Shipping Car to Philippines

Shipping Your Car to the Philippines? Car Shipping from the USA to the Philippines starts at a cost of $1,095 USD with an estimated turnaround time of 4-6 weeks, depending on the make and model of the car, the port of origin, and the method of shipment. Below, we explore everything you need to know about shipping your car to the Philippines in our 2025 guide.

Shipping a Car to the Philippines: Checklist

Vehicle Import Options

Shipping a Car to the Philippines: Costs & Time Frame

Shipping a Car to the Philippines: Options

Additional Services

Ports Served in the US and the Philippines

Cleaning Your Vehicle of Biosecurity Concerns

Plating Your Vehicle in the Philippines

Other Philippines/US Shipping Options

Shipping a car from the United States to the Philippines can be relatively easy if you carefully prepare and choose a reliable and trustworthy shipping company.

Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to ship your car overseas to the Philippines.

When looking to ship your vehicle to the Philippines, you should first research the best car shipping companies and compare their costs and services. Next, choose a suitable car shipping option to meet your individual needs and confirm that your vehicle is eligible for shipping. Don’t forget to choose a suitable departure and destination port for the shipment of your vehicle.

When shipping your vehicle to the Philippines, you will require the following documentation:

The required paperwork can take a while to obtain, so you should start gathering it together in a timely manner before you plan to ship your car to the Philippines.

Before starting the car shipping process, you should be sure that you understand all of the costs involved in shipping a vehicle to the Philippines, including:

More information on the process of shipping a vehicle to the Philippines can be found here.

If you are relocating to the Philippines and looking to take your vehicle with you, you can do so under the No Dollar Importation (NDI) program. However, you must meet the following requirements:

• a returning Filipino citizen who has lived outside of the country for more than a year
• have dual citizenship
• hold a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa
• hold a 13g or 13a Visa
• hold a 47A2 Visa

Under this program, each family (defined as husband, wife, and unemancipated minor children) can import one personally owned vehicle into the Philippines.

Your vehicle must also meet the following criteria to qualify for the NDI program:

• be under 10 years old
• be left-hand drive (the use of right-handed motor vehicles is strictly prohibited by Philippine law).
• weigh less than 3000kg
• possess a Certificate of Roadworthiness and Emission Compliance (CEC)

It is important to note that once you have shipped your vehicle into the Philippines, you will not be able to resell it within the first 3 years (this time period starts from the date of import).

As you start the process of shipping your car to the Philippines, there are some important questions that you will need to consider. These include:

• Do you plan to permanently keep the car in the Philippines or is it just a temporary move?
• How long have you been the owner of the vehicle? If you are importing a used motor vehicle, you must have owned it for at least 6 months prior to applying for a Certificate of Authority to Import (CAI) from The Bureau of Import Services (BIS)
• Do you intend to ship a brand-new or used vehicle to the Philippines? Older vehicles will be subject to a more stringent import process and may incur additional charges.

These questions and more will determine whether your car is eligible for shipping to the Philippines. Your actual tax rate is also based on these details.

Before importing your vehicle, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Authority to Import (CAI) from the Bureau of Import Services (BIS). In order to obtain this, you will need to fill out a duly accomplished application form and pay the associated fees.

When shipping a car to the Philippines, you should never assume that your international shipping scenario is the same as someone else’s. For instance, importing classic cars or used motor vehicles may have eligibility requirements that differ from those for newer vehicles for import into the Philippines.

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to the Philippines, fill out our free quick quote form.

Vehicle Import Approval

Upon arrival of your vehicle shipment to the Philippines, the vehicle must be declared in Customs.

You’ll need the following documentation:

• Original Car Title Certificate
• Sales Contract / Bill of Sale or valid proof of purchase
• Registration certificate or any equivalent official document
• Invoice, if there has been a sale
• Completed NDI application form from the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau
• CAI from BIS (as discussed above)
• Copy of Passport

Notably, personal presence of the car owner is required for the customs clearance process.

To obtain an estimate of the cost to ship a car to the Philippines, fill out our free quick quote form..

Car Shipping from USA to the Philippines can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service. It is important to find the best solution to meet your shipping needs.

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) – Vehicles are loaded onto a ship that contains a cargo area built like a very big parking garage. International RoRo shipping tends to be cheaper as, other than the shipping charge, you are required to pay only port charges and customs clearance charges.

Transits tend to be faster than with the shared container service, as the vessels depart on a weekly basis.

Shared container service – This method for car shipping to the Philippines requires multiple vehicles to be loaded into one shipping container. While there are more fees involved to ship a car from the USA to the Philippines with shared container service than with the roll-on/roll-off shipping method, due to the fact that the container must be processed, these charges are shared between the various clients who are using the container. Such fees include a trucking charge, terminal handling charge, customs clearance, and charge for unloading the vehicles at a bonded warehouse.

One disadvantage is that you might face a longer wait before your vehicle departs, as the container must have a full load before shipping to the Philippines.

Full container load – You have the added benefit of a fully enclosed container, just like our shared container service, but the 20 ft container is dedicated solely to your vehicle. Since there’s no wait for other cars to be loaded, you’ll enjoy a shorter wait before departure. However, additional terminal handling fees and other charges won’t be shared with other vehicle owners.

Our most selective customers prefer the high level of safety and expediency offered when shipping cars with dedicated container shipping. When your vehicle is received, we’ll photograph and document the vehicle’s condition as well as the loading process. Your vehicle will be loaded using our modern steel loading system, which is not only environmentally friendly, but doesn’t rely on outdated wood ramps and nails that other shipping companies use, which can damage your vehicle.

After your car is loaded onto your own private container, it is locked and secured. This will ensure no one gains access to your car before reaching its final destination. Since the vehicle is fully enclosed in a secure container, we invite our clients to pack and transport other items inside the vehicle. However, everything must be loaded securely, as we won’t be responsible for loss or damage of any kind.

Once your vehicle reaches its destination in the Philippines, our agent will unlock the container, document the vehicle’s condition, and photograph the entire unloading process. Every step of the shipping process is not only handled carefully but documented for your peace of mind.

Compared to our roll-on/roll-off shipping option, enclosed container shipping is not only more secure when shipping to the Philippines, but much faster due to frequent departures each week.

Sourcing vehicles – Overseas clients who wish to buy a vehicle can turn to our long list of car buyers developed in our nearly thirty years in the auto industry, who can find and purchase vehicles for an additional fee or commission.

Other services – Some of the auto transport services we offer in overseas territories include domestic pickup, vehicle import assistance, tracking of your shipment, customs clearance in the USA and a full vehicle inspection report.

Departure Ports – United States

The location your vehicle will depart from depends on the method of car shipping to the Philippines, where your vehicle is located, your budget, and which services the nearest port offers. We have multiple departure locations from which we can ship cars from the USA, including Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Savannah, and more.

Destination Ports – Philippines

Here are the entry ports in the Philippines that we can ship a car to.

Before shipping to the Philippines, the undercarriage of your car must be cleaned and free of foreign soil to prevent the introduction of invasive plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. This can be accomplished through steam cleaning or other thorough cleaning methods.

CFR Classic can assist with finding an appropriate cleaner to help ensure you comply with this requirement before car shipping to the Philippines. We do not recommend washing the interior of the vehicle as it can cause mold during transport. Vacuuming the interior is usually more than sufficient prior to car transport.

All imported vehicles shipped to the Philippines from the U.S. must be registered. Once your car has been cleared through customs and you have paid the required duties and taxes, you will receive a customs declaration. You must then register your imported motor vehicle with the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

In order to register your imported vehicle with the Filipino authorities, you will require:

• Ownership certificate/Original title issued by the country of origin
• Personal identity documentation (this must include a Filipino translation if written in a foreign language) – this document must be certified as being an accurate translation of the original document by an official translator, competent diplomatic or consular representative
• Certificate of Compliance to Emission Standards (CCES)
• Motor Vehicle Inspection Report (MVIR)
• Applicant’s residence certificate (unless this is stated in the personal identity documentation)
• Your passport and driver’s license
• Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN)
• Confirmation of appropriate insurance cover
• PNP-TMG MV Clearance Certificate (this is issued by the Philippine National Police – Traffic Management Group (PNP-TMG) and confirms that the vehicle is not listed as stolen or been involved in any criminal activity in the Philippines)

Once you have gathered together the required documents, you should head to your local LTO office to register your vehicle. You will need to pay an initial registration fee, along with additional fees for your inspections, license plates, and stickers. If you do not complete your registration on time, you may be charged a late penalty. Once you have presented your documents and paid your fees, you will be issued with your registration papers, Filipino license plates, and stickers.

More information about the registration process can be found here on the Filipino government’s vehicle registration page.

International Car Shipping
Classic Car Shipping
Motorcycle Shipping
Boat Shipping
Air Freight
Cargo Shipping
Moving Household Goods

This information was updated in January 2025. All information, time frames, pricing, and regulations are subject to change. Please contact a sales representative for the most current rates and information.

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