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  #1  
Old 06-01-2009, 07:42 PM
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Question Exporting car overseas -- advice/regulations/need to knows?

Good evening all.

I am in the processing of selling my SL to a friend of mine who lives in Germany. We've just started the process and haven't gotten into any of the details yet regarding forms, taxes, customs, etc etc...

Has anyone been through this process before and have any advice or need to knows on how to get this done. This is kind of my first step in getting this done -- neither one of us has done this before.

How do I go about making this transaction? What do I need to worry about in terms of exports, taxes, customs, regulations and so on?

Any help would be greatly appreciate.

Thanks!!
Zack

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  #2  
Old 06-01-2009, 10:54 PM
Mercedes is in my blood..
 
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Location: San Antonio, Texas
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TUV

Zack - first let me say I haven't done it before, but having been stationed in Germany for a time I would think your friend would need to go to the TUV there (like the DOT here) and ask.

Is your friend a local German or a serviceman living there? If he's US citizen, he doesn't have to pay customs, taxes etc there - he can pay to have it registered in his home state and then convert the registration to US Forces Registration once the car arrives. It still has to go through a TUV safety inspection at a local base.

It might be worth contacting a company that does this sort of thing and pay a small consult fee ($50-100) for the forms and advice and then do the shipping work yourself. The good thing is there is no conversion needed from US DOT to go to Germany - they will take our 5mph bumpers just fine

John in San Antonio
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John Hughes, was in Landstuhl, Germany but currently in San Antonio, TX


1978 280CE Astral Silver now 59,xxx miles and counting "Silber-Kugel"
1986 300E Black Pearl Metallic 143,xxx miles 5-spd daily driver w/ blk leather "Schwarz-Schönheit"
1989 190E 2.6 (euro) 5-spd Desert Taupe 112,xxx kms Had to leave behind in Germany!!! "Helga"
1983 300D Pastel Beige now 312,xxx + miles SOLD

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  #3  
Old 06-02-2009, 09:27 AM
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sending car

dont send it on Air France
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Old 06-02-2009, 11:32 AM
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That was bad!!
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Old 06-02-2009, 12:22 PM
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I couldn't help but laugh. Ha!
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  #6  
Old 06-02-2009, 02:14 PM
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ich fahre, also bin ich
 
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Your biggest costs will be import duties + VAT, so he should verify with his local "Zollamt" what they will be: I think they will total 27%. The only way around the duties is if the importer owns the car in the US for more than 6-months beforehand and doesn't sell within 1 year after import.
He will have one year to register the car in Germany (verify with the Strassenverkehrsamt). The biggest hurdle will be getting it to pass inspection by the tüv. He can ask and clarify in advance if it is a straightforward inspection by providing them with the Baumuster (Chassis + Engine code, eg 210.032). If it was approved for sale in Germany already, there should only be minor mods needed. On my '87 VW Golf I needed to switch to Euro headlights (because of the Streuscheibe (lens pattern), install Standlichte (like mini DRL's in the headlight), and stick reflectors on the tail end. Some refits are more costly. The inspection itself will cost maybe 200 EURO.
Once it has tüv approval, the rest is more or less like the DMV in DC.
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Old 06-02-2009, 02:20 PM
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Also, you can save big bucks on shipping if you manage it yourself. Look in the yellow pages under freight forwarders and call around for a few offers (eg Houston to Hamburg). If you want it sent protected in a container that will naturally cost more. Cheapest is Ro-Ro where you drive it to the port and hand it over with the paperwork. Leave ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the car, as it will be gone three weeks later. I lost a rusty screwdriver and my front Virginia tag, which of course generated no end of attention from the German police when I drove around for a year with only the rear one.
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Old 06-02-2009, 03:19 PM
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http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/export_docs/motor_vehicle.xml

Main thing is to have the title at customs at least 72 hours before its exported.
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Old 06-02-2009, 03:43 PM
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Thanks everyone! This is the type of info I'm looking for. Keep it coming!!

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