Customs value (CIF)
price + auction fee + transport + freight + insurance
Everything you pay until the car arrives in an EU port.
Car import calculator
Know the import costbefore you bid
An independent calculator that shows the full cost of bringing a car from the USA, Canada, Japan, the UAE or the UK in a minute – from the auction price to registration plates in your country.
Instant estimate – no sign-up, no phone call, no waiting for a quote Over 40 cost items, 43 EU ports and today’s exchange rates We don’t sell cars or take commissions – the numbers are honest
Carglo —
independent import calculator
- Result in a minute
- You enter only the address, we propose the rest
- 40+ cost items
- From the auction to registration and risks
- 43 EU ports
- We pick the cheapest for your address
Why use it
Know what you’ll pay – before you click “bid”
The most expensive part of importing is the costs nobody mentioned before the purchase. The calculator brings them to light before you spend your first dollar.
Calculator
Full door-to-door cost in six steps
Auction, transport, duty, excise, VAT, registration and risks – in three scenarios.
An estimate in a minute, not in two days
No contact forms, no waiting for a sales call. Every field comes prefilled with a proposal – you change only what you know better.
We sell neither cars nor shipping
We earn no margin from carriers or auctions, so we have no reason to lowball costs. Everyone gets the same result.
The cheapest route to your address
We price every EU port of clearance door to door and show you the difference.
Optimistic, average, pessimistic
Exchange rates, delays and risks on the way – you see a realistic range, not one “magic” number.
Registration and paperwork too
Roadworthiness test, translations, lighting conversion, official fees and insurance – with deadlines.
Every cent in black and white
For €4.99, a named report with every rate, tax base and an after-import action plan.
What we include
Everything that makes up the price of the car at your door
Most calculators stop at duty and VAT. We count the whole journey – from the auction yard to the registration plates – and add what could go wrong.
Purchase
Winning bid or dealer price Copart, IAAI, Manheim, USS fees by price tier Clean / salvage title and condition Estimated repair cost
Transport
Auction yard to export port Container or RoRo freight Cargo insurance Unloading and terminal fees Tow truck or car carrier to your address
Duty & taxes
Duty per TARIC (10%, 10–22% for pickups) Registration tax of your country (CO₂, power, value) VAT in the port-of-clearance country Same-day central bank exchange rate
After import
Roadworthiness test and approval Sworn translations of documents Registration, plates and official fees Lighting and speedometer conversion First-year liability insurance
Risks
Port storage and delayed vessels Customs inspection and value checks Hidden damage and transit damage Delayed title and export documents
Comparison
Why a back-of-the-envelope estimate isn’t enough
| On your own | Broker quote | Carglo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auction fees by current tiers | ~ | ~ | |
| Comparison of all 43 EU ports | |||
| Today’s exchange rate + buffer for swings | ~ | ~ | |
| Excise and VAT by clearance and registration country | ~ | ||
| Risks and three cost scenarios | |||
| Registration and paperwork after import | ~ | ||
| No margin or hidden commission |
~ means “usually partly”. Broker quotes often include their margin and don’t show a cost breakdown.
Import routes
From ports around the world straight into the EU
Export ports in the USA, Canada, Japan, the UAE and the UK and the lanes via Panama, Suez and Gibraltar to EU clearance ports.
Carglo in numbers
The numbers behind every quote
- 5
- origin countries: USA, Canada, Japan, UAE and UK
- 27
- EU countries where you can register the car
- 43
- ports of clearance in 22 EU countries – we pick the cheapest for your address
- 23
- languages – the official language of every EU country, plus Ukrainian
How it works
From idea to the full amount in four steps
Step 1 Where you buy
USA, Canada, Japan, UAE or UK – and an auction or a dealer.
Step 2 Which car
Type, fuel, engine size, year and condition – they decide the taxes.
Step 3 Your address
The only field you type. We work out the kilometres and the cheapest port.
Step 4 Result and report
Three scenarios for free, and a to-the-cent PDF when you’re ready to buy.
What the price is made of
Duty, VAT and registration tax in the same order as at customs
Each tax is the base for the next, so the order matters. The port of clearance sets the VAT rate; the country of registration sets the registration tax.
Customs duty (TARIC)
CIF × 10% cars · 10–22% pickups · 0% classics
The rate depends on the HS code; motorcycles 6–8%.
Registration tax (by country)
NL BPM · AT NoVA · FR malus · IE VRT · PL excise … · none in DE, CZ, SE
One-off tax of the country where the car is registered – by CO₂, power or value. The calculator prices it for your country.
Import VAT
(CIF + duty + unloading) × rate of the clearance country
The registration tax is paid at home and is not part of the import VAT base (except Polish excise when cleared in Poland).
The VAT rate depends on the port of clearance
The calculator prices all 43 EU ports of clearance door to door: VAT in the port country, freight, delivery to your address and after-import fees. Clearing in Germany means 19% VAT instead of 23%, but you add a car carrier – a few examples below, the calculator compares the rest.
| Port | Clearance country | VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Bremerhaven |  | 19% |
| Rotterdam |  | 21% |
| Gdynia |  | 23% |
| Klaipėda |  | 21% |
| Koper |  | 22% |
| Constanța |  | 21% |
Pricing
Start free, pay only for certainty
Quick estimate
Free
Landed-cost range Cost structure chart Transit time and warnings No sign-up
PDF reportMost popular
€4.99
Every item to the cent Auction fees by price tier Duty, excise and VAT with bases and rates Document checklist and personal PDF
For import companies
Per accepted lead
Buyers with a ready car estimate GDPR consent collected before transfer Only enquiries you accept No subscription
From the blog
Answers to the questions people ask before importing a car.
Costs
How much does it really cost to import a car from the USA?
Import a car from the USA to Europe: real cost breakdown of auction fees, transport, freight, customs duty, VAT, port fees and registration – with an example.
5 min readBuyingHow to buy a car at Copart or IAAI from Europe
How to buy at Copart or IAAI from Europe: registering, brokers, deposits, bidding, payment deadlines and storage fees explained step by step.
4 min readBuyingSalvage title cars from the USA: what you need to know
Salvage title car in Europe: what clean, salvage, rebuilt and parts-only titles mean, whether you can register it in the EU and how to budget repairs.
4 min readQuestions & answers
Frequently asked questions
How much is customs duty on a car from the USA?
For passenger cars (CN 8703) duty is 10% of the CIF customs value, 10–22% for pickups and light trucks (8704) and 6–8% for motorcycles. Collector vehicles over 30 years old in original condition may qualify for 0%. The customs value is the purchase price plus auction fees, transport to the EU border and insurance. 0% duty on US-built cars (Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, until the end of 2029) needs proof of US manufacture accepted by customs and direct shipment from the USA – an invoice or a Carfax report alone is not enough. Without it the duty is 10%.
Which registration tax applies when importing a car into the EU?
It depends on the country of registration: the Netherlands charge BPM by CO₂, Austria NoVA, France the CO₂ and weight malus, Ireland VRT on the market value, Denmark registreringsafgift up to 150% of the value, Poland an excise of 3.1% or 18.6%. Germany, Czechia, Sweden, Latvia, Luxembourg and Bulgaria have no one-off registration tax. The calculator estimates it from CO₂, power, weight and age.
Where is it best to clear the car: Bremerhaven, Rotterdam or Antwerp?
Import VAT is charged by the country of clearance: 19% in Germany, 21% in the Netherlands and Belgium. For a used car the VAT paid there is final, so clearing where VAT is lower can save money – but road transport home is added and the registration tax is always paid in your own country. The calculator compares the ports for your car.
What is customs procedure 4200?
It is release with a VAT exemption in the import country when the car goes straight to a VAT-registered business in another EU state. The buyer accounts for VAT at home under the reverse charge, so it is neutral for VAT-registered companies. It is not available to private individuals.
How long does shipping to Europe take?
From US East Coast and Canadian ports about 2–3 weeks at sea, from California about 5 weeks, from Japan 6–7 weeks, from the UAE 3–4 weeks and from the UK a few days. Add transport from the auction yard to the port and clearance.
Where do the exchange rates come from?
We use NBP average rates fetched automatically every business day. Because you pay for the car days or weeks after the quote, the free range allows for currency movements.
What does the paid PDF report include?
Every item to the cent: auction fees by tier, transport, customs value, duty, excise and VAT with bases and rates, the list of required documents and a personal PDF to download. Pay by BLIK, card or Przelewy24.
Is the calculator result binding?
No. It is an estimate based on current rates and price lists. Final amounts are set by customs and the tax office, which may for example verify the customs value. The report lists all assumptions, so it is easy to compare with the official decision.
Does Carglo import cars?
No. We are only a calculator – we don’t buy, ship or clear cars, and we take no commission from auctions or carriers. That keeps the estimate independent. If you want, you can pass the estimate to a verified import company, but that is always your choice.
Check before you buy. It takes a minute.
No sign-up, no obligation. If the car turns out too expensive, you’ve just saved money. If it pays off, you bid calmly, knowing the full cost.
