Skip to content
Call Now: 1-310-223-0474

Start Your Quote

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Importing a Car to Romania

Car Import to Romania Guide

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.

Are you ready to get started importing a car from the USA to Romania?

Request a free online quote – Quotes are available online with a guaranteed response within 24 hours for car import and moving services to Romania.
Please do not hesitate to call or email us anytime with any questions about car import to Romania. Contact our shipping experts for more information. We are always just a phone call away!

International & Domestic Coast-to-Coast
1-310-223-0474

Want more information on car import services to Romania from the USA?

Read on below in our guide for our US to Romania Vehicle Importing Checklist, Vehicle Import Options, US to Romania Car Importing Costs & Time Frame, US to Romania Vehicle Importing Options, Ports Served in the US & Romania, and other details on our Romania vehicle import service.

Importing a Car to Romania: Checklist

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.
  • Firstly, you should gather together all of the necessary vehicle documentation, including:
    • Sales Contract / Bill of Sale
    • Vehicle Title Documentation
    • Car Registration
  • Next, make sure that you understand all of the fees associated with international car shipping, including:
    • Freight and insurance charges when importing your vehicle
    • Wharf, transport, storage and delivery charges after your shipment arrives
    • Duties, taxes and fees
    • Cleaning the undercarriage of foreign soil
    • Registration and insurance requirements in the relevant Romanian State or Territory
    • Other charges such as import processing, customs brokers, and logistics service provider charges
  • Select an international car shipping company and preferred international car shipping method to transport your shipment from the United States to Romania
  • Determine your vehicle’s departure port and destination port
  • Confirm the vehicle’s undercarriage is clean and free of foreign soil before the car is shipped to Romania

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

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

Vehicle Import Options

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.

Importing a Car to Romania: Costs & Time Frame

Using a baseline of a compact car being shipped using the roll-on/roll-off method (RoRo shipping) from the Port of Los Angeles to the Port of Constanta, our estimate for Car Import from USA to Romania starts at a cost of $1,495 USD.

However, shipping rates for importing a car to Romania can vary according to factors such as the model and make of your vehicle, your current location, the nearest departure port in the USA, your shipping method of choice, availability of your chosen shipping services, your destination port, and your final destination. Additionally, you’ll need to consider costs related to importing cars such as storage, cleaning, other vendor fees, and Romanian taxes & duties, such as Romania’s value-added tax.

An estimated timeframe to ship a car to Romania measures the duration of a port-to-port service. Typically, the timeframe to ship a car to Romania from the USA will take between 4-6 weeks, depending on your port of departure, arrival port, and method of shipping services. This is provided all the required documents are submitted to us in a timely manner, the vehicle is prepared to depart and all other vehicles to fill the shipping container have been secured.

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.

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

Importing a Car to Romania: Options

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

null

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.

null

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.

null

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.

Additional Services

null

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.

null

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.

Ports Served in the US and Romania

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.

  • Constanta
  • Midia
  • Medgidia
  • Bechet
  • New Galati Basin
  • Calarasi
  • Barila
  • Giurgiu
  • Orsova
  • Moldova Veche
  • Bremerhaven, Germany
    (Many clients bring in here with final destination within Romania)
  • Rotterdam, Germany
    (Many clients bring in here with final destination within Romania)

Cleaning Your Vehicle’s Undercarriage

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.

Plating Your Vehicle in Romania

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

Other Romania/US Shipping Options

Online Quotes - Guaranteed Response within 24 Hours!

Quotes are available online for domestic and international vehicle shipping services. Depend on us for reliable and expedited vehicle relocation services - Our dedicated team of shipping specialists are always a phone call away to answer any questions you may have.

Our shed plan library represents our commitment to providing shed plans that are well designed and as a result help you to have a good shed building experience. We are the top shed plan site on the internet and we provide an easy way to buy shed plans to get your shed building project off the ground. Dormer Storage Shed PlansBuilding a dormer on your backyard shed is the perfect way to add more light inside and create a truly stunning shed on the outside. Traditionally the dormer roof was invented to add space to an existing attic space for a sleeping or storage area. In our shed plans the dormer roof adds additional storage space and light. Find DIY projects, free woodworking plans, and home improvement tips. Build your next project with our easy to follow plans, Chicken Coop Plans

Search