Cost to Ship Your Car Overseas

Moving can be stressful and expensive, especially involving seemingly impossible things like hauling cars overseas. However, the expense is less when you consider the cost of buying or renting a new car from your new home. Let's assume that the point of origin is from the US to keep matters simple and easy to calculate.

Calculating the cost of relocating overseas may be a little tricky. Still, you can make it easy by making a list of things to get an accurate idea of the cost of shipping your car overseas, and the list will also help you be prepared for otherwise unexpected expenses. The following points can be tabulated as a list so that you do not miss out on anything and keep it with you until the car is safely handed over.

Things to be taken into consideration while calculating the cost to ship a vehicle overseas are:

The Size and Weight of the War - While one cannot generalize, a compact car usually costs less to move than a large car. The smaller the car, the lesser the cost, especially if it needs packing materials to keep the car safe during transport. Also, if the vehicle is an SUV, you can expect to get a bill of $2000 if the destination is Europe. However, when it is Australia that you are shipping to, even a standard-size car can cost you $2,950. Most companies use a standardized rate that considers the overall volume of the vehicle measured in cubic feet (CBF), the year of manufacture, the model, and the make of the car. So, a vehicle measuring 600 CBF with a height of 1.6 m can cost $1,300, and other charges.
Condition of the Car - When the car is running, you can lower the expenses by not having to use a truck to haul it to the ship and back again onto land. If the car has to be in drivable condition for transit, add the amount you will have to pay for repairs and servicing. Non-operational vehicles will cost you more for loading and unloading from the ship as you might need to hire trucks. Most of the time, movers use a Ro-Ro method where the car will be rolled onto the haul and again rolled off, which decreases the cost significantly as you do not need any special equipment for this method.
Transportation – this consists of three things:
The starting location till the terminal
While on the ship
From the hauling terminal till the destination

Some companies will deliver only from port-to-port and not door-to-door, with a significantly lower cost. Choose the latter if you can transport the car to the port and have arranged relocation from the destination port. If your car is in good running condition, all you will have to pay for is gas until you get it to the terminal and from the port to your new home. Otherwise, it is best to let the moving company handle the hauling.

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The transportation charges if it is door-to-door will vary if the route is as follows:

Within the US, from one major city to another where, you can add $100 more to the total cost as the shifting from the location to the shifting dock. So, the total cost of hauling can vary from $650-$800.
Within the US, from a remote location to a location in the Midwest where, you can expect the cost to be as high as $900 more. The general rule is that if you come from a remote place, then the charges will be higher to get it to the terminal, and again, geography will come into play when you deliver it to the destination after the voyage. You must pay more to transport it to villages and remote areas.
From the US to any major city in the world. If the destination is in a town in Europe, the average cost will be around $750 more. Also, the container size you hire raises the price, but you can also ship other items along with your car in the space allotted to you. So, if you have hired a 20-foot space on the haul for a shipment to Australia, then you can expect to pay around $3,200, and the cost will be more if the space you need is more.
From the US to a remote or unusual place anywhere in the world where you can expect the rates to be higher.
Services provided – Generally, it includes everything from relocating to handling charges. Services might consist of hauling the car into the ship, being driven, and even being secure to the haul to avoid being tossed about. Again, the charges will differ if the vehicle used to haul the car to the ship is closed or open, with the closed ones being more expensive.
Insurance - The coverage should be nominal and simultaneously cover everything. Moreover, try to get insurance for marine hauling so that anything damaged while in transit can be replaced. Marine insurance usually costs 1.1% - 2.5% of the entire cost. It is necessary to protect you from unnecessary expenses as the maritime law explicitly stipulates that any transport is liable only for $500/car regardless of its make and worth. There are two kinds of insurance when it comes to moving, and the more expensive one is the All-Risk one, where you have to insure for the actual value of the car, and you can claim for damages while in transit. The other kind is the Total-Loss-Only where you cannot claim for damages but will get the cover for your car in case the vehicle disappears overboard. For more insurance information, read this article.

Car Transporters

Now, common sense dictates that you cannot do it all by yourself and you need the help of professionals such as car transporters. You might find good deals with several car relocators with much experience shifting overseas. However, choose one with a good reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Also, never settle for the first company that you come across, but get quotations from at least 4 or 5. This will give you an idea of how things are charged and might give you points for bargaining. One of the charges that you can expect from the company is administrative charges.

Foreign Rules

Check whether the company knows about the duties, rules, and customs restrictions that you might encounter in the destination country. Otherwise, you can do your homework by calling up the consulate and asking them yourself. A few things that you will need to know are

How much will it cost to bring a foreign car into the country?
What are the duties and taxes that you will have to pay?
How should the car be delivered and where?
Can you sell the car in a foreign country if need be?
Does the car qualify as a luxury car and hence subject to paying the luxury car tax (LCT)?

European ports might charge you $200 for entry taxes, but it is advisable to know the rates beforehand so that you will not be caught unaware of them in a strange land.

Documents

This is very important as you cannot make a mistake when you are thousands of miles away from home. So the money you pay for them is essential as the documents will help you clear customs quickly at home and in the destination port. You will have to take the originals and a certified copy, which you can get from the Department of Motor Vehicles. If your car is new and has no title, get the manufacturer’s statement and two copies. You will also need a letter of permission from the lien holder in case of any liens against your car, along with two copies of the same. Check with the transportation company for any other documents that you will be required to carry with you, such as the Shipper Export Declaration Form and a Dangerous Goods Declaration Form, which come with a small fee.

Final Step Before the Journey

Clean the car and empty it of all things, including

Personal items
Repair equipment and tools
Papers
Loose objects that can cause damage to the vehicle during shifting

Leave spare tires, seat covers, and mats inside the car. This will ensure your vehicle is not damaged, as insurers may not pay for carelessness.

Read the instructions carefully before the journey starts so that you comply with all the instructions and will not have to pay any fine for any oversight. Also, make sure that you are informed of all payments before the relocation starts so that you do not get any nasty surprises on your final bill.

Cost While in Transit

You might have to pay the hauler when your car gets picked up for the overseas transport.
A voyage might take a few days or even a few weeks, where, again, the cost to relocate your car overseas will include the number of days traveled.
You can keep tabs on your car by calling them up regularly. So include the cost of calls, and you might also have to make international calls to the transportation company in the other country in case the car arrives before you do.

Time of Travel

Just as the length of travel is a criterion, so is the time of travel, where the cheaper months to ship a car will be during the winter months when business is slow, and the costlier time will be during the busy summer months.

All’s Well That Ends Well

After you pick up the car at the destination, thoroughly inspect it for any damages. Pay the final amount only if you are satisfied that your vehicle arrived in the same condition that it was in at the beginning of the journey.