How To: import your car into the US

Importing your car to the US Who hasn't thought about importing their car into the US for an extended stay or if you are immigrating.

Of course, generally speaking this is possible. However, there are some regulations you should know about. We have listed some of those for you below. To make sure you're doing everything right, however, you should get all necessary information about the steps you have to take from the US authorities or service providers inside and outside the US who specialize in import.

IMPORTANT: Imported cars have to comply with certain security standards and environmental regulations in the US.

PLEASE NOTE: If foreign car manufacturers that are exporting cars into the US correspond with US regulations, this is only because they are manufactured according to the US market regulations known to the manufacturers. However, this does NOT mean that cars by these manufacturers bought in your own country comply with US regulations. So please be very careful if car manufacturers or car dealers try to make you believe that the cars already meet all the appropriate standards. In the worst case scenario, your car will be transported back to your home country at the US border or even be scrapped. US authorities, unfortunately, do have the right to do this.

This information applies, for example, to foreign nationals who wish to import their car into the US. And since import regulations may change, we recommend the following information:

Customs Hints for Visitors Visiting the United States (Customs Regulations for Nonresidents)

You may get these from: U.S. Customs, P.O. Box 7407, Washington, D.C. 20044 or the US embassy in your home country.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a detailed manual for emissions regulations. It is called Automotive Imports Facts Manual, you can get a copy of this via the EPA's import hotline: 001- (202) 564-9240 or via fax: 001 - (202) 564-2057. Or write to:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building,
Manufactures Operations Division (6405-J),
Investigation/Import Section,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460;

Or you may check the website www.epa.gov/otaq/imports

You may also refer to the Department of Transportation for further information: 001-800-424-9393 (0800 numbers can also be called from abroad, but in that case are not free of charge), via fax under 001 - 202 - 366-1024 or write to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NSA-32),
400 7th Street, S.W. Washington,
D.C. 20590;

PREPARATIONS As a car owner you have to take care of the following: tell your freight company the exact date of arrival in good time so that they can take care of the formalities at import control. A car that is being shipped to the US will pass customs in the port at which it arrives first, unless you get a foreign freight company that may ship the car to a port that is closer to your place of residence.

US law prohibits hiring US officials for this, but of course you may get a commercial freight company to take care of this.

You will need the following documents for the import:

You will need the cargo documents from the shipping company as well as the bill, the sales document from the foreign manufacturer, the foreign registration as well as all other car documents you received when you bought the car.

In addition, you will need the following forms: the filled out EPA document 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7, stating the emission values and the security requirements of the imported car.

Cars that already correspond with US import regulations have a label on the engine block in English.

Cars that meet all the requirements, unless they are subject to special regulations or excluded from import, have to be shipped to the US by an independent commercial car importer. The owner will only get his car after the company has taken care of all formalities. However, the entire process is very expensive, and it should always be considered whether a new car might not be the better and cheaper solution.

YOUR CAR IS NOT A SHIPPING CONTAINER For your own safety, please note the following advice. Do not use your car as a means of transporting other things.

- everything in the car may be stolen during the loading or unloading process. The shipping company is not liable for that.
- Furthermore, most freight companies will not transport your car if there are any other of possessions inside.
- All items have to be declared, if you don't abide by this rule, not only the undeclared items, but your entire car may be confiscated.
- Your car may be confiscated an you may be liable in case a third party uses your car to smuggle things past customs. Apparently, this happens quite frequently, so please make sure to lock you car and make it secure for transport.

CUSTOMS DUTY The following customs duties apply to the import of foreign cars:

Car: 2.5%
Truck: 25%
Motorbikes either free or 2.4%

Duties depend on purchase price.

A NOTE OF CAUTION Both DOT and EPA point out that in case a car is imported into the US that does not comply with necessary standards, the costs for rebuilding the car according to US standards can be so expensive that it may not make sense to actually do this. So you should first of all consider whether it wouldn't be cheaper to buy a (new) car in the US.