Importing a car from the USA: what you need to know in Croatia

Customs duty, VAT, the special motor vehicle tax (PPMV), approval and registration. And why one CO2 document decides whether you pay hundreds or thousands of euros in tax.

Anna

Vehicle history research

A car from a US auction often looks like a good buy. But the auction price is only the start. Before Croatian plates come transport, customs duty, VAT, approval, PPMV and registration. And sometimes a history nobody told you about.

This guide shows what an import really costs in 2026, the steps in order, and what to check before you bid.

What did it go through in the US?

Once a car is registered here, its US past is easy to hide. The VIN still shows it: auction photos, damage and title brands.

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Customs duty, VAT and PPMV

Everything starts from the customs value: the price of the car plus transport and insurance to the EU border. The usual duty on passenger cars is 10%. VAT of 25% is added on the customs value plus the duty.

New since 1 July 2026: Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 cuts the duty on goods of US origin to 0%, for now until the end of 2029. It covers passenger cars. What counts, though, is where the car was built, not where you bought it. A Japanese, Korean or Mexican car from a US auction still pays 10%. According to the European Commission, a "Made in USA" sticker or a line on the invoice is not enough. For a used auction car the origin is hard to prove, so plan with 10%.

PPMV is the biggest cost. The Customs Administration (Carinska uprava) calculates it from the price of the same new car in Croatia and from CO2 emissions, and for a used car it is reduced by age. Three rules hit American cars in particular:

• without proof of CO2, 401 g/km is used,
• if the documents do not prove the date of first registration, 1 January of the year after manufacture is used,
• if the equipment cannot be established, the highest trim level is used.

For US cars with unknown CO2, the DZM calculates the value using the formula in Regulation (EU) 2018/858. You file the PPMV return within 15 days of import, and without proof of payment there is no registration.

Cost example: a 2018 saloon

You buy a 2018 saloon with a 2.0 petrol engine for USD 12,000 and pay USD 1,800 for shipping to Rijeka. For PPMV we assume that the same new model costs 30,000 euros in Croatia and that the first registration was in June 2018.

Customs converts the amounts at the official exchange rate. The price of a comparable new vehicle is set by the Customs Administration, so the PPMV calculation is illustrative. Not included: auction fees, transport inside the USA, the forwarder, approval, the end-of-life vehicle fee, registration and insurance.

Port and customs clearance

Rijeka is the main Croatian port, and Koper in Slovenia is often used for cars and containers. Some importers clear the car in Bremerhaven or Rotterdam and bring it by truck. An authorised customs representative (forwarder) files the declaration for release into free circulation, and you then file the PPMV return with the competent customs office.

Clearing in another EU country is allowed, for example in Slovenia with 22% VAT or in Germany with 19%. For a used car you then pay no Croatian VAT, but PPMV and approval stay the same.

Approval through the DZM

For cars from the USA and Canada the process starts, and conditionally also ends, at the State Office for Metrology (DZM). Contact the DZM first, and it decides the way forward. The car is then inspected at the Laboratory for Engines and Vehicles of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FSB), which issues a report. Because the USA has no noise limits, noise data is usually missing, so a noise test at the CVH (the Croatian vehicle centre) is needed.

With the FSB report, a copy of the registration and the CVH approval, you apply to the DZM. With the DZM approval the car goes to an inspection station, which issues the certificate of conformity for an individually inspected vehicle. The order matters: conformity is established after the purchase, but before PPMV is set and the registration inspection.

Salvage, rebuilt, flood: damaged cars

Many cheap American cars carry a salvage, rebuilt or flood brand: an insurer has already declared them a total loss, or they were flooded. We found no Croatian rule that bans registering such a car by itself. It must pass the conformity procedure and the technical inspection.

Damage affects the tax too. If a car has damage beyond normal wear, a court expert can assess the loss of value, which can reduce PPMV, but while the assessment runs, repairs are not allowed. Customs can also request data from foreign authorities afterwards and issue a new decision if the data was wrong.

The Croatian registration certificate will not tell you that a car was a total loss in the USA.

That is why step 2 matters: check the US history before the auction, not after it.

Our guide to checking the history of an imported car shows what else can get lost when a car crosses a border.

Step by step: from the listing to your driveway

This is how an import works in practice. The timings are typical, not official deadlines. Because of the approval, allow a few weeks more than for a car from the EU.

1. Set a budget and choose the car

   before buying

   Add transport, duty, VAT, approval and PPMV to the auction price. For PPMV also plan for the worst case, with no proof of CO2.

2. Check the VIN

   before you bid

   Get the VIN and check the US history before you bid:

   • salvage, rebuilt, flood or junk brands,
   • auction photos and reported damage,
   • mileage readings over the years,
   • country of manufacture. A VIN starting with 1, 4 or 5 usually means a car built in the USA.

3. Contact the DZM

   before you bid

   Ask the DZM which way the approval will go and how CO2 will be established for that model. Collect the manufacturer's data on CO2 and equipment, because PPMV depends on them.

4. Bid and buy

   auction day

   Set your maximum bid including all fees. Only pay if you receive the original Certificate of Title, and keep the invoice and proof of payment.

5. Transport and shipping

   2 to 6 weeks

   A forwarder collects the car, takes it to the US port and files the export. Choose the port: Rijeka, Koper or a port in Western Europe with a truck on to Croatia.

6. Customs clearance

   after arrival

   The forwarder files the declaration and you pay duty and VAT. For 0%, prepare proof of US manufacture and of direct shipping.

7. Vehicle adjustments

   usually a few days to 2 weeks

   The DZM says the most common changes are:

   • position and stop lamps and indicators,
   • rear fog lamp and reversing lamp,
   • reflectors,
   • sometimes the speedometer or mirrors.

8. FSB, noise test and DZM

   a few weeks

   The FSB laboratory inspects the car, the CVH measures noise and the DZM issues the approval. If CO2 is not known, the DZM calculates it.

9. Certificate of conformity

   1 visit

   An authorised inspection station carries out the conformity procedure and issues the certificate of conformity for an individually inspected vehicle.

10. PPMV and end-of-life vehicle fee

    within 15 days of import

    File the PPMV return with the customs office, also through e-Građani, and pay within 15 days of the decision. Also pay the fee of 0.08 euros per kilogram to the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund.

11. Technical inspection and registration

    1 visit

    At the inspection station for your place of residence, hand in:

    • proof of ownership and the customs declaration,
    • ID card,
    • the certificate of conformity,
    • the American registration document.

    Pay the tax, insurance, environmental and road fees and the administrative fee. Before that, check whether a sworn court translator's translation is needed.

12. Fit the plates and drive home

    done

    After registration you get plates and can drive. Keep all the US paperwork: if you sell the car later, a documented history is an argument for honest buyers.

Not sure yet? See what a full report looks like first

Good to know

• Classic cars: cars over 30 years old that are classified as classics pay no PPMV, which is an advantage for American classics.
• Trial plates: for an imported used vehicle that has never been registered in Croatia, inspection stations can issue trial plates for up to 15 days.
• Annual road fee: for engines from 1,601 to 2,000 cm3 it is 95.60 euros a year, and it is adjusted for inflation.
• Buying in the EU instead? A car bought inside the EU pays no customs duty and no import VAT at the border. National taxes and registration costs still apply. Our guide to buying a car at auction in Europe explains that route.