Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

Hi all,

 

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with shipping a car into S.Korea. I have a few quotes on what it will cost me to get there from the USA but no idea on what the clearance cost will be once it reaches the port at Masan. Or what the tariffs will be like. I have tried searching online but alas...nothing to useful. 

If anyone has any information or suggested sites it would be much appreciated if cared to share. Thank you. Take it easy.

Re: Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

From what I understand, there won't be any added tariffs or duties, apart from automobile taxes and fees, registration, etc., obviously the amount will vary depending on the size of the engine and vehicle itself and a higher cost for import vehicles.  However, this would be under the conditions that you will not sell the vehicle and are just taking it as personal transportation.  The title must be clean and loan must be paid in full before hand.  Also, keep in mind that in Korea, you have to pay an automobile tax annually and because you have an import, the rate won't be cheap.

Just a bit of advice...if the car isn't something fancy that you would die without, you might be better off just buying a used vehicle upon arrival.  It would set you back several grand just to ship it, prior to fees upon reaching port, and for that much you could buy a decent car.  Also, some of the makes and models that aren't common in Korea, especially the older ones, would give you a hassle in servicing and maintenance.

Good luck...

 

Re: Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

Thanks Michael.

 

Appreciate the response....taking all this into consideration. Most likely I will end up selling it in the states and using that money to buy something when I arrive. 

Re: Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

Don't be silly! Bring your baby and watch it get smashed up by crazy taxi drivers, drunken ajosshis and the rest of the population who thinks that driving while talking on their cellphones and watching DVDs on their GPS systems is the way to go.

Re: Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

I see this in an older post, but I wanted to add my 2 cents in case anyone else has any questions about this as I've done it a few times. The main thing is to have all your documents and paperwork in order so there are no hold ups on the back end. You can find information about required documents here

I'm not sure what the current state of taxation on auto imports in S.K., but if you contact an international car moving company, that would be the first question I'd ask and then I'd compare that to what I find out from customs. If they match up, there's a pretty good chance you've found a legit company that won't rip you off. I'm sure there are a handful of options from the U.S., but I've good things about these guys http://www.a1autotransport.com/ship-car-to-south-korea.php  as far as getting through customs without too much hassle. 

Re: Shipping a car from USA to S. Korea

Hi all, I'm looking into bringing a car from NYC to busan. Was wondering if anyone had any advice or follow up to this post.  I got a couple of quotes and it doesnt seem to cost too much to ship it. I heard cars in Korea are super expensive because of the taxes. The car I would be bringing in is not an expensive one.