Import Cars from Portugal to USA

Importing Your Car from Portugal to the USA? Importing Cars from Portugal to the USA starts at a cost of $2,595 USD, depending on the make and model of the car and whether the destination in the USA is on the east or west coast. Below, our 2024 guide for shipping cars to Portugal will explore everything you need to know about importing a car from Portugal to the USA.

Portugal to US Vehicle Import Checklist

Determining Vehicle Eligibility for Import to the USA

Portugal to US Car Import Costs & Timeframe

Portugal to US Vehicle Import Options

Additional Services

Ports Served in the US and Portugal

Cleaning Your Vehicle’s Undercarriage

Driving Your Vehicle in the United States

Other Portugal/US Shipping Options

Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to import your car from Portugal to the United States.

More information on the process of importing a car from Portugal to the United States can be found here.

As you engage in the process for car imports, some of the most important questions to consider include:

• Whether you are a US citizen, military or civilian employee of the US government, or a nonresident,
• Whether you plan to permanently keep the car in the US or if it’s just a temporary move,
• Whether the car was manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS, and, if not, whether it is a nonconforming motor vehicle eligible for shipment,
• Whether your vehicle was manufactured after September 1, 1978,
• Whether your vehicle is a model year 1987 or later, and
• Whether your vehicle can be registered in your State.

These questions and more will determine the costs to import the car to the US, whether your car is eligible for import to the United States, and finally, whether you will need to go through additional steps to make your car eligible for import. In some cases, such as temporary vehicle import approval for racing or other purposes, the usual standards for road vehicles may not apply. CFR Classic can help you through the process of determining what will be required to import your car.

Conforming vs. Nonconforming Vehicles

Generally, if a car already meets the requirements for import to the United States from Portugal, it is because that model was originally designed for export and sale in the United States, or was manufactured in the United States for domestic sale. As such, nonconforming vehicles are required to be modified to meet all applicable FMVSS and EPA emissions standards.

Things to Consider

Taxes & Duties for Importing Cars to the United States

Generally, foreign-made cars imported for personal use or sale are dutiable at the following rates:

• Auto: 2.5%
• Trucks: 25%
• Motorcycles: free or 2.4%

Duty rates are based on price paid or payable, and most Canadian-manufactured cars are duty-free. If you are a resident of the United States returning to the country from travel, work, or study abroad, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption for car imports, and those of accompanying family members, towards the value of the car under the following circumstances:

• The vehicle accompanies you on your return
• You’ve imported the vehicle for personal use

To obtain an estimate of the cost to import a car to the United States from Portugal, fill out our free quick quote form. We guarantee a response within 24 hours.

Importing a Car from Portugal to USA can be performed using a shared container, a sole container, or a roll-on/roll-off service car shipping method.

Roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) – This option tends to be one of the more affordable ones as you only must pay port charges and customs clearance charges in addition to the shipping charge. Your vehicle will be loaded into the holding area of a large vessel, one which resembles a big parking garage. This method is suitable for shipping and handling bulkier vehicles like work trucks.

Transits tend to be faster than with the roll-on/roll-off car shipping service as the containers depart on a weekly basis.

Shared container service – Several cars are shipped using a single container. The container must be processed, so more fees are involved than with the roll-on/roll-off method, however they are shared between several clients. Additional car shipping fees include customs clearance, trucking charge, terminal handling charge and a charge for unloading the cars at a warehouse.

You may be required to wait for a longer period before your car can be shipped as the container can only depart with a full load thanks to other clients.

Full container load –This method is the same as the shared container load, your car or cars occupy the entire container, and the fees, which are similar to those for shared containers, are borne by you alone.

Container loading offers the benefit of added security. When the vehicle is received, photographs and a condition report are taken of the car itself as well as the loading process. Once the container arrives at the destination, our warehouse will take photos of the unloading process and of the vehicle itself. The vehicle is kept secure throughout the process, so clients may transport other items inside the vehicle, although they are advised to pack with care as we are not liable for any loss or damages sustained.

We choose not to use wood ramps like other companies but instead employ a steel loading system, which is more effective in preventing loss and damage.

Sourcing vehicles – Our long list of car buyers enables us to find and buy cars for purchasers located overseas for a commission or additional fee to be paid to the car buyer.

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.

Destination Ports – United States

We are able to import into any port in the USA, with CFR facilities in Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Miami, Oakland, and Charleston.

Departure Ports – Portugal

The location your vehicle will depart from in Portugal depends on the method of car shipping to the United States, where your vehicle is located, your budget, and which services the nearest ports in Portugal and the USA offer. Here are the Portuguese ports we can import your vehicle from:

Before importing your vehicle to the United States from Portugal, the undercarriage 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. 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.

Before driving your vehicle in the United States, ensure that both you and your vehicle comply with US licensing and registration laws. Requirements differ based on your citizenship status and the length of your stay in the United States.

Your imported vehicle should bear the International Registration Marker, and you may wish to consider acquiring an International Driving Permit (IDP) if you are a foreign national. Portugal is a party to the Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949, meaning that Portuguese citizens can acquire an IDP and use their driver’s license in the United States.

• If you are a US resident, you should contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in your state or territory of residence, inquire about temporary license plates, and determine what documents and certifications the DMV requires from CBP to register the vehicle.
• If you are a national of a Central or South American country that has ratified the Inter-American Convention of 1943, you may drive your vehicle in the US for touring purposes for one year or for the period of the validity of the documents, whichever is shorter, without US license plates or US driver’s permits, provided the car carries the International Registration Marker and registration card, and the driver has the International Driving Permit.
• If you are a motorist visiting the United States as a tourist from a country that has ratified the Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949 (Portugal has), you may drive in the US for one year with your own national license plates (registration tags) on your vehicle and with your own personal drivers’ license.
• If you are a motorist from Canada or Mexico, you are permitted to tour in the US without US license plates or US driver’s permits, under agreements between the United States and these countries.
• If you are a motorist from a country not a party to any of the above agreement, you must secure a driving permit in the US after taking an examination.
• If you are a foreign national employed in the US, you may use your foreign license tags from the port of entry to your destination in the US.

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