How to import cars from the USA : we explain how to buy a car in America and bring it to Italy. From do-it-yourself to the car importer. Costs, taxes and things to know.
Is it worth buying a car in America and taking it to Italy? It all depends on the cost of buying the car and the savings by comparing the purchase of the same vehicle on European or Italian territory.
How to import cars from the USA
Buying a car in America is not easy. The motorist, in fact, must be able to face some problems such as:
- Vehicle vision
- Knowledge of English to better understand the condition of the vehicle in the case of a used car
- Shipment of the vehicle and calculation of customs duties and taxes
The problems increase in the case of used cars . If you want to buy used cars in America you have to take on all the risks of used cars , even if they are occasional. First of all, the guarantee that is not always recognized abroad.
Having acknowledged that to buy a car in the United States you have to master the language so as to read the purchase clauses, especially if you want to buy it on the classic American used car sites , let’s move on to the bureaucratic process to follow and the costs to add to the price. purchase of the vehicle.
How much does it cost to import a car from the USA
The cost of importing the car from the United States consists of:
- cost for shipping the vehicle
- VAT and customs duties
- Cost for enrollment
To have a car shipped from the USA, you can count on one of the many shipping companies. Each company has its costs. In general, the price requested by the company already includes taxes for importation , that is to say customs duties and VAT.
The customs duties amounts to about 10% of the value of the car while the VAT is calculated at 22% on the sum that is obtained from the value of the vehicle + 10%.
Customs duties reach 22% in the case of vans, trucks or pick-ups where the loading air is greater than 50% of the length of the vehicle.
The cost of registering a car imported from the USA is the most negligible part. The time to obtain the license plates, in the case of American imported cars , is approximately 20 days, although it depends on the location of the Department of Land Transportation in your area.
Registration may require additional costs: is the car you want to import into Italy from the United States approved for road circulation according to European regulations? Generally the answer is yes, except for the turn signals, the arrows! In America the arrows (direction indicators) are red, while in Italy they are orange or amber yellow, so the Department of Land Transport will ask you for this change for approval.
The expected costs for registering an American car are minimal, in addition to the costs required for homologation which vary according to the changes requested, it is necessary to consider about 100 euros plus the cost for issuing the license plates.
Internet sites for buying cars in the USA
If you want to buy a car independently, with DIY and mastering the internet sites, you can count on various services. There is not a single American car sales site , there are hundreds that also offer shipping to Italy. The most reliable American car sales sites are:
- com
- com
Carfax.com and Cars.com are among the best sites for buying American used cars. They allow the purchase of used cars , classic American cars or even car wrecks. They show all the details about the vehicle. Even if these are reputable sites, it is important to take all possible precautions.
How to import cars from the USA, what to do for the warranty
Generally, it is rare for manufacturers to be able to offer the warranty on different continents. Check directly with the manufacturer, both in the case of new cars imported from the USA and in the case of used cars.
How to import a car from America to Italy, if the driver already owns it
If the subject is already the owner, he will still have to bear the shipping costs and customs duties, as well as the 22% VAT on the estimated value of the vehicle.
How much does it cost to ship a car from the USA to Italy?
The cost depends a lot on the chosen service. For sea transport only, it is possible to pay 700 euros but, relying on the classic companies that cooperate with a car importer , the cost ranges from 1500 to 3000 euros, to which duties and VAT must be added.
