Importing a car from the USA involves a range of costs that should be considered during the planning stage. The final turnkey cost is the total amount of expenses, including the purchase price, transport, customs duties, VAT, excise tax, repairs, and registration of the vehicle. These costs can vary depending on the type of vehicle, its damages, and specific import requirements.
To make planning easier and avoid surprises, you can use our import calculator to calculate cost of delivery. The tool will automatically calculate all the costs and provide an estimated final price of the vehicle in Poland.
1. Vehicle Purchase Cost
The first and primary cost is the vehicle purchase price at the auction, which depends on the technical condition of the vehicle, its damages, and the model's popularity. The purchase cost can range from a few thousand to tens of thousands of PLN, and in the case of damaged vehicles, it can be significantly lower.
2. Auction Fees and Broker Commission
In addition to the vehicle price, every auction involves additional fees:
- Buyer Fee (Copart / IAAI) – the basic auction commission, which increases with the vehicle’s value. The more expensive the vehicle, the higher the fee: 0 – 720 USD or 6% of the value for expensive cars.
- Virtual Bid Fee (Copart) or Internet Bid Fee (IAAI) – applies if you participate in an online auction. It applies to both Pre-Bid and live bidding. The fee depends on the vehicle’s price and ranges from 0 – 160 USD.
- Gate Fee (Copart) or Service Fee (IAAI) – a standard service fee charged for preparing the vehicle for pickup (e.g., placing the vehicle on the lot, forklift loading) – 95 USD.
- Environmental Fee (Copart / IAAI) – a small environmental fee for vehicles that are not drivable, covering, for example, the recycling of operating fluids – 15 USD.
- Title-Handling Fee (Copart / IAAI) – fee for preparing and shipping the ownership document (Title) – 20 USD.
- Additionally, depending on the location of the vehicle, local fees may apply.
3. Shipping Cost from the USA to the EU
Shipping a vehicle from overseas is a crucial stage in the import process and directly affects both the timeline and final costs. It consists of two main stages:
- Land transport to the loading port. After purchasing the vehicle at the auction, it must be transported from the auction lot to the nearest seaport. The cost of this stage mainly depends on the distance between the purchase location and the selected port, typically ranging from 300–600 USD.
- Sea transport to the destination port in the EU. Once the vehicle reaches the port, it is loaded onto a container ship and sent to Europe. Shipping costs depend on the location of the loading port:
- East Coast ports (e.g., New York, Savannah, Baltimore): Shipping usually costs 1000–1200 USD.
- West Coast ports (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego): Due to the much longer route through the Panama Canal, the cost increases to 1400–1600 USD.
- Potential additional fees. It's important to remember that certain types of vehicles may incur extra costs:
- Electric and hybrid vehicles – lithium-ion batteries require special precautions during loading and transport, which incurs additional hazardous transport fees. As a result, shipping electric cars will be 100 USD more expensive than traditional vehicles.
- Oversized vehicles (e.g., large SUVs, pickups, vans) – higher rates due to their size and weight. They typically require more space in the container, which increases shipping costs by 200–1700 USD.
- Delays in the process may increase storage costs.
Remember, electric, hybrid, and oversized vehicles come with additional shipping costs.
4. Customs Duties, VAT, and Excise Tax
Customs obligations for importing cars from the USA include customs duty, VAT, and excise tax. These costs depend on various factors such as the vehicle’s value, type, and engine capacity.
- Customs Duty – the standard customs duty rate for vehicles is 10% of the vehicle’s value, although it may be lower in some exceptional situations.
- VAT – ranges from 19% to 23% of the vehicle's value (including shipping and customs duties). Keep in mind that the VAT rate varies depending on the EU destination country.
- Excise Tax – this tax is calculated based on the vehicle’s value, engine capacity, and type, and must be paid before registration. The excise tax rates depend on the engine size:
- up to 2000 cm³ – 3.1%
- over 2000 cm³ – 18.6%
- Preferential rates apply for hybrids, electric vehicles, and classic cars.
- Customs Agency Service Fees – range from 500–1000 EUR and cover local shipping line fees, container transport to the warehouse, unloading, photographing the vehicle after unloading, wheel installation (if required), securing damage with plastic wrap (if necessary), customs clearance, loading onto a tow truck, VAT and customs declarations, and customs inspection.
5. Repair and Adaptation Costs to EU Regulations
Once the vehicle is imported from the USA, it will need to be adapted to meet European technical standards and road regulations. This includes adjusting the lights, installing rear fog lights, and converting the speedometer from miles to kilometers. In modern cars equipped with matrix headlights and digital speedometers, adaptation involves reprogramming the lights and speedometer without the need for soldering or purchasing new parts.
If the vehicle was involved in an accident, necessary body and mechanical repairs must be made so the car can pass the technical inspection and be approved for registration in the country.
Repair and adaptation costs depend on the extent of the vehicle’s damage and how easily it can be adjusted to meet EU regulations.
6. Registration Costs
The final element of the cost calculation for importing a car from the USA is completing technical inspections and registering the vehicle in Poland. After repairs and adaptations, the vehicle must undergo a mandatory technical inspection, including an accident inspection for damaged cars. Once a positive result is obtained, registration can be processed at the vehicle registration office. This requires providing a full set of documents, including the purchase receipt, title of ownership, proof of customs and tax payments, and a certificate from the vehicle inspection station. Only then will the car be registered and approved for use on the road.
The total cost of this stage is approximately 400 PLN.