Rules for importing a car from the USA and Canada |
How much does it cost to bring a car from the USA?
Import a car from the USA or Canada including delivery to your address We are able to do it in 6 weeks!
Importing cars from the USA is very popular in Poland. This is an opportunity to buy your dream car in rich specifications at a price much lower than in European aftermarkets. Poles also often import vintage vehicles, because there is no better way to buy a classic road cruiser than to bring a car from the USA.
If you are thinking about importing a car from the United States, it is worth knowing what the procedure for buying a car looks like, what are the costs of transporting the car, customs and stamp duties and what requirements the car must meet in order to be allowed to drive in Poland.
It is worth entrusting your dreams to us, because as Bryki from America we specialize in brokering the purchase and import of cars, motorcycles, boats and other vehicles from the United States. We take care of the whole process from the purchase of the car to the moment of delivery of the vehicle to the indicated address.
The total cost of importing a car depends on many variables — ranging from the value of the vehicle, through the transport route from the USA to Poland, to the cost of preparing the car for registration. We care about the security and transparency of the transaction, so we will explain step by step how the search is carried out, what the procedures look like and what are the approximate costs of bringing the car.
How to buy a car from the USA step by step?
Below we present you the procedure for buying an imported car or other vehicle from the USA and Canada.
Determining your expectations is the most important thing, so first of all it is worth looking at the range of cars available in the USA to choose the most interesting ones. During the initial contact, you specify the brand, model, engine version, required equipment, vintage and the like. The more specific information we receive, the easier it will be for us to find the right car. You should also specify the maximum amount you want to spend on the purchase of a car. Equipped with such information, we will be able to start searching. Offers will be sent by email or via the selected messenger (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp).
We sign a contract for the import of the previously selected vehicle and you pay a deposit to our account in the amount of not less than PLN 3690 gross (this is the equivalent of the minimum commission of the intermediary). The deposit is a form of security for the intermediary in case the buyer withdraws from the purchase of the car after winning the auction. The auction house charges a fine in the event of the bidder's resignation. The financial penalty in case of non-payment for the car may be higher than the deposit paid. However, it is worth emphasizing right away that we are also dependent on unforeseen factors. We always try to make the cost of importing a car from the USA as favorable as possible for our customers.
Although the final cost of bringing a car is difficult to determine, we try to present approximate costs for different scenarios of events. Land transport, sea transport, customs fees, VAT and excise taxes, or preparation of the car for registration differ in costs depending on the price of the car, the selected port of export and destination, etc. Therefore, the final total cost of importing a car from the USA may differ from the calculation presented by us. However, there are some fixed fees that allow you to present an estimated total transaction amount.
After selecting specific specimens, we proceed to check their history in the Carfax database. This is the most famous commercial online service that allows you to check the car for condition, mileage, service history and possible repairs after road accidents. Carfax has access to databases of vehicle registration authorities from 50 states in the U.S. and all provinces in Canada, as well as police, fire and other services. This makes Carfax the most trusted source for used car and motorcycle information from the US and Canada. We also use the EpicVin database. The vehicle history check service is free of charge for our Depository Customers.
The customer can also order a paid inspection of the auctioned vehicle with the taking of additional photos, which will allow to verify the actual situation with what appears in the information presented by the auction house. This makes the purchase even safer.
The next step is the bidding, which takes place live and we encourage our customers to follow it. This allows you to adjust the budget if the vehicle is really unique and you want to fight for it effectively. During the bidding process, we stay in constant contact so that we can react quickly to suggestions and changes.
SELECT BID SCENARIO
If, for some reason, the auction does not end successfully, then the decision on further steps is up to the state. In case of cancellation of bidding or further searches, we will refund the deposit to the indicated account within 2 working days.
If the auction is successful, you must make a deposit for the car, the commission for the win, the transport of the car to the port and the sea transport and freight insurance. The transfer must be made within 2 working days at the latest in order to avoid additional costs due to late payment. The amount of fees depends on the final price of the vehicle, its dimensions and the current rates of transport companies. Once you have made your deposit, we organize the entire process on your behalf.
After depositing cash in the USA, we pick up the vehicle from the auction site and transport it to the nearest port. There, additional photos will be taken, and then the vehicle will be loaded into a container, which will then go on board the ship sailing to Rotterdam or Bremerhaven. We will inform you about the update of the vehicle status by email.
You can purchase additional insurance, the rate of which is 2% of the value of the vehicle on the invoice from the auction house. Such a policy is valid from the moment the container is loaded onto the ship until it is unloaded at the port of destination.
After arriving at the port of destination, the container is unloaded by the customs agency and further photographs of the vehicle are taken. Agency employees are engaged in the procedure for customs clearance of the car. This is an external service that is carried out through us. Upon completion of customs clearance, you will receive a billing email from us.
Upon completion of the procedures related to customs and the calculation of VAT, the customs agency issues an invoice, which includes the agency's services, the customs fee and the tax. The transfer must be made directly to the account of the agency, on the basis of the settlement provided by us.
The vehicle is delivered directly to the place specified by you in Poland. The customer must indicate the place of unloading, which will guarantee trouble-free access of the driver. The unloading of the vehicle is on the customer's side. Payment for transport to Poland is settled in cash on delivery. Once the vehicle is delivered, we settle our commission from the deposit paid and issue an invoice for our service. A set of documents is sent by courier.
Auctions
We want our customers to have as much choice as possible, which is why we bid vehicles on many auction portals. Both damaged cars from the USA and Canada, as well as those without accidents, are provided with photos and descriptions, so you know immediately what a particular vehicle looks like and in what condition it is.
We check each car from a formal and technical point of view, and then we verify the actual condition using databases such as CARFAX or EpicVIN. These companies have access to databases of equivalents of Polish departments of communication, police, fire brigade, insurance companies, banking institutions, etc. Thanks to this, we know what is the past of a given vehicle, what it has undergone repairs, whether it was once the object of theft and we can trace the changes of owners. So we can learn much more about the vehicle than when buying it in Europe!
We bid on both accident-free cars from the USA and Canada, as well as those that have been damaged. In the case of bringing an accident car, after the purchase of the vehicle, we can carry out its repair and adapt it to the Polish traffic regulations. The cost of transporting a car from the USA and the fees associated with importing a car are so advantageous that importing a car from the United States simply pays off.
Auction portals offering damaged cars:
Auction portals offering undamaged cars:
Costs Importing a car from the USA
Cars imported from the United States are up to 30-40% cheaper than those purchased in the European Union. Even though the import of the vehicle itself is fraught with additional costs, taking into account all charges for a car from the USA, it is still the most financially advantageous solution.
Costs associated with importing vehicles from the United States include among others. transport charges, deposit, excise duty, customs and excise duties for the car, VAT. It is good to be aware of what and in what amounts you have to pay in order to fully enjoy a car brought from the USA.
The cost of importing a car from the United States depends on many factors. When determining the specific costs of importing a car from the USA, we take into account both the amount of the deposit and other fees that lie on the client's side.
The price of importing a car from the USA is:
Depending on the port of destination, the tax can range from 19 to 23%. If you bring your car to Germany, you will pay 19% VAT, 21% when your car goes to a Dutch port, and 23% if you want to bring the car directly to Poland. Therefore, the ports in Germany are most often chosen. It will be cheaper to buy a vintage or collector vehicle, as they are subject to a tax of 7 to 9% depending on the country.
- 21% in the Netherlands
- 19% in Germany
- 23% in Poland
- 7-9% vintage or collectible vehicle (depending on country)
The excise duty for a car from the USA depends on the engine capacity of the imported car and is 3.1% for cars with an engine capacity of up to 2.0 liters and 18.6% above 2.0 liters. For hybrid vehicles, lower rates of excise tax are applied, and for electric vehicles the excise rate is 0% due to the type of drive. For vintage and collector vehicles, you are exempt from excise duty.
- 3.1% capacity up to 2.0L
- 1.55% capacity up to 2.0L with HEV hybrid engine
- 18.6% of capacity above 2.0L
- 9.3% capacity over 2.0L with HEV hybrid engine and PLUG-IN
- 0% capacity up to 2.0L with plug-in hybrid engine
- 0% electric cars
- 0% vintage or collectible vehicle
Cars and quads are subject to a fee of 10%, motorcycles 6%. Vintage and collectible vehicles are exempt from this fee. How much is the customs duty from the USA to Poland depends on the type of vehicle or boat.
- 10% passenger car
- 0% vintage or collectible vehicle
- 6% motorcycle
- 10% quad
- 1.7% jet ski
- 1.7%-2.7% boat or yacht
- 22% truck
Auction houses that put a car up for sale require a so-called auction commission. The amount is determined based on the value of the auctioned vehicle, however, it can be determined that it is a fee of several hundred dollars.
- auction fee from $400 (the fee depends on the purchase amount of the auctioned vehicle)
For its commitment and completion of all formalities, Bryki from America charges a one-time commission fee of PLN 2000 net for a vehicle such as a scooter, motorcycle, quad or jet ski and from PLN 3000 net for a passenger car. In the case of more expensive vehicles and boats, the rate is set individually.
- PLN 2,000 net — motorcycle, watercraft or quad
- from 3 000 PLN net — passenger car
- boats, machines, campers and other vehicles — price to be negotiated
Passenger car sea freight charges start at around $900. Sea freight of a motorcycle or quad is an expense from $500. Land transportation fees from the auction site to the selected port are from $250.
- from 150$ — charges for land transport from the auction site to the selected port
- from 350$ — fees for sea freight of motorcycle or quad
- from 800$ — charges for sea freight of a passenger car
It provides financial security for the transaction. The deposit is not less than 1000$. In case of non-payment for the purchased car or other vehicle, the auction house charges our company financially with a penalty in the amount of 10-15% of the auctioned amount. In case of losing a bid in which the purchase did not take place, the deposit is returned in full within 2 working days to the Customer's account.
- 10-15% of the auctioned amount (not less than 1000$)
NOTE: We do not bid on cars without receiving a deposit.
Adaptation of the car to Polish regulations
Importing a car from the USA will also involve adapting it to Polish conditions and regulations. American cars are different from European cars. Most often, these differences relate to the lights and the meter. This is because the meter will count miles, not kilometers. However, this is not a problem, since in the latest car models it is enough to reprogram it, and in the rest of the American vehicles the meter usually has two scales and there is no need to modernize it. In turn, the differences in the design of the lamps prevent the vehicle from being allowed to move, so first of all it is necessary to:
- modify the dipped beam — according to our regulations, they must illuminate the roadway, in American vehicles they are symmetrical and do not adequately illuminate the roadside
- modify the rear turn signals Most American cars are red, and should be orange or yellow
- equip the vehicle with a fog light at the rear Cars in the US don't have it.
- modify the engine or exhaust system — during a technical examination at the diagnostic station, it may turn out that the diagnostician finds that the results of the exhaust gas measurement do not comply with the standards in force in Europe, then it will be necessary to carry out modifications of the engine or exhaust system
Additional changes that are worth making are:
- replace tires - if the tires installed on a car from the USA do not have European approval, it is better to replace them, because in the event of a traffic accident, the insurance company may refuse to pay compensation
- radio conversion — radio stations in the USA broadcast on odd waves, so if you want to listen to your favorite radio stations in Poland, you need to convert the radio, it is also possible to load the Polish menu, and in the case of older receivers it will be necessary to replace them
Is it profitable to import a car from the USA?
Importar Cars from the USA and Canada is profitable regardless of the dollar exchange rate. This is a chance to buy your dream car, motorcycle, boat or vintage car at an attractive price and very good specifications even if the vehicle needs repair. As a proven partner, we strive to achieve success and minimize costs. We take care of the whole process ourselves, without the help of additional intermediaries. We cooperate with proven carriers who guarantee safe transportation of the car.
Before starting cooperation, we inform you what are the fees for importing a car from the USA, which makes it easier to understand how much it costs to import a car from the USA. We care about your satisfaction, which is why we make every effort to make the whole process friendly and transparent for our customers.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the whole range of services offered by us. Working with us is the opportunity to own a vehicle of your choice from America — and in the shortest possible time! Join the group of satisfied customers who drive their dream vehicle on the road.
We encourage you to contact us and join the group of satisfied customers. In our officercie are Audi from USA, BMW from USA, Mercedes from the USA, Porsche from USA, muscle car from USA, Tesla from the USA, Jeep from USA and many others. Just set your budget and requirements, and we'll take care of the rest!
If you want to know the detailed cost of bringing a vehicle, please take a moment to fill out the form available on our website and our staff will send you an individual quote for the service.
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