Car Shipping from the USA to Germany

Ship a Car to Germany from the USA: From $1,100, Plus the New 0% Duty Rule

Ship a car to Germany from $1,100 port to port from New Jersey, 30–33 days to Bremerhaven. Container rates by departure warehouse: $1,100 from New Jersey, $1,225 from Florida, $1,250 from Texas and $1,850 from California. Since July 1, 2026, the EU charges 0% duty on US-built cars under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, but the customs office handling the import decides whether to grant it. Current guidance ties the 0% to a certificate of origin, which new cars usually have and a classic built 30 years ago usually does not. When the 0% is granted on a $60,000 Corvette, it removes $6,000 in duty and roughly $1,140 in VAT calculated on top of it.

We ship door to door by ocean or air from our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, plus a partner facility in Texas for the Gulf and Southwest. Our own team handles every document, and the containers sail to Bremerhaven.

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Shipping a car to Germany: the short version

Shipping a car from the USA to Germany costs from $1,100 port to port (New Jersey to Bremerhaven), plus destination charges in Germany of €600–650. The fastest ocean lane is Texas to Bremerhaven: 43 days from drop-off at the US warehouse to release in Germany, documents and customs included. US-built cars can clear at 0% EU duty through 2029 when customs accepts their US origin, and collector cars over 30 years old pay 7% import VAT.

Cost: $1,100 to $1,850 port to port by container from 4 US departure warehouses, plus destination charges of €600–650. Get your exact rate.
Time: 43 days from Texas, 45–48 days from New Jersey, 55–60 days from California, 57–60 days from Florida, from drop-off at the US warehouse to release. Air freight: 25–29 days, quoted per car.

Duty: 0% on US-built cars since July 1, 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, through 2029), when customs accepts the car's US origin. Otherwise 10%.
VAT: 19% standard; 7% for collector cars 30+ years old under heading 9705.
Who handles it: our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, plus a partner facility in Texas for the Gulf and Southwest. Our own team handles every document.

By Dmitriy Shibarshin, West Coast Shipping · Rates from our live rate table, updated October 30, 2026.

Do American cars pay import duty in Germany? The 0% rule since July 2026

The EU's 10% duty on passenger cars dropped to 0% for vehicles originating in the United States on July 1, 2026, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455. The Council adopted it on June 25, 2026, and the 0% rate runs through December 31, 2029.

The catch: the customs office handling the import decides whether to grant it. Current guidance ties the 0% to a certificate of origin, which new cars usually have and a classic built 30 years ago usually does not. Origin also follows the assembly line, not the badge.

Built in the US

Bowling Green Corvette · Detroit-built Viper · Wixom Ford GT · Spartanburg BMW Z3 M Coupe · Marysville-built second-gen Acura NSX

Built outside the US: 10%

Brampton-built Dodge Challenger · Australian-built Pontiac GTO · Canadian-built 1998 to 2002 Camaro. No matter how American they look in the driveway.

Dodge Viper GTS-R, built in Detroit — Every Viper came out of Detroit. US origin by the VIN, with the 0% rate up to German customs.

Not sure where your car was built?

Search by make, model, or year with our US-Built Car Finder, then confirm origin by the VIN. Takes about a minute.

Check where your car was built →

Proving US origin is what customs looks at. Our own team prepares the US export paperwork that shows where the car was built, and the customs office at Bremerhaven decides whether the 0% applies.

Read our full breakdown of the Turnberry deal and the cars that gain most →

How much does it cost to ship a car to Germany from the USA?

Three numbers decide your total: ocean freight, German destination charges, and taxes at the border.

Cost item	Amount
Consolidated container, port-to-port	From $1,100 (New Jersey) to $1,850 (California)
Destination fees in Germany	€600–650, port estimate
Import duty, US-built cars	0% since July 2026, if customs accepts US origin
Import duty, other origins or origin not accepted	10% of customs value
Import VAT, standard	19% of vehicle + shipping + duty
Import VAT, collector cars 30+ years old	7% under heading 9705

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car secured in a shipping container — A 911 GT3 Cup strapped and blocked for the crossing to Bremerhaven.

Container consolidation cuts shipping costs by sharing container space with other vehicles: a dedicated 20ft or 40ft container is available when you want the car to travel alone. We ship door to door by ocean or air: US pickup, loading at our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey or our partner facility in Texas, and final delivery in Germany.

We accept wire transfer, ACH or check. Read about banking fees when paying from overseas.

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Should I ship my car to Germany by container or by air?

	Shared container	Air freight
Price	From $1,100, port to port	Quoted per car
Time in transit	24–45 days at sea, depending on the departure warehouse	10–14 days
Drop-off to release	From 43 days (Texas), documents and customs included	25–29 days
How the car travels	Inside a container with other cars, blocked and strapped	On an air pallet
Choose it when	Cost matters more than the date	A show, rally or delivery date is fixed

Both columns come from our live rate table, updated October 30, 2026. Air timing depends on the export documents being ready before the flight. More on shipping a car by air.

Current car shipping rates to Germany

Shipping a car from the USA to Germany costs from $1,100 port-to-port (New Jersey to Bremerhaven, 30-33 days at sea). Rates updated October 30, 2026.

Cars by ocean container, port-to-port
From (US warehouse)	To	Ocean freight	Days at sea	US docs & loading
New Jersey	Bremerhaven	$1,100	30-33	about 10 days
Florida	Bremerhaven	$1,225	31-34	about 21 days
Texas	Bremerhaven	$1,250	24	about 14 days
California	Bremerhaven	$1,850	40-45	about 10 days

Motorcycles, air freight and other cargo to Germany

Cargo	From	To	Freight	Days in transit
Motorcycle by Ocean	New Jersey	Bremerhaven	$600	30-33
Motorcycle by Ocean	California	Bremerhaven	$600	40-45
Motorcycle by Ocean	Texas	Bremerhaven	$600	24
Motorcycle by Ocean	Florida	Bremerhaven	$600	31-34
Motorcycle by Air	New Jersey	Bremerhaven	$3,250	10-14
Motorcycle by Air	California	Bremerhaven	$3,250	10-14
Motorcycle by Air	Texas	Bremerhaven	$3,950	10-14
Pallet by Ocean	Texas	Bremerhaven	$350	20
Pallet by Ocean	New Jersey	Bremerhaven	$350	30-33
Pallet by Ocean	California	Bremerhaven	$350	40-45

Included: ocean or air freight from the US warehouse to the port of arrival.
Extra: pickup anywhere in the US to the nearest warehouse, optional cargo protection, destination charges in Germany (€600–650), and Germany import duty and VAT.
The calculator adds pickup from your ZIP and protection for your car's value and gives a full quote in seconds.

Get your exact door-to-port price

How long does car shipping to Germany take?

From drop-off at the US warehouse to release in Germany: US export documents and loading, the crossing, then customs clearance. The departure warehouse decides the total. Bars share one 60-day scale; times as of October 30, 2026.

Texas warehouse → Bremerhaven

43 days total

US export documents & loadingabout 14 days
Sailing to Bremerhaven24 days
Germany customs clearanceabout 5 days

The fastest ocean lane to Germany right now, from $1,250 port to port.

New Jersey warehouse → Bremerhaven

45–48 days total

US export documents & loadingabout 10 days
Sailing to Bremerhaven30–33 days
Germany customs clearanceabout 5 days

The lowest rate to Germany: $1,100 port to port.

California warehouse → Bremerhaven

55–60 days total

US export documents & loadingabout 10 days
Sailing to Bremerhaven40–45 days
Germany customs clearanceabout 5 days

$1,850 port to port.

Florida warehouse → Bremerhaven

57–60 days total

US export documents & loadingabout 21 days
Sailing to Bremerhaven31–34 days
Germany customs clearanceabout 5 days

$1,225 port to port.

Air freight → Germany

25–29 days total

US export documents & loadingabout 10 days
Flight10–14 days
Germany customs clearanceabout 5 days

For cars that can't wait, quoted on request. Documents drive the timeline, so early paperwork matters more than the flight.

US export documents & loadingSailing or flightRange, schedule dependentCustoms clearance

Times come from the same rate table as the prices above. A shared container can wait a few extra days for space; door delivery inside Germany comes after release.

How does shipping a car to Germany work?

Car transport

We collect your car anywhere in the US, open or enclosed, and bring it to the nearest of our warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, or our partner facility in Texas. Drop-off is always an option.

Container loading

At our California, Florida and New Jersey warehouses, our own employees load and secure your car: no third-party yards, no outside labor touching the vehicle. Texas departures load at our partner facility.

Export clearance

Our own team handles every document for US export, including the paperwork that shows where the car was built. German customs decides whether the 0% EU duty applies.

Delivery in Germany

Our agents in Germany handle import customs at Bremerhaven and deliver the car to your door, or you collect it at the port.

Vehicles staged for container loading inside West Coast Shipping's California warehouse — Inside our California warehouse. The people who load the container also prepare the export paperwork.

Can I ship a classic car to Germany? The 30-year rule and 7% VAT

American classic car prepared for export to Germany — 30 years old, original, out of production: the collectors' item route, with 0% duty and 7% VAT when customs accepts it.

Germany treats genuine classics kindly. A car at least 30 years old, in original condition, and no longer in production qualifies as a collectors' piece under tariff heading 9705: 0% duty and import VAT reduced from 19% to 7%. In 2026, the 30-year line sits at 1996.

Once registered, cars over 30 can apply for the H-Kennzeichen historic plate: a flat annual road tax and access to city emissions zones that newer cars can't enter.

One caution: original condition does real work in that definition. A heavily modified car or a restomod can fail the 9705 test and lose the reduced VAT, even when it's well past 30. The 0% EU duty for US-built cars is a separate rule: it does not depend on the 9705 test, but it does depend on customs accepting the car's US origin, and current guidance asks for a certificate of origin that most 30-year-old classics do not have.

More on the 30-year rule for Germany →

What documents do I need to ship a car to Germany?

For US export

Original vehicle title, or lien release letter
Bill of sale
Completed online shipping form
EIN letter for US citizens, passport copy for international citizens

For German registration

Customs clearance certificate from import
TÜV inspection certificate
German vehicle insurance certificate
Proof of ownership: title and purchase documents

Our own team handles every US export document, including the paperwork that shows where the car was built. The customs office in Germany decides whether the 0% duty rate applies.

Wholesale car shipping to Germany for dealers and importers

Dealers, auctions, and wholesale importers moving multiple cars a month get dedicated container programs from our California, Florida, and New Jersey warehouses: vehicle collection, export clearance, consolidation of cars and parts, your carrier bookings or ours, and the option to use your own import agent on dedicated containers.

Containers with vehicles bound for Germany at a US port — Consolidated containers leave for Bremerhaven every week from our three warehouses, and regularly from our Texas partner facility.

Explore wholesale car shipping →

Frequently asked questions about car shipping to Germany

How much does it cost to ship a car to Germany?

Consolidated container shipping starts at $1,100 from New Jersey, $1,225 from Florida, $1,250 from Texas and $1,850 from California, port to port, plus German destination fees of €600–650. Use our calculator for an instant rate on your exact vehicle and route.

Do I pay import duty on an American car in Germany?

It depends on where the car was built and on customs. Since July 1, 2026, the EU has a 0% duty on US-built cars under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, in effect through December 31, 2029, but the customs office handling the import decides whether to grant it. Current guidance ties the 0% to a certificate of origin, which new cars usually have and a classic built 30 years ago usually does not. Without it the car pays 10%, unless it clears as a collectors' item under heading 9705. Origin follows the factory, not the badge: a Detroit-built Viper is US-built, a Brampton-built Challenger is not. Check where your car was built or read our full Turnberry breakdown.

How much VAT do I pay when importing a car to Germany?

19% import VAT on the combined value of the car, shipping, and any duty. Collector cars over 30 years old in original condition pay 7% instead.

How long does shipping a car from the USA to Germany take?

At sea, 24 days from Texas, 30–33 days from New Jersey, 31–34 days from Florida and 40–45 days from California to Bremerhaven by ocean container. US export documents and German customs clearance add time on both ends: from drop-off to release, the fastest route is 43 days from Texas, and the transit timeline above shows every route. Air freight is also available, quoted per car, with 10–14 days in transit.

Which US ports do you ship to Germany from?

We load Germany-bound containers at our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, and at a partner facility in Texas, all sailing to Bremerhaven: 24 days from Texas, 30–33 days from New Jersey, 31–34 days from Florida and 40–45 days from California. We collect from any US ZIP and bring the car to the nearest one. Air freight to Germany is also available. Germany is one of 100+ destinations on our international car shipping routes.

Can I ship a classic car to Germany?

Yes. Cars over 30 years old in original condition can clear as collectors' items under heading 9705, with 0% duty and VAT reduced to 7% when customs accepts the classification, and qualify for H-Kennzeichen historic registration in Germany. In 2026 that covers vehicles built in 1996 or earlier. Read the 30-year rule guide.

Can I import my car to Germany duty-free when relocating?

Yes. If you are transferring your primary residence to Germany and have owned and used the vehicle for at least 6 months, it can enter duty- and VAT-free, provided you do not sell or transfer it within 12 months of import.

How do I register an imported car in Germany?

Pass the TUV inspection, arrange German vehicle insurance, then register at the local Kfz-Zulassungsstelle with the customs clearance certificate, original title, and purchase documents. Cars over 30 years old can apply for H-Kennzeichen historic plates.

Is my car insured while it ships to Germany?

Most US auto policies do not cover international transport. Our optional Cargo Damage Protection covers the car from arrival at the US warehouse through loading, the ocean crossing and delivery in Germany, at 2% of the declared value above $500, with a $200 minimum. Without it, carrier liability is capped at $500.

How do military members ship a POV to Germany?

Military members PCSing to Germany can ship a second privately owned vehicle commercially. We handle pickup near any US base and delivery to your duty station area, including Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Grafenwoehr, Stuttgart and Vilseck.

Should I choose container or RoRo shipping to Germany?

Container shipping protects the car from the elements and lets you ship parts with it. RoRo is cheaper but the car is exposed. We recommend a container for valuable or classic cars.

Can I temporarily export my car to Germany?

Yes. Stays under 6 months generally need no German registration; longer stays need temporary import status or full registration.

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