Registration of a car from the USA

Table of contents

1. Obligation to register a vehicle in Polish law

2. Registration of a car from the USA - fees required

3. How to prepare a car from the USA for registration?

4. What is a certificate of title and why is it important?

5. Registration of a car from the USA - the documents you need

6. Temporary registration of a car from the USA

7. Registration of a vintage car from the USA

8. Registration of a car from the USA as resettled property

9. How much does it cost to register a car from the USA?

10. Frequently Asked Questions

It is true that there are thousands of kilometers from America, but the import of cars from the USA is still very popular. Using the services of a proven partner, you can become the owner of your dream car, while spending less than when searching on the secondary market in Poland or other European countries. Cars from the USA are most often bought at auctions organized, for example, by insurance companies. With us you will find out what the registration looks like cars from the USA step by step.

‍

The Polish government has been cleaning up the Central Register of Vehicles and Drivers for some time now. From January 1, 2024, new vehicle registration rules came into force. Article 73AA has been introduced in the Road Traffic Act, which reads as follows:

'The owner of the vehicle shall submit an application for its registration within 30 days from the date of:

1. Acquisition of a vehicle in the territory of the Republic of Poland;

2. Admission to the market of a vehicle imported from the territory of a country that is not a Member State of the European Union by an authority of the National Tax Administration;

3. Import of a vehicle into the territory of the Republic of Poland from the territory of a Member State of the European Union.”

The second point concerns, among others, the case of importing a car from the USA. This provision applies to natural persons and entrepreneurs who, according to the PKD, do not have a registered trade in vehicles. Financial penalties are PLN 500 for exceeding the deadline by 30-180 days and PLN 1000 for exceeding the deadline by more than 180 days. This provision can be problematic if, before buying, the car was involved in a traffic accident and it will be necessary to repair it.

Importing cars from the USA involves the payment of import duties, i.e. excise duties, customs duties and VAT. Therefore, the final cost of registering a car depends on the value of the car. The fees must be paid before the car is registered. It is worth knowing that in the case of registering a car from the USA as a vintage, only VAT is required.

In the case of customs duties, the rate for a car imported from the USA is 10% of the value of the car indicated on the purchase documents.

In the case of VAT, it is crucial to which country the car will arrive. Most often these are ports in Poland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and the VAT rates in these countries look like this:

• Poland — 23%
• Belgium and the Netherlands — 21%.
• Germany — 19%

For vintage cars, the VAT rate is 7%.

Confirmation of payment of excise duty is another document required when registering a car from the USA. Excise duty for a car from the USA depends on the type of drive and engine capacity. Current rates are as follows:

• 3.1% — cars with internal combustion engines up to 2000 cm3;
• 18.6% — cars with internal combustion engines of more than 2000 cm3;
• 1,55% — hybrid cars (HEVs) with internal combustion engines up to 2000 cm3, excluding plug-in hybrids (PHEV);
• 9.3% — hybrid cars (HEV, PHEV) with an internal combustion engine of more than 2000 cm3;
• 0% — vintage and collectible cars
• 0% — electric cars;

You have 14 days from the moment of purchase of the vehicle to pay customs duties and VAT.

Importing cars from the USA is popular primarily because of the low cost of purchasing a vehicle. However, you need to know that American cars need to be adapted to the current legislation on mandatory vehicle equipment. These are regulated by the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 31 December 2002 on the technical conditions of vehicles and the scope of their necessary equipment. Otherwise, the car will not be able to move legally on Polish roads.

In order to carry out a technical examination, you need to replace the following equipment elements of a car from the USA:

• Headlights — in the US, headlamps that shine directly are used, while in the European Union headlights that illuminate the roadside are required;
• turn signals — American cars have red turn signals, while in Poland they must be yellow car lights;
• fog lights - they must be purchased additionally and installed in the vehicle;
• tailoring the exhaust system or engine — you may need to adapt the exhaust system or engine to European emission standards before visiting the vehicle inspection station;
• meter — if the meter is scaled only in miles, it will also need to be replaced.

What else is worth replacing when importing a car from the USA:

• tires - pay attention to whether the car has tires that comply with European type approval, otherwise the insurance company or the insurance guarantee fund may refuse to pay compensation when a traffic accident occurs;
• Radio — US cars have radios that receive only odd frequencies, so if you want to listen to your favorite radio station, you may need to adapt the receiver to European conditions.

A certificate of title is a document confirming ownership of a vehicle, also called a deed of ownership or proof of ownership. It contains information about the vehicle, its owner and possible legal encumbrances.

Certificates with which you will register a car from the USA:

• “Clean” certificate — the car is free of legal defects and has never been damaged;
• certificate “Salvage” - the car has been damaged, but it can be repaired and restored to traffic;
• “Rebuilt” certificate — the car was damaged, was repaired and can be used on public roads;
• certificate “Restored” or “Reconstructed” - the car has undergone restoration or reconstruction;
• certificate with the note “Not actual mileage” — the vehicle has an invalid mileage and can be registered provided the actual mileage is established.

Certificates with which you will not register a car from the USA:

• certificate “Junk” - the car was intended for scrap;
• certificate “For parts only” — the car can be dismantled and sold in parts, in Poland this is done by registered vehicle dismantling stations;
• certificate “Destruction - the car is intended only for export outside the USA or can only be sold in parts, since US law provides for a list of damages that, even after repair, exclude vehicles from further operation;
• certificate “Scrap” — a car intended for recycling;
• certificate “Flood” and derivatives - the car is after a flood;
• certificate “Irreparable” - the car is not suitable for repair;
• certificate “Fire damage” - the car was partially or completely burned.

For more information on certificates that are not subject to registration, see in the FAQ tab.

In the absence of a title or if the vehicle has a title, but there is no paper confirmation, its registration is also not possible.

Paying import fees and visiting a diagnostic station is of course only the beginning of the adventure with its registration. The next step is a visit to the communications office. Before you go there, you need to know what documents are needed to register a car from the USA. You will need the following documents:

• original documentation translated from English into Polish by a sworn translator, including, among others, certificate of title and invoice, as well as customs documentation from Dutch or German;
• existing license plates (if supplied with the vehicle);
• application for registration of the vehicle;
• documents confirming the payment of import duties;
• a document confirming the acquisition of the car, if it was purchased through a company specializing in the import of cars;
• documents confirming the adaptation of the vehicle to move on Polish roads;
• certificate confirming the positive passage of the technical examination at the vehicle inspection station;
• confirmation of payment of registration fees (for plates, registration certificate, set of legalization marks, etc.);
• documents related to the recycling of the vehicle, if it was imported before January 1, 2016 and has not yet been registered;
• documents from the appraiser and the provincial conservator of monuments (applies to the registration of a classic from the USA).

If all the formalities have been completed correctly, you can register the car in the department of communication. First, you will receive a temporary permit, which is valid for 30 days. After this time, the registration certificate will be issued permanently. Remember that at the latest on the day of registration of the car you must take out compulsory third party liability insurance.

Before a car imported from the United States is registered, it must undergo a technical inspection. It is not always possible to transport it with a tow truck to the diagnostic station and back. therefore you can apply for temporary registration and receiving the so-called red license plates.

It is worth knowing that you will also receive such plates while waiting for the manufacture of individual license plates.

Time tables are valid for 30 days from the moment of issue, and their validity can be extended for 14 days at a time. For temporary registration, you need to purchase a short-term liability policy.

Necessary documents:

• original documentation translated by a sworn translator;
• proof of purchase of the vehicle;
• documents confirming the payment of import duties;
• existing license plates or a statement about their absence.

The cost of temporary plates is PLN 61, including PLN 30 for temporary plates, PLN 12.5 for legalization stickers and PLN 18.5 for a temporary permit.

Registration of a car from the USA as a vintage vehicle proceeds somewhat differently than for modern cars.

In order to qualify as a vintage car, it must be older than 30 years and its production must be completed at least 15 years before the moment of registration. It must also consist of 75% of the original parts.

There are exceptions to this rule if the car is important from the point of view of the stage of development of mechanics, it was completely reconstructed using technology from years ago or participated in important historical events, its owner was someone famous or the car won important sports competitions.

You need to know that the requirements vary from province to province, so before buying it is worth knowing the local regulations specific to the place of registration of the car.

1. Pay VAT.
2. Translate documents with a sworn translator.
3. Contact an appraiser who will help you prepare the documents needed for the car to be entered in the provincial register of monuments. These are the white card and the registration card of the movable technical monument.
4. Perform a technical examination at the diagnostic station. In the case of vintage cars, there is no obligation to adapt them to European regulations. Before carrying out the study, it is necessary to draw up an appropriate application, and an appraiser will help in its preparation.
5. Go to the department of communication to register the car and on the day of registration take out third party insurance.

Cars from the United States can also be imported as resettled property. Importing a car from the USA in this case is associated with exemption from customs duty, but you still have to pay excise duty and VAT.

The documents needed to register a car as resettled property are:

• a document confirming the ownership of the vehicle with translation by a sworn translator;
• registration certificate with translation by a sworn translator;
• documents confirming the status of a resident and a planned move to Poland (e.g. employment contract or confirmation of registration);
• the original list of resettled property certified by the customs office and the SAD document;
• an extract from the vehicle type-approval certificate or a technical test confirmation;
• application for registration of the car.

If you decide to bring a car from the USA as part of a resettlement property, you must remember that for 12 months you cannot use it for profit, nor can it be rented, pledged or loaned during this time.

While customs duty, VAT and excise duty vary depending on the cost of purchasing a vehicle, car registration itself has fixed fees:

• registration certificate — 54 PLN;
• temporary permit — PLN 13.5;
• legalization sticker for license plates — 12,5 PLN;
• license plates — PLN 80 for normal plates, PLN 1000 for individual license plates;
• registration fee — PLN 1.5;
• technical examination — 99 PLN, and if the car is damaged, 94 PLN should be added for the re-examination, the cost of the examination for vintage cars is 300 PLN;
• white card (for vintage cars) — 300 PLN.

It is worth knowing that from September 4, 2022, the vehicle card and the legalization sticker on the glass are not issued.

‍

The types of documents needed vary depending on the nature in which the vehicle is registered. The most important, however, is the certificate of title, i.e. a document confirming the ownership of the vehicle with the corresponding entry.

Yes. If the car is damaged, it needs to be repaired. In addition, regardless of the condition of the car, it is required to adapt the vehicle to the requirements of Polish and EU law. Most often, it is necessary to modify the lighting elements. This requirement does not apply to cars registered as vintage.

The final cost of registering a car from the USA depends primarily on the price of the car, the nature of the import, the type of registration in Poland and the VAT regulations of the country to which the car is to arrive. The only fixed elements in each of these cases are the price list of the communication department and the cost of the technical examination. These are regulated from above and very rarely change.