How much does it cost to import a car from the USA?

Some amounts are set by others. The bidding sets the car price, Copart or IAA sets the auction fees, and the law sets duty, excise and VAT. Our part is handling the purchase, the transport and the customs clearance. We always quote that part individually, because it depends on the route and on the auction yard we collect the car from.

The starting point is the amount you win the auction for. We bid on your behalf, so you do not need your own auction account. You set a price cap and we watch the auction.

On top of the hammer price, the auction charges buyer fees, and they are not flat. Copart says its fees depend on, among other things, the final sale price, payment method, license type and purchase volume. IAA calculates its fees from the final sale price, license type and number of vehicles purchased. Both auctions publish their current fee schedules on their websites, and we include these fees in your quote.

Want to see what similar cars really sell for? Check the sold archive at lesniewskiauction.com. The cost calculator (lesniewskiauction.com/en/calculator) shows an up-to-date estimate for a chosen car and applies the 10% duty rate. We confirm the final quote before you bid.

After the win we pick up the car from the auction yard and truck it to the port in New Jersey or Savannah. The cost of this leg depends on the route, so we quote it individually.

Across the ocean the car travels in a 40' container with other cars, so the container cost is split across several vehicles. The sailing to Gdynia takes 16–20 days from New Jersey and 18–24 days from Savannah. The whole import, from auction to your door, usually takes 6–10 weeks. Sailing times from each port, export documents and clearance in Gdynia are covered on our car shipping from the USA to Poland page.

Cargo insurance for the transport is optional, and you can buy it through us. If you are moving to Poland at the same time, the car can travel in the same 40' High Cube container as your furniture and boxes, even together with a motorcycle. The car must be empty.

All three charges start from the customs value. It is the price actually paid for the car, plus transport and insurance costs up to the place where the car enters the EU customs territory (Articles 70 and 71 of the Union Customs Code). Transport after the car enters the EU is not part of the customs value. Whether other purchase-related charges are added is assessed from the documents of the specific transaction.

The EU import duty on a passenger car (CN 8703) is 10% of its customs value and is paid at clearance in Poland.

In Poland, excise is calculated on the customs value plus duty. It is 3.1% for cars with an engine up to 2,000 cm³ and 18.6% for cars with an engine over 2,000 cm³. Polish VAT of 23% is calculated on the customs value plus duty and excise. Transport, insurance and commission costs incurred up to the first place of destination in Poland are also added to the excise and VAT base if they were not in the customs value. All three amounts go on the customs declaration.

This calculation is for illustration only. We assume a hypothetical customs value of PLN 40,000 (the car plus transport and insurance to the place of entry into the EU), an engine up to 2,000 cm³, 10% duty and no extra costs after the car enters the EU. The amounts ignore the rounding applied at clearance.

The differences between cars can be large, which is why we ask about engine size and powertrain at the quote stage, before you bid. The list starts with the base case step by step and ends with a larger-engine variant for comparison.

In Poland, electric and hydrogen cars are exempt from excise. Plug-in hybrids with a combustion engine up to 2,000 cm³ are exempt until December 31, 2029. Conventional (non-plug-in) hybrids pay 1.55% with an engine up to 2,000 cm³. Both types of hybrid with an engine over 2,000 cm³ but not more than 3,500 cm³ pay 9.3%. The exemption is confirmed by a certificate from the tax office, and duty and VAT are paid as usual.

Polish excise applies only to passenger cars, meaning vehicles under CN heading 8703. A pickup classified as a goods vehicle (CN 8704) pays no excise, but the duty rate is then 10% or 22% (for a gross vehicle weight up to 5 metric tons, depending on engine size and fuel type). We check a pickup's classification case by case before you buy. Motorcycles pay no excise either, and the duty rate for engines over 500 cm³ is 6%.

Relocating is a separate case. If you have lived outside the EU without a break for at least 12 months and have owned and used the car for at least 6 months before the move, it can come in duty-free as part of your household goods (transfer of residence). A car bought at auction just before the move will not meet this condition. The car must also be used for the same purpose in Poland, and you may not sell it or hand it over to anyone else for 12 months after its release for free circulation. In Poland, relief from VAT and excise is assessed separately under the VAT and excise acts. Ask us for the details when you request a quote.

For registration you need the customs clearance document from the customs office. You file the registration application within 30 days of the car's release for free circulation, at the vehicle registration office for your place of residence. Before that, the car needs third-party liability insurance (OC) and a passed technical inspection at a vehicle inspection station.

Documents in a foreign language, such as the US title and the purchase document, must be filed with a sworn translation into Polish. The office first registers the car temporarily for 30 days and issues plates and a temporary permit, and in that time it prepares the registration certificate. Current official fees are listed on gov.pl under the "Zarejestruj pojazd" (register a vehicle) service.

If the car needs changes before the inspection, such as lighting, our workshop near Radziejowice adapts US cars to European requirements. We quote that work separately.