Importing a Car to Romania

Importing Your Car to Romania? Car Import from the USA to Romania starts at a cost of $1,495 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 importing your car to Romania in our 2024 guide.

Importing a Car to Romania: Checklist

Vehicle Import Options

Importing a Car to Romania: Costs & Time Frame

Importing a Car to Romania: Options

Additional Services

Ports Served in the US and Romania

Cleaning Your Vehicle of Biosecurity Concerns

Plating Your Vehicle in Romania

Other Romania/US Shipping Options

Are you planning a move to Romania and seeking to import your vehicle too? While the entire process of auto import can be tough, partnering with a reliable and extremely helpful auto shipping company can take the pressure off.

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

More information on the process of importing a vehicle to Romania can be found here.

As you engage in the process of international car shipping to Romania, some of the most important questions to consider include:

• Whether you plan to permanently keep the car in Romania or if it’s just a temporary move to the country,
• Whether you have been the owner of the car for at least 6 months.
• Whether you’re importing a new or used car.

These questions and more will determine whether your car is eligible for import to Romania. Your actual tax rate is based on these details.

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

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

Vehicle Import Approval

Upon arrival of your car shipment to Romania, the shipped vehicle must be declared in Customs.

You’ll need the following documentation:

• Purchase Invoice / Bill of Sale
• Registration certificate from country of origin;
• Invoice, if there has been a sale;
• Original Title;
• Passport;
• Proof of Ownership;
• Residence Permit.

Things to Consider

• All vehicles shipped to Romania must comply with the legal and technical requirements stipulated by the Romanian government.
• Once your car has met the standards set out by the government, you can obtain a government-issued certificate permitting you to ship your car to Romania.
• Romanian law obliges any motor car user to take out a mandatory civil liability car insurance policy (known as RCA). You must produce a certificate of insurance resulting from the obligation of automobile insurance.
• Vehicles that are shipped to Romania must have all air conditioning gases removed, and the gas tank must only be one-fourth full. This is to ensure the safety of the vehicle during transport. Any excess air conditioning gases will be removed.

Taxes & Duties for Romania Car Imports
When you ship your car overseas from the USA to Romania, you must verify your vehicle’s specifications and compliance with Romanian requirements.

If you are importing a car to Romania from the USA, your car will be subject to local customs duties as well as a value-added tax, or VAT, of typically 24% of the assessed car value, levied by the Romanian government.

The amount of taxes and import duties payable when importing a car to Romania from the US will vary and depends on the details of your shipment.

However, in certain circumstances, you might be able to gain exemption from paying customs duties and taxes on shipped vehicles.

• If you are staying in Romania temporarily, you may be able to ship 1 vehicle into the country tax-free.
• Returning Romanian citizens may ship up to 2 vehicles into the country tax-free, as long as the vehicles are less than 8 years old.
• US citizens who have lived outside of Romania for at least 12 months and owned and used their vehicle for the last 6 months can ship 1 vehicle into Romania tax-free.

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

Car Import from USA to Romania can be performed using a shared container, a sole container or a roll-on/roll-off service.

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo shipping) – Vehicles are loaded onto a ship that contains a cargo area built like a very big parking garage. This international car shipping option 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 import to Romania requires multiple vehicles to be loaded into one shipping container, allowing you to share a container with other clients and making the service more cost-effective. While there are more fees involved to ship a car from the USA to Romania 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 cost 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 import to Romania.

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, so it may cost you a bit more money.

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 destination. Since the vehicle is fully enclosed in a secure container, we invite our clients to pack and transport other items, such as personal 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 Romania, our agent will unlock the container, document the vehicle’s condition, and photograph the entire unloading process. Every step of the import process is not only handled carefully but documented for your peace of mind.

Compared to our RoRo shipping option, enclosed container shipping is not only more secure when importing to Romania, 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 import to Romania, 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 – Romania

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

Before import to Romania, 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 import to Romania. 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.

Once your vehicle has been transported successfully and cleared customs, you must register it with the Romanian authorities if you have imported it into the country on a permanent basis.

As long as you have a valid US driver’s license and an international driving permit, you can drive temporarily in Romania for up to 90 days. Once your shipped car has been successfully registered, you will be eligible to apply for a Romanian driver’s license.

Before registration, shipped cars must undergo a roadworthiness test via the Automotive Register of Romania to ensure their safety and compliance.

In order to register your vehicle, you will require the following documentation:

• A copy of the Customs Declaration;
• Purchase Invoice (with Romanian translation)
• Proof of Insurance
• Registration Certificate
• Pollution Tax and VAT Payment Receipt
• Vehicle Registration Tax Receipt

Importing a Car from the US to Romania
Importing a Car from Romania to the US
Car Shipping from USA to Romania
Car Shipping from Romania to USA
Cargo Shipping from the US to Romania
Cargo Shipping from Romania to the US
Moving Household Goods from the US to Romania
Moving Household Goods from Romania to the US

This information was updated in January 2024. 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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