Exporting car to Europe - best way to do it is...?

[DLTARNU]

I'm seriously considering exporting my car to Europe. It will be parked in either Monte Carlo, Monaco or Nice, France.

I've read a few of the posts about getting U.S. cars into Europe and was wondering if there is a general consensus on the best way to go about doing it.

Which country is the most lenient about emissions, noise, taxes, etc.?

I know Yves recently went through this - I was hoping he could offer some insight.

I've also heard that a U.S. car can be brought to Europe for 1 year, without having to be registered or modified to EU standards, but only for a year, then it has to go back to the U.S.

Anyone know anything about this?


Thanks!

 

[Bill B]

Member Yves just did this about 6 months ago. I believe he went the registration route. Do a search as I remember him posting on this subject.

 

[DLTARNU]

Read several of Yves' posts, but much of the info was inconclusive.

He somehow got out of paying the VAT and import tariffs, by what it sounds like just waiting long enough for them to forget he owed the tax?

Also, about detuning the car so it passes the EU's lame ass requirements, is there a quick fix that wouldn't necessitate reverting the car back to stock? Maybe a VEC2 could be programmed with an EU emissions setting that made the car run like a Toyota Tercel, but allowed it to pass emissions?

 

[flying dutchman]

i bought my gts close to you, in ft lauderdale and had
Gary A transport it to jason heffner, its being shipped out this week to the netherlands, the car has a 700 hp package and it will pass emissions no problem,
this year i have shipped out several cars with jason and
had no problems at all.

yves lives in Switzerland, not a EU country, different laws apply,

normally importing a car into the EU y will have to pay 10 percent import tax and 19 percent vat over the value of the car.
normally y will not have to convert the car back to stock, im not!!!.

end of october we will be shipping out cars of baltimore, if interested let me know, y can have Gary A pick it up,
miami is a nightmare to ship cars from, if y want to handle it yrself pm me and i will give y phone.nrs of the shipping company.
do NOT ship it roll/roll off and do not hand over yr car to a agent only to the shipping company itself.
very important is to have the car strapped down in the container in a proffesional way, very important.

good luck,
Frank

 

[DLTARNU]

"...its being shipped out this week to the netherlands, the car has a 700 hp package and it will pass emissions no problem..."

How?


"yves lives in Switzerland, not a EU country, different laws apply"

Unless he moved since he got there, he lives in Vienna, Austria.


"normally importing a car into the EU y will have to pay 10 percent import tax and 19 percent vat over the value of the car."

Flippin' socialists. 29% tax on a used item for which tax has already been levied TWICE! BAH! Does the VAT/import tax vary from country to country?


"end of october we will be shipping out cars of baltimore, if interested let me know..."

I won't be ready to ship until mid-November at the very earliest.


Thanks for the info. If you don't mind, I'd like to keep in touch and see how the whole process goes for you, from shipping to emissions to registration - until you've filled out every bit of stupid paperwork and paid every stupid tax those bloodsucking parasites charge you.

 

[flying dutchman]

Austria, yes my bad,

for my car im paying nearly usd 15000 in taxes to get plates on it..

so far no problem with emissions, as they are pretty strict in the US and most US cars have "clean" engine's

 

[DLTARNU]

"for my car im paying nearly usd 15000 in taxes to get plates on it"

That is absolutely

You must be registered for see images

 

[Roadkill]

Unratld, I know for England.. If you look up their import laws: if you are not selling the car and have owned it for a certain period of time prior to importing it there, you are exempt from VAT. They are quite specific on the amount of time you have had to of owned your car prior to bringing it into country. Flying dutchman is not a good example as he is not moving there with his own personal auto.

 

[flying dutchman]

roadkill has a point,but i dont know if yr moving for good or just for a while.
if y would be moving over for a long period y are allowed to take one car with you as part of yr household and pay no taxes at all,
i could check for here, but i would not know for monaco,
france is probably the same as here.

 

[DLTARNU]

ttt

Yves, you out there?

 

[RedEnuf93]

One consern... Do not use anyone you cannot FULLY verify.

Once your car is out of sight, it may be forever. Right now there is a tremendous vacuum in Eastern Europa (including, or should I say expecially) Russia for high end cars. I would make sure that the car actually ends up in Monaco, not in Leningrad...

Just be careful, all facts MUST align up, do not take advise from people who say, "I think". They dont know.

Some European countries have EXTREMELY high tax for imports, the 19% is nothing. You may pay another 30-50.000$ more depending where it is imported. Be careful also with EU, they are VERY strict in regulations, many cases they are using TUV (German) rules.

Some countries allow only 6 months of stay for the car and you CANNOT weasel out of that! So, I dont want to sound negative, but just be careful. (Thats what I would be, its my car and my money...)

 

[DLTARNU]

If I do it, I will use one of the recommended transporters that someone from this board has used.

And I'll be sure to avoid any shipping company whose name uses the Cyrillic alphabet

 

[Miles B]

I'm about to send two cars USA->Australia with a company called Accord Overseas. Here's hoping they're OK!

 

[DLTARNU]

ttt

 

[Yves]

Here I am !

The rules :
If you've owned the car more than 6 months in the US, and you change your main address (i.e. move to Europe), you can import the tax without VAT (20%) or import duties (6% for Austria). In case you don't fall in this category, better produce a low invoice.

Next step : get it through technical inspections. I didn't want to deal with that crap. Drop me a PM.

In your case I would try to keep my main address in the US. That way they can never have you go through import regulations. From what I remember you can only have the car inside 1 country for 6 months that way, but quickly zipping over the border gives you another 6 months (e.g. quickly drive it to France, Monaco or Switzerland depending upon where you live).

I would certainly keep it in Monte Carlo. South of France is not as upscale and you face more risk of theft/vandalism.

By the way - we are planning a trip to Monte Carlo next year to attend formula one. We might even get the Vipers on the track.

On transport : lots of people have used EmoTrans over the past couple of months. These people do not have their act together and can not be trusted. I got confronted with a fraudulous invoice. Markus Reinhard (ViperGTS)had his car which he recently bought from Woodhouse damaged, and they tried to also get out of that responsibility. They work with a million subcontractors who according to them are always the people who fu**ed up. So,..., be warned.

Last but not least : owning a Viper is Europe has its pros and cons. Pro : maximum poser points. Even Ferrari owners will envy you. Con : roads are too small. Its like taking a bazooka to a mud fight.

 

[DLTARNU]

"If you've owned the car more than 6 months in the US, and you change your main address (i.e. move to Europe), you can import the tax without VAT (20%) or import duties (6% for Austria). In case you don't fall in this category, better produce a low invoice."

By the time I plan to move (March/April of 2005), 6 months from the purchase date will have passed. Nice to know those ridiculous taxes can be avoided.


"Next step : get it through technical inspections. I didn't want to deal with that crap. Drop me a PM."

PM dropped.


"In your case I would try to keep my main address in the US. That way they can never have you go through import regulations. From what I remember you can only have the car inside 1 country for 6 months that way, but quickly zipping over the border gives you another 6 months (e.g. quickly drive it to France, Monaco or Switzerland depending upon where you live)."

But if I keep my main address in the U.S., won't I be liable for import taxes? And how will they know I drove over a border to get the 6-month extension? Do I get something stamped?


"I would certainly keep it in Monte Carlo. South of France is not as upscale and you face more risk of theft/vandalism."

Yeah, and as soon as I find a parking place in Monaco for under €60,000 I'll consider it

Just a parking space in an underground lot in Nice is €15,000 and that makes me want to puke. Hmmmm... DLM Level 1 supercharger package or a painted rectangle... Decisions, decisions

I'm looking at property all along the French Riviera in the Alpes Maritimes region from Mandelieu to Menton. Also looking across the border in Italy, but it would have to be an amazing deal to persuade me to move there as opposed to France.


"By the way - we are planning a trip to Monte Carlo next year to attend formula one. We might even get the Vipers on the track."

I've been to the GP of Monaco twice in the last 3 years. I'd *love* to buzz the Viper around that course


"Last but not least : owning a Viper is Europe has its pros and cons. Pro : maximum poser points. Even Ferrari owners will envy you. Con : roads are too small. Its like taking a bazooka to a mud fight."

Yeah I was walking around Spain the other day trying to decide if a Viper could fit in ANY of the parking places. I'll become one of those assholes who take up two spaces at once

Maybe I'll just move to Charleston, instead