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Americans import thousands of cars every month. Generally from the bigger manufacturers in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. These vehicles get shipped by plane or vehicle carrier from their place of origin to America. Every vehicle type from classic autos to boats, RVs, agricultural equipment, motor homes and motorcycles, land here daily.

Importing a car to the US is a complex process. Import laws are strict and there are customs and other requirements to contend with. That’s why it is important to work with a professional import car service that has the experience and professional contacts you need to make importing your vehicle easier. 

Import Car Service: How it works

Import car services will guide you through the entire process of importing your vehicle to the US. It starts with knowing whether the vehicle in question is eligible. If the car qualifies, that makes the process much simpler. For a car to qualify for import, it must:

• Meet US engine specifications;
• 25+ years old, if it does not meet US engine specifications;
• Imported temporarily. A year or less.

Only certain engines are allowed to be imported. If it doesn’t qualify, you need special permission from the EPA and DOT. Unless it is a temporary import, these costs can cause complications.

Permanent or Temporary Import Car Services

Do you need to import your vehicle temporarily or permanently? Your answer will determine which other rules apply. 

To permanently import a vehicle into the US, you need to:

• Be a US citizen
• Be a US company
• Hold legal status that allows you to live and work in the US.

Vehicles that gets imported temporarily do not have to conform to US engine standards. Such a vehicle has to leave the US within 12 months. They are imported for these purposes:

• Exhibition
• Racing
• Events
• Vacation
• Repairs
• Or leisure.

The following is needed:

• Foreign registration
• Bill of sale
• Original bill of lading.

Import Car Service: How much does it cost?

So, you want to import a car from overseas into the US? Nonetheless, you wonder how much it will cost? The cost of importing a car depends on a variety of factors. Let’s explain.

When you import a car to America, your first contact is a vehicle importer. Their fees usually cover their services. On top of that it covers the actual car transportation from the seller or manufacturer to the international port and auto transport by ship or plane across international lines. Your car gets delivered to the relevant international port in America. Your auto import representative will assist you with the cost of this part of the process, which will include:

• Vehicle specifications
• Origin city, country
• Destination city, country
• Distance – the distance between the origin and destination country will largely influence the price;
• Shipping type

Next, you will need to ship the car from the international port to your door. For this, you will require a nationwide auto transportation company that will collect it from the international port and bring it to you. We can assist you with a free quote for this portion of the car shipping, and we calculate auto shipping rates based on the following.

• Origin international sea or air port
• Destination address
• Vehicle make, model
• Seasonality 
• Shipping type

Import Car Services Recommend Nationwide Auto Transportation

Nationwide Auto Transportation is one of the leading providers of importation auto shipping, preferred both by individuals, car dealers, and import car service providers. Request a free auto shipping quote now.