import Services From Europe:

Container and air freight, RoRo for oversized cars
Container loading & crating options
EU export documents, with the US entry filed by a licensed customs broker
Door to door delivery
Short-term & long-term storage
Auctions
Temporary, permanent & event imports
Returning US vehicles

Registering Your European Import in the US

Importing a car from Europe takes these documents:

Essential Documentation:

Original Bill of Lading
Bill of Sale
Foreign Registration or US Title
NHTSA approval letter (Show or Display and RI imports only)
EPA Form 3520-1
DOT Form HS-7

Import Car Restrictions:

Vehicles 25 years and OLDER are not required to conform to DOT & EPA rules as long as vehicle is unmodified

Vehicles UNDER 25 years:

Must meet US safety and emissions standards
Or be brought into compliance by an NHTSA Registered Importer
Show & display vehicles for events, testing, and other applicable use cases
Factory built race cars have no age requirement

We send you the entry documents your state DMV asks for. It's your dream car. Let's bring her home.

What customers say

Used WC shipping to ship my motorcycle from Europe back to the US and I was absolutely impressed with their professionalism and operation. … The ease of process and ample communications were great. I was never left wondering where my bike was or what stage it was in during shipping. … Price was more than fair for shipping and was faster than expected.

Alex R. 2019 · on Google
I recently purchased a car in Europe that was transported by sea to the US. West Coast Shipping handled receiving the container … and unloading it at their warehouse in Linden, NJ. This was all done efficiently and at reasonable cost. … Any questions I had sent by email throughout the process were quickly answered. I will definitely use West Coast Shipping again if I import another car to the US.

Gary C. 2022 · on Google
I just want to say thank you to all of you and to everyone that was involved in the process to ship my motorcycle from Netherland to USA. The entire process was perfect with an excellent communication with the correct information all the time. … When I decided to ship the motorcycle I was very concerned if the process was going to be complicated and stressful, but I was wrong, the process was simple with no complication at all.

Moto Motocicleta 2024 · on Google

Read all reviews: Google (California) Google (Florida) Google (New Jersey)

Frequently Asked Questions About Importing a Car From Europe

The rate depends on where the car is collected in Europe, the US delivery ZIP and the container you choose. Our import calculator gives an instant door to door rate.

On top of shipping, US Customs charges:

Duty set by where the car was built: 10% for EU-built cars 25 years or older, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan
Harbor Maintenance Fee (0.125% of value, ocean imports only)
Merchandise Processing Fee (0.3464%, minimum $34.58, maximum $670.86)

We ship cars from Europe through Rotterdam, Netherlands, with shared containers available. Sailing takes about 18 days to New York, 33 days to Miami and 43 days to Oakland.

Duty follows where the car was built, not where you buy it.

Cars 25 years or older: 10% if built in the EU, 12.5% if built in the UK or Japan
Cars under 25 years: 15% all-in for EU-built cars
Pickups and light trucks: 25% if EU-built; UK-built ones pay 35% (25 years or older) or 50% (newer)
A US-built car returning to the US can enter duty-free with proof of US origin

Import eligibility depends on vehicle age:

25+ years old: Exempt from DOT & EPA rules if unmodified
Under 25: Must meet US standards
Factory race cars: No age restrictions
Show & display vehicles allowed for events

Required documents include:

original bill of lading
bill of sale
foreign registration or US title
NHTSA approval letter (Show or Display and RI imports only)
EPA Form 3520-1
DOT Form HS-7

We import cars from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

We prepare the import documents, and a licensed customs broker files the US entry. We then deliver the car door to door from our warehouse in California, Florida or New Jersey.

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Import a Car From Europe to the USA: Instant Rates & Duties

Car Shipping Calculator

Why Import Your Car From Europe With Us

Countries we import from in Europe:

EUROPEAN CAR IMPORT GUIDES:

International Car Shipping Methods

AIRPLANE

SHIPPING CONTAINER

RORO VESSEL

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How Much Does It Cost to Import a Car from Europe?

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SHIPPING TIMES FROM EUROPE

ADDITIONAL COSTS TO CONSIDER

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Protect Your Car During Import

Wholesale Car Import & Export Solutions

Documentation For Car Imports From Europe

One Contact, Pickup to Delivery

The US Car Import Process