Most cars in the U. S. and Canada that are manufactured abroad are specifically manufactured to meet U. S. /Canadian regulations. Be wary of any private seller who claims that a car meets relevant standards or can be easily brought into compliance. [2] X Trustworthy Source U. S. Customs and Border Protection Federal law enforcement agency responsible for monitoring U. S. borders, facilitating international trade, and upholding customs laws Go to source Sometimes people decide that the costs of modifying a car that is not originally marketed in their country are too high, and they look for another type of car to buy instead. Search for the make and model of the car at your local car dealerships to find out if the car is marketed in your country.
If you’re staying in an EU country temporarily, or for less than 6 months, you do not have to register a car that was bought in Germany or any other EU country. Visit https://europa. eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/taxes/index_en. htm for more information about buying, selling, and registering cars within the EU.
Temporary importation is dependent upon the car’s eventual modification to meet federal safety standards within a certain amount of time. Not modifying the car can lead to its eventual seizure. Appropriate paperwork needed for importing nonconforming cars into the U. S. can be found at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at https://icsw. nhtsa. gov/cars/rules/import/. For paperwork on importing a car to a country outside the U. S. , search your country’s national or federal transportation website for rules on car importation.
Visit https://icsw. nhtsa. gov/cars/rules/import/ for a list of registered car importers in the U. S. by state.
Consumers in the U. S. can check the quality of a shipping company through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. For consumers outside the U. S. , contact your federal department of transportation or vehicle safety about shipping cars internationally.
If you have customs paperwork started when the car arrives at its port, a border officer will promptly help you to complete the process. Not having customs paperwork prepared ahead of time can lead to delays in taking your car home. In the U. S. , you will not be able to register your car without a copy of the CBP (Customs Border Protection) entry form. Customs regulations are not a concern if you are an EU citizen importing a car from Germany to another country within the EU.
Visit https://www. gov. uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk for tax information on importing cars to the UK. For tax and registration information for importing cars to Belgium, visit https://www. angloinfo. com/how-to/belgium/transport/vehicle-ownership/importing-an-eu-vehicle. Visit https://infrastructure. gov. au/vehicles/imports/ for information on related taxes for importing cars to Australia.
If you disagree with the shipper’s report and find extra damage on your car, address your concerns with them immediately and then file a claim with the shipping insurance company. If there is damage on the car in the shipper’s report that you were unaware of at the time you purchased the car, you will need to deal directly with the seller or dealer in Germany regarding this damage.