Importing a car from the USA to Europe: what it costs in 12 countries

The customs duty is the same everywhere in the EU. The final bill is not. VAT, registration tax and the approval rules decide what a US car really costs where you live.

Anna

Vehicle history research

A car from a US auction can look like the deal of the year: a huge choice, low hammer prices, models that are rare in Europe. But the price you bid is only the start, and how much comes on top depends almost entirely on the country where the car will be registered.

We wrote a detailed import guide for 12 EU countries. This page puts them side by side: what every importer pays at customs, how the same car is taxed in each country, how long the journey takes, and where a car's US history tends to disappear.

What did it go through in the US?

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

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Austria A Belgium B Bulgaria BG Cyprus CY Czechia CZ Germany D Denmark DK Estonia EST Spain E Finland FIN France F United Kingdom GB Greece GR Hungary H Ireland IRL Italy I Lithuania LT Luxembourg L Latvia LV Malta M Netherlands NL Poland PL Portugal P Romania RO Sweden S Slovenia SLO Slovakia SK

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What every importer pays at customs

Customs starts from the customs value: the price you paid plus transport and insurance to the EU border. On a passenger car the duty is normally 10% of that. Import VAT is then charged on the customs value plus the duty, at the rate of the country where the car is cleared. As a private buyer you cannot reclaim it.

New since 1 July 2026: EU Regulation 2026/1455 cuts the duty on goods of US origin to 0% until the end of 2029, and passenger cars are included. What counts is where the car was built, not where it was sold. A Japanese or Mexican built car auctioned in California still pays 10%.

To get 0% you have to prove the US origin, and a line on the invoice is not enough. Used auction cars often lack that proof, so plan with 10% and treat 0% as a bonus. A VIN starting with 1, 4 or 5 usually means the car was built in the USA, but that is a filter, not proof.

You can clear the car in any EU country, for example in Bremerhaven or Rotterdam, and register it at home. The VAT is then paid where the car is cleared. The registration tax and the approval still follow the country where the car will be registered.

The same car in 12 countries

This is what changes from country to country once the duty is paid. Each country links to its full guide, with the cost example, the approval process and every step to registration.

Figures from each country guide, October 2026. The PPMV and BPM figures are for the same 2018 petrol saloon used in every guide.

What customs charges on a 2018 saloon

Every guide uses the same example: a 2018 saloon with a 2.0 petrol engine, bought for USD 12,000 with USD 1,800 of shipping. The customs value is USD 13,800. This is what customs collects in each country, before any registration tax.

Between the cheapest and the most expensive country there are about USD 1,200 at customs. After customs, registration taxes can open a far bigger gap: in the Netherlands the BPM on this car is about €5,217 with an accepted CO2 value and about €49,757 without one.

Customs converts at its own monthly rate. Not included: auction fees, transport inside the USA, port and agent costs, conversion, approval, registration and insurance.

From the auction to your driveway

The steps are the same in every country, and so is the order that saves money.

1. Set a budget

   before buying

   Add roughly a third to the auction price for transport, duty, VAT and conversion, then your country's registration tax. Models also sold in Europe are usually cheaper to approve.

2. Check the VIN

   before you bid

   Look for title brands such as salvage, rebuilt or flood, auction photos, damage records and mileage readings. Check where the car was built if you hope for 0% duty.

3. Ask whether it can be approved

   before you bid

   Send the model, year and specification to the testing body in your country and ask what the car needs. A no at this stage saves thousands.

4. Bid and buy

   auction day

   Set your maximum bid including every fee. Only pay against the original title, with a lien release if a bank is still named on it.

5. Ship the car

   1 to 4 weeks plus the crossing

   A forwarder takes the car to the port and files the export. The crossing takes about 10 to 18 days from the East Coast and 3 to 5 weeks from the West Coast, depending on the port.

6. Clear customs

   after arrival

   Pay the duty and the import VAT and keep the customs document. Without it no country will register the car.

7. Convert, approve, register

   the last few weeks

   Lights, indicators and speedometer are converted to EU rules, the car passes the national approval, and you register it with the documents your country asks for.

Allow roughly six to ten weeks from the auction to registration.

Where the US history disappears

Many cheap US cars carry a salvage, rebuilt or flood title. An insurer has written them off, or they stood in water. What happens to that history in Europe depends on the country.

• Germany records US salvage titles neither at import nor at registration. A repaired wreck gets the same papers as an accident free car.
• Romania: RAR does not issue a vehicle identity card for a car declared a total loss, scrapped or sold for parts.
• Latvia: a document stating that a car is written off or cannot be repaired is not accepted as a registration document.
• The Netherlands: after flood damage, a damage inspection is always required.
• Poland and Czechia: the national record starts with the first inspection in the country. Damage from the USA only shows in the US history.

A European registration document has no field for a US title brand. The history survives only in the records attached to the VIN.

That is why the VIN check comes before the bid, not after. It shows auction photos, damage records, title brands and mileage readings, so you know what you are bidding on.

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

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