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How Import Your Car | Pro Imports Motors - Car Exporter - Part 5

Car Shipping to France from USA

01/9/2017 | How Import Your Car

Shipping Cars to France from the USA

So you have decided ship a car to France as part of your upcoming move or maybe you are taking it on holiday. Bringing your personal vehicle with you can be a tough decision as well as turn into a nightmare if you don’t first learn about the different steps involved.

Fortunately, our auto shipping company ships cars to France regularly and has more than 20 years experience. Our goal is that this overview will help you with the process.

We can ship your vehicle form one of our warehouse locations.

US Departures

  • Miami, FL
  • Houston, TX
  • Los Angeles/Long Beach
  • New York/New Jersey
  • Savannah, GA

France Vehicle Shipping Service

To ship a car to France, the two primary options are with your own 20ft sole use container, or using a shared container service which means your car will be loaded with others in a 40ft container and then transported.

Another method is called Roll on Roll off. This is an option, however the logistics involved when using a container to ship a car overseas, provides an added level of protection which is why we recommend it.

Also, the availability of entry ports when shipping cars to France via container service are more widely available because not every port can handle RoRo vessels.

If you need to transport a larger vehicle like a truck or automobile that is too wide to fit in one of the mentioned containers, you can call one of our representatives and discuss the options available to you.

Car Shipping to France Cost

The cost to ship a car to France will depend on the
1) type of vehicle
2) which departure port you use in the USA as well as the
3) method of shipment and the
4) final destination.

If you are looking for the most cost effective and secure way to ship a vehicle to France, use a shared container service rather than paying for your own 20ft. It will save you hundreds of dollars.

Additionally, another factor to take into consideration when looking at overall price is pickup/delivery to the departure port or warehouse.

It’s understandable that not everyone will live close enough to one of our 5 USA warehouse locations. For those that do, you will always be able to deliver vehicles in person rather than using our dispatch service.

Below, we’ve listed the port information as well as estimated transit times when shipping a car from the USA to France.

How Long Does it Take: Transit Times by Port

These estimates are for port to port and assume that we receive all the necessary documents up front, the car is ready for departure and that we have a full container ready to be shipped.

Car Shipping to Le Havre:
Le Havre is a more common port for container services and is in the north of France. Sailings for this port of entry are more regular and have a shorter time on the ocean.

It generally takes between 4-5 weeks on the water from our west coast office in Los Angeles. This time is the ocean transit, and does not include the consolidation period.

From the west coast, we recommend clients give themselves at least 6-8 weeks for the entire process. However, it can take longer when sharing a container.

Those relocating to France and shipping a vehicle from the east coast have a shorter port to port sail time of 2-3 weeks.

Car Shipping to Marseille Port (Southern France):
Assuming the same criteria as listed above, it takes 5-6 weeks port to port from Los Angeles once there is a full container. It takes a little longer, as do all the Mediterranean destinations.

From the east coast, the sail time is shorter around 20 days port to port when shipping a car to Marseille, France.

Customs Duties and Taxes When Importing Cars to France

If you are importing a vehicle to France from the US (non-European country), vehicles are subject to the local customs duties as well as France’s 19.6% VAT, or value added tax.

There are a few exceptions to this. For those bringing a vehicle on holiday, car or motorcycle, only a deposit is required upfront which you’ll receive back upon the export of the vehicle from France.

If you are a US citizen and ship a car to France from the USA as part of a relocation, ie. for work, you can import the automobile as part of your personal effects as long as you have owned it for more than 6 months. You will not be liable for the VAT tax only the 10% duty based on the value of the car.

EU citizens that have lived in the USA for more than a year AND have owned the vehicle longer than 6 months are allowed a one time tax free import for their car.

Since, these taxes can change without notice we advise clients to contact the French embassy to ask what the most current customs duties and taxes are for the imported automobile.

Shipping a Car from France to USA

Although not as common, we can also help you ship your car from France back to the USA. There are completely different requirements and you will find that there are fewer options for container services, however we have our own import department and a dedicated import specialists who can help make the process extremely easy.

For further information or to find out how much it costs to ship your vehicle to France, Contact us or Ask a Car Quote

Car Shipping to Austria from USA

01/9/2017 | How Import Your Car

Shipping Cars to Austria from the USA

Shipping a car to Austria involves the same required steps as shipping to many other EU countries in terms of the preparation and documentation.

Additionally, due to its geographic location you will have a few choices which port of entry to use and we will always recommend the best option for your particular shipment.

The reason being is that Austria is landlocked, so it does not have direct port access. However, as mentioned, anyone that wants to ship a car to Vienna or another destination in Austria will be able to choose from any European base port that they prefer.

Popular Destinations

  • Graz
  • Linz
  • Salzburg
  • Vienna

Ways to Transport Your Vehicle to Austria

There are two practical ways of shipping a car to Austria from the US. The first uses an ocean cargo container and the other uses the roll-on roll-off system.

If one is using the Ro-Ro service, your car will be departing from the east coast. Most likely Baltimore, as this port offers the best options for Ro-Ro. Cars are driven into the hull of large ocean liners and then secured and braced.

For the second method, clients will have the option of purchasing their own container or using our consolidation car shipping service.

Because we have extensive experience shipping cars via consolidation (loading multiple cars in a container) and rates are so competitive, this is our option of choice for clients.

The time it required to consolidate may take slightly longer than the other option but generally you can save money and bring additional items using a container service.

How Long Does it Take to Ship a Car to Austria?

Generally, the amount of time that it takes on the water to ship a car from the US to Austria is roughly 4 weeks. This number can change depending on the shipping method, whether you want a door-to-door vs. door-to-port service, and a few other variables.

Among other things, considering where your car is located, you’ll either be able to deliver the automobile yourself to our warehouse in New Jersey or we can arrange to have it picked up at your residence anywhere in the country.

This will also dictate the overall duration of the shipment. Once it arrives at our warehouse we perform a full inspection, issue a dock receipt and make sure the car is ready for transport.

Customs Guidelines

To ship a car to Austria, you may or may not be subject to customs fees or duties. It’s important to always check with the local authorities as policies can change.

As a basic note, you won’t have to pay duties and fees to bring your vehicle if you meet the following requirements:

  • The car you are shipping to Austria has more than 600 km (372 mi) and you have owned it for more than six months.
  • You need to have lived in your current residence, ie. country, for more than a year.
  • You are bringing the car for personal use.

It’s very important that anyone considering shipping a car apply for a Grundlagenbescheid through the customs office in Vienna prior to actually transporting the car. 

For further information or to find out how much it costs to ship your vehicle to Austria, Contact us or Ask a Car Quote