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

Customs duty, VAT, RAR approval and registration. And why a total loss car can end up without papers in Romania.

Anna

Vehicle history research

A car from a US auction often looks like a bargain. But the auction price is only the start. Before the Romanian plates come transport, customs duty, VAT, RAR approval and registration. And sometimes a history nobody has shown you.

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 records and title brands.

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Customs duty, VAT and annual tax

Everything starts from the customs value: the price paid plus transport and insurance to the EU border. The standard duty on passenger cars is 10%. VAT of 21% is added on the customs value plus the duty, valid since 1 August 2025. Careful, many old guides still say 19%.

New since 1 July 2026: EU Regulation 2026/1455 cuts the duty on goods of US origin to 0%, for now until the end of 2029. Passenger cars are included. What counts, though, is where the car was built, not where you bought it. A Japanese, Korean, Mexican or German car bought in the USA still pays 10%. A "Made in USA" label or a line on the invoice is not enough as proof. For a used auction car the proof is hard to get, so plan with 10%.

For ordinary passenger cars there is no excise duty, and the environmental stamp has been abolished. Since 1 January 2026 the annual tax depends on engine capacity and on the Euro standard. For a car from the USA, RAR sets the standard at approval, so the test result also affects the tax.

Cost example: a 2018 saloon

You buy a 2018 saloon with a 2.0 petrol engine (1,998 cm³) for USD 12,000 and pay USD 1,800 for shipping to Constanța:

Customs uses the official exchange rate of the day of the declaration. Auction fees and towing in the USA are part of the customs value. Not included: the customs agent, RAR approval and the emissions test, conversion work, registration and RCA insurance. The annual tax is the national rate, and the local council may adjust it.

Port and customs clearance

Constanța is the Romanian port for containers from the USA. The Constanța Sud Agigea border customs office checks containers with cars together with the Border Police and RAR. Many buyers instead bring the car to a western European port, often in Germany, and then move it by truck.

If you clear customs in Germany, you pay 19% VAT there. For a used car no VAT is due in Romania any more, but RAR approval stays compulsory. Ask ANAF (the tax authority) which documents will be required, so the car is not treated as an intra-EU purchase.

Individual approval at RAR

Cars from the USA have no European type approval, so they go through individual approval at RAR. The result is the vehicle identity book (CIV) and the certificate of authenticity. The procedure includes a dynamic emissions test that sets the pollution standard. A car below Euro 3 cannot get a CIV. Then the component approval marks and conformity with EU rules are checked at a technical inspection.

Typical problems with American cars: red rear indicators, indicators combined with the brake light, no headlamp levelling and no rear fog lamp. Headlamps must have a European asymmetric beam. RAR recommends sending photos of the purchase documents for a preliminary analysis before you buy.

Salvage, rebuilt, flood: why it matters more in Romania

Many cheap American cars have a salvage, rebuilt or flood title: an insurer has already declared them a total loss, or they stood in water. In Romania that does not only mean a lower price. RAR has stated that it cannot issue a CIV for a car that the papers show as scrapped, a total loss or for parts only.

The rule applies at the port. In December 2021 the Border Police, the Constanța Sud Agigea customs office and RAR held several American cars registered as total losses, and some containers were sent back, with criminal files opened against the importers. A 2026 draft ordinance would explicitly ban the sale of used cars declared a total loss.

In Romania, a salvage title can mean the car never gets papers.

That is why step 2 matters so much: check the US history before you bid, not after.

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. For the whole journey allow roughly six to ten weeks.

1. Set a budget and choose the car

   before buying

   To the auction price add transport, customs duty, VAT, RAR approval with the emissions test, and conversion work. Choose a car that is at least Euro 3.

2. Check the VIN

   before you bid

   Ask for the VIN and check the US history before you bid:

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

3. Ask for the RAR preliminary analysis

   before you bid

   Send RAR photos of the purchase documents. That way you learn in advance whether the car can get a CIV, especially if the title carries damage brands.

4. Bid and buy

   auction day

   Set your maximum bid including all fees. Pay only if you receive the original Certificate of Title, without a total loss or parts only brand, and keep the invoice.

5. Transport and shipping

   2 to 6 weeks

   A forwarder collects the car, takes it to a US port and handles the export. Choose the port: Constanța or a western European port, with a truck home.

6. Customs clearance

   on arrival

   A customs agent files the declaration and you pay the duty and VAT. Keep the proof of final import. For 0%, prepare proof of US manufacture and of direct transport.

7. RCA insurance

   1 day

   Take out RCA (compulsory third party liability insurance) in your own name. RAR also asks for it at approval.

8. Conversion to European standard

   usually a few days to 2 weeks

   You will usually need:

   • amber rear indicators, separate from the brake light,
   • a rear fog lamp,
   • headlamps with a European asymmetric beam,
   • headlamp levelling.

9. RAR approval

   1 or more appointments

   RAR runs the dynamic emissions test, checks the component marks and does the technical inspection. You receive the CIV and the certificate of authenticity, each valid for a single registration.

10. Local taxes

    1 visit or online

    Declare the purchase document at the local tax office where you live. Since March 2026, obligations to the local budget must be paid before registration.

11. Registration

    1 appointment

    At the registration office you submit:

    • the application and your identity document,
    • proof of ownership with an authorised translation,
    • the CIV and the certificate of authenticity,
    • proof of final import,
    • the original US title, RCA and a valid ITP (periodic technical inspection).

    The certificate costs 76 lei and the provisional authorisation 25 lei. The certificate arrives within 20 working days at most.

12. Fit the plates and drive off

    done

    With the plates and the papers you can drive. Keep all the American documents: when you sell, a documented history is an argument for the right buyers.

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

Good to know

• The anti-broker draft: a 2026 draft ordinance would limit private individuals to two used cars imported per year, maybe even one. By June 2026 it had not been adopted.
• Right hand drive: since 2021, right hand drive cars from outside the EU cannot be registered without conversion. With American cars it rarely matters.
• Moving home: a citizen returning after at least 12 months in the USA can bring a personal car without customs duty, if they have owned it for at least 6 months.
• 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 importing a used car to Romania explains that route.