How Do I Ship My Car Internationally?

International car shipping is hard to find—and expensive. It’s not uncommon for your shipping cost to be upwards of $5,000. A few of the best auto transport companies offer overseas car shipping. You can usually choose one of several international transport methods ranging from container shipping to air freight. You also need documentation like a photo ID and vehicle registration.

Imagine a parking lot in the hull of an immense ship. The parking lot is full of different types of vehicles, including motorcycles, vans, SUVs, and sedans. That’s where your car goes when you’re sending it overseas using a roll-on/roll-off (or RORO) shipping service.

Your car is driven into the ship’s hull with all the other cars that are being sent to your destination country, secured in place to prevent it from shifting en route, then driven off the boat at the receiving port.

This method is typically one of the fastest and most economical, though it gives your car less protection than container service.

If your car is exceptionally large (like a massive SUV), RORO might be your only option.

Containerized auto transport can take one of two forms. Your car is either packed into its own metal shipping container, or it shares a larger container with several other cars.

Obviously shipping your car in its own container is safer than shipping it in a shared same container as other cars. But when you share a container, you also share the cost of shipment, so opting for a shared container can save you money.

However, when you choose to share a container, the auto shipping company won’t actually send the container until it’s full. This means you might need to wait for other customers to book shipping services to the same country with the same company before you can get your car.

If you want to protect your car, or if you need it quickly, or if you have plenty of room in your budget, go with an individual container. If saving money is more important than getting your car to your destination quickly, go with a shared container service.

Air freight auto transport is both the fastest and the safest way to ship your car internationally. Unfortunately, it’s also the most expensive. In fact, it can cost more than the value of your car, so some international car transport companies don’t even offer it.

Unless you have an irreplaceable exotic car, we recommend just going with a cargo freighter for your international auto transport needs.

Like with most international travel, there’s a lot of paperwork that goes into shipping your car to a different country. While some countries have unique documentation requirements, here’s a list of what you’ll usually need:

• Photo ID
• Proof of ownership (either the vehicle’s title or a notarized bill of sale)
• Vehicle registration
• Written travel consent from the lienholder if you’re leasing the vehicle

You will need to present this documentation to customs at least 72 hours before shipping your vehicle. To learn more about what documents you’ll need to ship your car to another country, visit the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s guide to exporting a motor vehicle.

Unsurprisingly, there aren’t many companies that ship cars to different countries. Most companies just focus on local and interstate shipping services. That’s why we’ve identified two companies that do provide international car shipping.

We recommend getting quotes from both to find the best deal for your budget.

International Van Lines is an international moving company as well as an auto shipper. In fact, IVL is one of our very favorite moving companies in the industry.

So if you still haven’t found a mover for all of your furniture and household goods, you can hire IVL as a convenient one-stop shop to ship your car along with everything else you own.

Like IVL, Schumacher Cargo Logistics also provides both international auto transportation and household goods relocation. One thing that sets Schumacher Cargo apart from IVL is that it offers air freight services, while IVL offers only RORO and container auto shipping.

If you want to learn more about everything Schumacher Cargo has to offer, visit their website and request a quote.

Yes, Easy Auto Ship is an international car shipping company. The car shipping broker can transport your vehicle to domestic ports across the country. Easy Auto Ship also works with international carriers to transport your vehicle to destination ports around the world.

International car shipping costs vary depending on factors such as your vehicle size and the distance to your destination port. Prices can easily be three times higher than the nationwide auto transport average of $1,500.

The cheapest kind of international car shipping is a RORO vessel. This shipping method is often more affordable for shipping cars than containers or air freight. However, it also leaves your vehicle more susceptible to damage during transport to your final destination.

You can save money on international car shipping by keeping your gas tank below one-quarter full. Additionally, you can decrease your shipping cost by comparing quotes and choosing the most affordable international shipping company.

You can find an overseas auto transport company by using a service like uShip. The online marketplace connects you with thousands of carriers to increase your odds of locating an international car shipping service.

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