Importing a Car from the USA - Everything You Need to Know

Purchasing a car on the American market is an attractive alternative for cost-effective acquisition of a good quality vehicle. The low dollar exchange rate makes us eager to reach for new cars from American dealerships. Such a move often constitutes a source of significant savings. However, importing a car from the USA makes sense when our range of interest includes high-end cars. Otherwise, importing cars from the USA is not always completely profitable.

Buying a Car in the USA Can Bring Savings

The prices of cars offered by the American market can be much more favorable than those we encounter among European importers. If you consider the low dollar exchange rate, the price difference can reach even tens of thousands. Of course, to the advantage of the car importer. At one time, the most frequently imported car from the USA was the Jeep Grand Cherokee. By deciding to purchase and ship this car to Poland, we could save even about sixty thousand zlotys. Importing cars from the USA can be profitable when we target expensive cars, from the so-called top shelf. This involves the necessity of adding transport costs, which are not small. When buying cars worth about thirty or fifty thousand zlotys, we may only lose. When deciding to import cars from the USA, we don't have to target only typically American models. It can also be profitable to import cars that are currently also produced in the European market. Currently, there is great interest in models such as Infiniti FX, Audi Q5 and Q7, BMW X6, or Mercedes ML.

How to Buy a Car in the USA?

Importing a car from the USA can take place in two ways. The first, most obvious, is a personal trip to the United States. This method of importing a car from the USA can be expensive and time-consuming, and does not guarantee satisfaction. Firstly, the flight itself generates costs. Secondly, the visa application process also costs money, and we do not receive certainty of obtaining it. Another obstacle is the time spent in the USA and the associated need to rent an apartment, while finding the right car can take a long time.

Alternative Way to Import a Car from the USA - Use a Company's Services

The second way enabling efficient and safe import of cars from the USA is using the services of a Polish company that provides car purchase and import services to Poland. This method is much easier, more economical, and less time-consuming. Additionally, we gain the possibility of having the car delivered to the specified address. The commission is small compared to the costs we would incur by deciding to travel independently and transport cars from the USA on our own.

Importing a Car from the USA - Transport

The most commonly used form of transport for a car from the USA to Poland is sea route. Car transport by ship takes place in special containers. In transport costs, one should consider both internal transport, taking place from the place of purchase to the port, as well as the target transport from the USA to Europe and further to Poland. When transporting a used car from the USA to Poland, one should be careful that the car is not classified as waste, as it will not be registered. For this purpose, one should ensure that there is no information in the ownership act indicating that the car is not suitable for repair. A professional company will take care of all necessary formalities and guide you through the entire process.

Car Unloading Costs

The costs associated with bringing the car to the shipping location, loading it, and sea transport do not close the catalog of expenses that the buyer of a car from the USA must bear. Although container transport is the most popular and relatively cheap, bringing a car to Poland itself is quite a complex operation. When the ship transporting the car from the USA to Poland reaches the designated port, one should expect costs of unloading the car from the container and customs agency fees. One must assume that such an expense will cost us approx. 380-450 euros, assuming we chose transport to the port in Bremerhaven, Germany. As it will soon turn out, sea transport to Germany will pay off more than to Gdynia, even taking into account the costs of transporting the car to Poland.

Information about Ports Where Ships from the USA Arrive

Considering the fact that we want to import a car from the USA to Poland, we have a choice of the aforementioned port in Bremerhaven (Germany), Rotterdam (Netherlands), and Gdynia. These are the three most popular ports to which cars from the USA are imported in Central Europe. The port in Bremerhaven enjoys considerable popularity among Polish buyers of cars from America. This is related to the fact that the distance to Poland is relatively small, and additionally, by importing a car to Germany, we will pay lower VAT (19%, in Poland 23%) and customs duty, which means that even after adding the cost of transporting the car from Germany to Poland, we can save.

Fees to Be Covered (Customs, Excise, VAT, Technical Inspection, Document Translation, Recycling Fee, Registration)

Additional fees that the buyer of a car imported from the USA to Poland must cover include:

• customs duty, constituting 10% of the customs value of the car (customs value is the purchase price + transport costs + insurance costs),
• excise duty, dependent on engine capacity (up to 2000 cc 3.1% of the customs value of the car, above 2000 cc - 18.6% of the customs value),
• VAT, amounting to 23% of the customs value of the car, increased by customs duty, excise duty, and the costs of transporting the car within the country,
• fee for the technical inspection of the car - its price is 98 PLN + 60 PLN for establishing car data,
• accident inspection of the car, if the documents show that the car is post-accident - this is another 94 PLN. If we intend to install an LPG system in a car transported from the USA to Poland, we must expect an additional fee of 63 PLN,
• modification costs - certainly, you will have to pay for the modification of lights. Other things depend on the type and model of the car,
• fee for the translation of foreign-language documents - its execution is necessary for car registration. The cost of translation by a sworn translator is usually around 150 PLN,
• recycling fee, paid to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in the amount of 500 PLN,
• vehicle registration fee in the amount of 256 PLN.

Cost Summary

Summarizing all the costs generated by importing a car from the USA to Poland, we can see that it is profitable in the case of luxury cars, on the price of which we can save even tens of thousands of zlotys. Nevertheless, auction houses in the USA such as IAAI and Copart are the most popular, through which we can most often purchase post-accident cars sold by insurance at attractive prices. Below, we present a summary of all costs associated with purchasing and importing to Poland a car with an average value of 30 dollars, with an engine capacity of 2.5 l, with a dollar exchange rate of 3.44 PLN and a euro exchange rate of 4.30 PLN.

Auction Handling, Bringing the Car to the Port

• fee for conducting the auction by the company - 700 PLN,
• transport from the place of car purchase to the port in the USA - 300 to 1600 PLN.

Transport to Bremerhaven

• container transport - 3400 PLN,
• car unloading and customs formalities in Germany - 1800 PLN,
• customs duty in Germany - 10580 PLN,
• VAT in Germany - 22112 PLN,
• car transport to Poland - 1300 PLN,
• excise duty in Poland - 19195 PLN,
• VAT exemption (VAT-25) - 160 PLN.

Transport to Gdynia

• sea transport - 4000 PLN,
• transport to the place of residence - 600 PLN,
• customs duty in Poland - 10620 PLN,
• excise duty in Poland - 21282 PLN,
• VAT in Poland - 31211 PLN.

Expenses Related to Modifications and Registration

• Technical modifications - 500-100 PLN,
• technical inspection - 158 PLN,
• document translation - 150 PLN,
• recycling fee - 500 PLN,
• registration fee - 256 PLN.

In summary, by choosing transport to the port in Bremerhaven, the entire operation will cost us 62611 PLN, while with transport to Gdynia, we will pay 70821 PLN. As can be seen, transport to Germany is much more profitable.

Explanations of Descriptions at American Auctions

Purchasing a car in the USA at an auction is one of the most popular ways to buy your dream car. Regardless of whether we entrust the right to bid on our behalf to an agency or we bid for the car ourselves, we should know the explanations of descriptions at auctions in the USA and car damage codes. Below, we present tables that will help explain the most commonly encountered markings.

Explanation of Descriptions at Auctions

DESCRIPTION	EXPLANATION
Lot number	Lot number
2006 Audi A8	Year, make, model
ACV	Car price
Repair cost	Estimated repair cost
Title state / type	Type of documents
Odometer	Mileage
Primary damage	Primary damage
Secondary damage	Secondary damage
VIN	VIN number
Body style	Body type
Color	Color
Engine	Engine capacity
Drive	Drive type
Cylinders	Number of cylinders
Fuel	Fuel type
Keys	Key
Special note	Annotations
Expected sale date	No auction date
Sale date	Auction date
Sale time	Auction time
Item#	Car number at auction
Sales status	Sales status
Current bid	Current price

Damage Codes

DAMAGE CODE	DAMAGE TYPE
BC	Chemical damage
BE	Burnt engine
BI	Burnt interior
BN	Burnt
FR	Front damage
HL	Hail
MC	Mechanically damaged
NO	No visible damage
PR	Partially repaired
RJ	Defectively repaired
RO	Rolled over
RR	Rear damage
SD	Side damage
ST	Dismantled / incomplete
TP	Roof damage
UK	Unknown damage
UN	Damaged chassis
VN	Vandalism / theft
WA	Flooded
WK	Flooded / water, hurricane

What Does the Registration of an Imported Vehicle Look Like

After importing a vehicle from the USA to Poland, performing all technical inspections, making modifications, and paying necessary fees, we can register the car. Usually, there are no problems with vehicle registration if all documents indicate its compliance with the standards. However, it happens that the lack of an appropriate "Title" (ownership document) does not allow for the registration of the car in Poland. When browsing auctions in the USA, one should pay attention to these types of ownership titles:

1. certificate of destruction - complete destruction of the car,
2. parts only - car only for parts,
3. bill of sale - no Title, only a sales invoice,
4. non-repairable - the car is not suitable for repair,
5. no Title - lack of Title.

Thanks to the AuctionCars agency, the lack of an ownership document does not preclude the possibility of importing a car from the USA to Poland and its registration, however, it involves an additional cost of obtaining a replacement ownership title, which costs $600.

Tracking During Transport

The agency helping with the transport of a car from the USA to Poland enables tracking of the container transport. It is possible from the moment of loading the container with the car onto the ship in the USA. At that time, the buyer receives a container number from the agency, based on which they can track the location of the shipment.

Completed Auction with an Offer Starts Again

It may happen that despite the end of the auction, the car owner will put it up for auction again. This happens if the minimum price was not achieved as a result of the auction. In such a case, the owner makes a decision regarding whether to transfer the car to the buyer for the bid amount or decides to put the car up again.

VIN Number Length

The length of the VIN number is 17 characters containing digits and letters. Why is the VIN number partially hidden in many American auctions? In the case of damaged and post-accident cars, the VIN number is hidden throughout the auction. Only after winning the auction does the buyer receive the full VIN number. The rule is not applied in the case of the sale of new or undamaged cars - these have the entire number disclosed.

Differences in Car Lighting in the USA and Europe

Importing cars from the USA to Poland involves the necessity of making modifications to the lights. Differences regarding car lighting in the USA and Europe are presented in the table below.

USA	Europe
No rear fog light	Rear fog light mandatory
Front turn signals are also parking lights. When the turn signal is activated, they start to flash	Parking lights and turn signals separately
Rear turn signals flash red	All turn signals flash yellow