Choose your shipping company wisely. Ship Overseas and All Shore Forwarders are examples of shipping companies that offer competitive pricing. In addition to researching shipping companies for the best price, also consider companies that will take care of most of the tedious legwork. Some companies will oversee the shipping of the vehicle through the entire process from start to finish. This includes taking the car to the drop-off point and picking it up when it has arrived.
Calculate duty and tax before deciding to ship your car to Europe. Depending on the age of the car, these fees can vary. As of June 2010, new cars carry at least 17.5 percent value added tax (VAT) and at least 10 percent duty fee. If the car was purchased in the U.S. and was owned there for at least six months, the owner does not have to pay the VAT. Several shipping companies provide services that can help you determine these fees and taxes beforehand.
Make sure your car passes the single vehicle approval (SVA) test before being shipped to Europe. This test determines if your car fulfills the current requirements set by the country to which you are transporting it. Noise, emissions, seats, speedometer and breaks are all tested as part of this requirement. It is also necessary to make sure your car is outfitted with the proper equipment for driving in Europe. For example, the speedometer must show speeds in kilometers per hour, and the proper conversion for left-handed driving must be made (if the car is going to a country where driving is performed on the left side of the road---in England, for example). Normally, your shipping company will perform the SVA prior to shipping or will direct you to an outside testing center.
