Shipping your car to Europe: landed taxes and road-legal conversion, calculated.
A US car isn't automatically street-legal in Europe — the lights, gauges and safety fittings often need converting before you can register it. If your move doesn't qualify for duty-free Transfer of Residence, expect roughly 10% import duty plus the destination country's VAT on top.
Landed import tax calculator
Estimates duty and VAT for a vehicle that does not qualify for ToR relief.
- Customs value
- €31,000
- Customs duty (10%)
- €3,100
- VAT base
- €34,100
- Import VAT (20%)
- €6,820
- Total import taxes
- €9,920
Equivalent to a 33% surcharge over the vehicle value, before local inspection and registration fees.
How the assessment is built
Official assessment formula • Verified calculation
A €30,000 car with €1,000 of shipping and insurance into a 20% VAT country produces a €31,000 customs value, €3,100 of duty, a €34,100 VAT base and €6,820 of VAT — €9,920 in total taxes, a 32% surcharge over the base vehicle value.
Making your US car road-legal in Europe
Before you can register and drive a US-spec car in Europe, it usually has to pass a local inspection. These are the three changes almost every American vehicle needs.
Switch rear turn signals to amber
US cars use red rear indicators, but Europe requires amber (orange) turn signals. A separate rear red fog lamp with a dashboard switch must also be fitted.
Fix the headlight beam
US headlights throw light the wrong way for driving on the right in Europe. The beam needs reshaping or the units replacing so you don't dazzle oncoming drivers.
Convert the speedometer to km/h
Your speedo must clearly show km/h. The car's diagnostic system also needs to talk to European test equipment — some US trucks and SUVs trip up here on software grounds.
RoRo vs containerised vehicle shipping
| Criteria | Roll-on / Roll-off | Containerised cargo |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight cost | Lower base freight charges | Higher freight and terminal handling costs |
| Operational condition | Vehicle must be operational and drivable | Accommodates non-running or project cars |
| Personal effects storage | Strictly prohibited — car must be empty | Permitted; household goods can share the space |
| Environmental exposure | Exposed to port elements and handling | Fully enclosed, sealed and secured |
| Port handling dynamics | Fast unloading, lower port storage fees | Crane unloading and unstripping fees apply |
Registration rules by destination
🇲🇽 Mexico
US-plated cars enter on a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) from Banjercito, tied to your residency card. Permanent import requires NOM compliance and is restricted by model year.
🇨🇦 Canada
Vehicles must clear the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) programme, pass a federal inspection and meet Transport Canada admissibility before provincial plating.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Register with DVLA within 14 days of arrival. Non-EU vehicles need an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test, headlamp conversion for left-hand traffic and a rear fog lamp on the offside.
🇩🇪 Germany
TÜV inspection plus Vollabnahme under §21 StVZO. Amber rear indicators, ECE-pattern headlights and a km/h speedometer are mandatory before registration at the Zulassungsstelle.
🇦🇺 Australia
Importing a car requires a Vehicle Import Approval from the Department of Infrastructure before shipping, plus steam cleaning for biosecurity and state compliance work on arrival.
🇯🇵 Japan
Imported cars need JAI inspection and Shaken roadworthiness certification, plus proof of a registered parking space (Shako Shomeisho) before plating.
🇫🇷 France
US-spec cars require Réception à titre isolé (RTI) through DREAL: amber indicators, ECE R112 headlights, rear fog lamp and a km/h cluster. Classics over 30 years old clear at 0% duty and 5.5% VAT.
🇰🇷 South Korea
Vehicles require emissions and safety certification from the Ministry of Environment and MOLIT before registration; older US-spec cars often fail emissions testing.
🇹🇭 Thailand
Personal vehicle import is heavily taxed — combined duty, excise and VAT can exceed the value of the car. Most movers advise selling before departure.
🇮🇹 Italy
Import via Motorizzazione Civile with a nulla osta and collaudo inspection. Historic vehicles registered with ASI enjoy reduced rates; ZTL permits are required for delivery into historic centres.
🇪🇸 Spain
Vehicles must pass an ITV technical inspection and have amber indicators and European-spec headlights before registration; Impuesto de Matriculación then applies unless ToR relief is granted.
🇳🇱 Netherlands
RDW inspection plus BPM registration tax, which ToR relief can waive if the car was owned and used for 6+ months. Amber indicators and ECE headlights required.
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Form 13.20A at the border, then cantonal Strassenverkehrsamt inspection within one year. Duty is assessed by vehicle weight rather than value when relief does not apply.
🇮🇪 Ireland
Vehicle Registration Tax applies unless ToR relief is granted; the car must be registered at an NCT centre within 30 days. Right-hand traffic conversion of headlamps is required.
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Vehicles need entry certification through an approved inspection organisation, steam cleaning for biosecurity and compliance with NZ frontal impact standards.
🇸🇪 Sweden
Transportstyrelsen registration requires a Swedish origin inspection at Besiktning. Winter tyre rules apply from December to March.
🇵🇦 Panama
Pensionado holders may import a vehicle duty-free every two years. Other residents pay import duty plus 7% ITBMS on the assessed value.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Portugal's ISV vehicle tax is charged by engine size and CO2 unless ToR relief is granted; the car then passes an IMT technical inspection before registration. Vehicles over 30 years old are ISV-exempt.
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Law 9986 allows duty-free import of up to two personal vehicles for qualifying residents. Outside the law, vehicle taxes run 50%–80% of assessed value.
Vehicles owned and registered in the US for 6+ months can often be relieved of duty and VAT entirely under Transfer of Residence — national registration taxes may still apply.