Shipping – Commission us with the whole shipping process for your car!
Cars can be shipped in various ways:
One option is the “Ro/Ro”, that is “Roll on/ roll off”. It is relatively cheap compared to other transport methods, however it is only offered by a limited number of destinations. There is also a relatively high risk of in-transit damage. For these reasons, we use „Ro/Ro“ transportation relatively infrequently.
The traditional option is to ship the car in a 20 foot container. This method is often used, although it is the most expensive.
The third variant is to use a 40 foot container or a 40 foot HC (high cubic) container. This means you can share the container, “container sharing”, with another customer. This type of shipping can save you a lot of money! And this option is much more secure with regards of theft and in-transit damage.
A 40 foot container has space for two cars. A 40 foot high-cubic container can hold three to five cars. We generally use 40 foot containers when shipping.
If you want to send household goods as well as your car, then you can store these directly in your car. However the driver's seat must be kept free at all times. Please itemise all items together with a fair value and the approximate weight. The list must be in the languages of the departure and destination countries (alternatively: English).
Please note that many destinations require the car's petrol tank to be no more than 1/5 full and that it must be possible to access the battery easily in order to disconnect it.
Your car is safely secured in the container and, if possible, covered with a protective plastic sheet. This is always the case in Jebel Ali (Dubai). We send you a dozen photos of your car being loaded.
If you select “Prices” from the menu you will get information about transport costs for around 200 destinations across the world.
Transport insurance
We have transport insurance with Oskar Schunck KG in Munich. All shipping done through us is insured against in-transit damage by a “global-police”. The insurance applies around the world, regardless of the departure and destination locations, and also covers transportation by lorry before and after shipping. If you should require an individual insurance certificate our provider can issue you one for 30 Euros.
The insurance also covers events such as the ship sinking, the container tipping overboard, piracy, fire or similar risks. There is a deductible of 5,000 Euros per container for in-transit damage such as scratches, dents and also for theft. For a “shared container”, in which there are two cars, there is a deductible of 2,500 Euros for each party and car. The deductible means the premium can be kept relatively low.
Fortunately there has yet to be any substantial damage in any shipping we have carried out. We have never had to use the insurance.
Importing cars - customs and tax free
Normally in Europe you must pay a 10% tax and then the VAT of the country the car is entering, for example in Germany VAT is 19%.
However, if you have lived abroad within the last 12 months and if the car was registered with you abroad for at least 6 months, then the car is classed as relocation goods and can be imported into Europe without paying VAT and customs.
The homologation of cars for Germany and Europe costs between 1,500 and 2,000 Euros depending on the car, but even with this costs a relocation car is far the cheapest way to get a car in Europe. It is not only diplomats but also ordinary citizens or members of NGOs who can use this opportunity with the appropriate requirements.
Documents necessary for customs clearance as relocation goods:
- Copy of the passport,
- Copy of the (residence) visa,
- Vehicle invoice,
- Copy of the foreign driving license, which verifies a minimum duration of registration abroad of six months,
- Employer statement which proves employment abroad lasting at least 12 months,
- Proof of the residence abroad from the embassy or consulate,
- Proof of residence in your homeland by re-registering,
- Customs and export documents from the departure country.
Customs normally assumes that you officially de-registered your residency in your homeland before your period abroad and are now re-registering. However even if the appropriate documentation is missing, a customs and tax-free transfer is possible in most cases.