How To: import a JK into The Netherlands, or any European country
02-03-2012, 04:22 AM
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How To: import a JK into The Netherlands, or any European country
Dear JK Forum members,
Below I am describing how I imported my JK into The Netherlands. The main reason is that it was quite difficult to find information on how to do this. Although this story is specific to The Netherlands, perhaps other European members will find something of interest in here too. As for you Americans, at least you can laugh at our laws and the price of our cars!
Yes, we're really in Holland!
My wife got a job in San Francisco for a limited time, so we were able to live in California for 2.5 years. Although we have visited the USA many times on vacation, this was quite different. For one, we had to pass car and motorcycle drive tests. It is mandatory that you have a Californian driver's license if you live in the state. And then you have to insure your toys.
After getting settled, we bought a couple of motorcycles and a new Jeep Wrangler JK. The car buying experience is interesting. Lots of "I can give you a great deal if you sign today" and very little coffee. Or information on the vehicle. Anyway, we got a good deal at some $ 2,000 below MSRP. This means that the 2010 two-door JK Sport cost us about 16,000 euros. A similar JK would cost about 50,000 euros in The Netherlands. We have some pretty horrific taxes here.
Road legal accessories
Since parts and accessories are also twice as expensive in my home country, and because we love to take the JK off-road, I decided to buy some parts for it. Wheels, tires, a small lift and a bumper were on the wish list. Now, it is a good idea to buy this stuff with your home country's laws in mind. I knew we were going to take the JK back to Holland, so buying stuff that was not road legal there would be a waste of money. What to look out for?
Well, the first rule is: if it looks awesome it's probably illegal. That means no LED lights, no stubby front bumper, no stinger, no huge tires that stick out of the fender, no cutting or removing fenders.
Check your own region's laws. For The Netherlands, tires can actually stick out of the fenders 3 centimeters. But I don't like that look anyway and didn't want to risk hitting my fenders when fully flexed. So I decided on tall and skinny tires. 33 inch is plenty tall for almost all off-roading anyway.
A bumper has to be the full width of the vehicle in my country. Second, turn signals have to be clearly visible both from the front and from the sides. Third, fog lights are mandatory. With this in mind, I settled on an ARB Deluxe bumper. This has cutouts for mounting the original fog lights and additional turn signals in the bumpers. An AEV Premium Front Bumper would probably work too, as would other full-width bumpers. Be aware that Made in America bumpers often do not have additional turn signals. This could become a problem if you have to disconnect your stock front turn signals. The problem is that these (the orange lights in the grille) are on all the time. In my country, orange lights on the front of the vehicle are illegal. I suppose you could get clear lenses. But I decided to just take the bulbs out and let the bumper's turn signals handle the task.
As for lift kits and other mods, there really aren't any specific regulations in The Netherlands. But go too crazy and you'll get pulled over anyway. The police will certainly find something to nag about. So
I just went with slightly taller springs and different shocks, some protection like diff covers, and left it at that. In other countries, like Germany, all accessories have to be approved by a government body (the TÜV). This means you have to find parts that are approved in Germany, which can be very difficult. Going with Mopar parts can make life easier.
Taxes in home country
Something to take into consideration is the import taxes you have to pay when importing the vehicle into your home country. A vehicle specific tax in The Netherlands is the BPM. This is calculated based on the vehicle's price and its engine's 'cleanness', mostly based on CO2 emissions. Needless to say the Jeep isn't very clean. The BPM on a new 2012 JK in The Netherlands is about 26,300 euros. The base price of the vehicle including normal value added tax is 27,400 euros. So, the BPM tax on this car effectively doubles the price! Getting a very clean vehicle would save a lot on this tax. Also, BPM tax decreases with the vehicle's age. Getting a Jeep that's ten years old or so cuts down on these taxes a lot.
For The Netherlands, you do not have to pay import taxes on a vehicle if it is part of your removal goods. You have to prove that you have lived in a non-EU foreign country for over a year. The vehicle must be in your possession for six months prior to re-entry and you cannot sell the vehicle for a full year after moving back. I find that reasonable. Just make sure you buy the vehicle at least 6 months before you move back!
Shipping
So, it's time to move back to Europe. It's actually fairly easy to ship a car. We used SCL because they have an office in Los Angeles and one in Rotterdam. The freight was about $ 2,000 in a shared 40 ft container, including some offloading costs that they don't mention to you up front. If you ship an expensive car, I would go with a 20 ft container with just the one vehicle in it so nobody messes with it. Other removal goods, such as household items, are usually not allowed in the container. But sometimes worldwide moving companies can make you a deal and ship everything in one container.
Shipping is a slow business, so count on a month or more of sailing time and a few weeks for your local customs and taxes offices to wake up and put some stamps on your papers.
Papers
What papers do you need? Depends on your country probably. I needed at least:
Make sure you have plenty of copies of everything and PDF files too. These days, sending PDFs through email is generally accepted and a lot quicker than paper. I kept PDFs of everything on a USB key that I carried with me.
The shipper will have to prove to customs that you can import the vehicle. Once that's done, you can take the vehicle to be tested. In The Netherlands this is arranged very nicely. There is a string of official vehicle testing facilities called the RDW. Some even have a little tax office inside, so you can settle import tax and road tax at the same time. You make an appointment, prove that the vehicle is part of removal goods, and they give it a quick check. The vehicle basically has to adhere to the normal standards in the country. I mentioned a couple under 'Road legal accessories'. What I didn't know is that a car has to have small lights in or near the headlights. These are used for marking the vehicle when parked. Also, every car has to have a rear fog lamp. So the JK didn’t have either and was rejected. I found 7" round Hella lights with small lights and the normal hi and lo beam in them.
Hella lamp mounted, original US lamp on left
I also bought an inexpensive aftermarket fog lamp and fitted the parts. The second time the JK passed.
American vehicles often do not have room for large European license plates. So make sure you ask to get special, smaller plates. It is not possible to fit the large Euro plates on the back of the JK, so you would either have to invest in a complete rear bumper (which has fog lamps built in too) or fix something up. A frame, the plate and a license plate light could be tied to the spare wheel on the back or so. I got the small plates and after shaving one just a bit, it fit right into the stock US license plate holder.
Insurance
So, you vehicle is road legal and taxed (or exempt) and you can finally drive it. Hang on, you have to be insured first.
if the vehicle is imported into your European country, this is not too hard. Call a bunch of insurance companies and have them quote you. Rates vary wildly. Some insurance databases see the Jeep as a slow vehicle with little horsepower, which is good! Others see the Wrangler as a convertible, even if you have the hardtop, which is bad. If you're really unlucky the insurance company doesn't know the exact type at all. For instance, you might have a Rubicon and these may not be officially imported. You may have to be creative. Also, many insurance companies require a vehicle alarm. This is not common in US vehicles and even if you had one, such as a LoJack, they would not be recognized abroad. You may have to invest in having an alarm system fitted. It's worth it, because you will save big time on premiums.
One catch for expats returning home: while you were away, your 'accident free driving record' in your home country may have elapsed. So you will have to start accumulating a good driving record all over again and pay the same premium as a young driver.
Last tips
Avoid the dealership. European dealers have no clue what a US Jeep looks like and how to make it road legal. Their prices are ridiculous. A good, independent car repair shop will be happy to help you. There are also 'grey' import companies that routinely import cars from the USA and Canada (why Canada? Because they have speedos in km instead of miles). These import companies know how to ship, retrofit and get a vehicle approved in record time. Worth the money if you don't have the time to do it yourself.
As far as The Netherlands and some other countries are concerned, I mentioned the high import taxes you may be able to avoid. The more expensive the vehicle, the larger the sum that you can save.
So if you are really sure that import taxes can be avoided, buy the most expensive vehicle that you can afford! You can drive it for a few years in Europe and then sell it for the price you paid the dealer in the US. That is, provided it is a desirable vehicle. This would include all German brands and most Italian and Asian cars. Sadly, American gas guzzlers aren't popular now and certainly will not be in the future. Remember that gas in Europe is at least twice as expensive as it is Stateside. For larger cars, almost everyone favors the more frugal diesels.
If your vehicle has a navigation system built in, check if it will work in Europe - you will most likely get different answers. I don't know about the Jeep nav but with another car I imported, the navigation system did not work in Europe and simply installing other maps was impossible. I had to source a completely new system at considerable cost. So, consider selling your US system there before moving.
Below I am describing how I imported my JK into The Netherlands. The main reason is that it was quite difficult to find information on how to do this. Although this story is specific to The Netherlands, perhaps other European members will find something of interest in here too. As for you Americans, at least you can laugh at our laws and the price of our cars!
Yes, we're really in Holland!
My wife got a job in San Francisco for a limited time, so we were able to live in California for 2.5 years. Although we have visited the USA many times on vacation, this was quite different. For one, we had to pass car and motorcycle drive tests. It is mandatory that you have a Californian driver's license if you live in the state. And then you have to insure your toys.
After getting settled, we bought a couple of motorcycles and a new Jeep Wrangler JK. The car buying experience is interesting. Lots of "I can give you a great deal if you sign today" and very little coffee. Or information on the vehicle. Anyway, we got a good deal at some $ 2,000 below MSRP. This means that the 2010 two-door JK Sport cost us about 16,000 euros. A similar JK would cost about 50,000 euros in The Netherlands. We have some pretty horrific taxes here.
Road legal accessories
Since parts and accessories are also twice as expensive in my home country, and because we love to take the JK off-road, I decided to buy some parts for it. Wheels, tires, a small lift and a bumper were on the wish list. Now, it is a good idea to buy this stuff with your home country's laws in mind. I knew we were going to take the JK back to Holland, so buying stuff that was not road legal there would be a waste of money. What to look out for?
Well, the first rule is: if it looks awesome it's probably illegal. That means no LED lights, no stubby front bumper, no stinger, no huge tires that stick out of the fender, no cutting or removing fenders.
Check your own region's laws. For The Netherlands, tires can actually stick out of the fenders 3 centimeters. But I don't like that look anyway and didn't want to risk hitting my fenders when fully flexed. So I decided on tall and skinny tires. 33 inch is plenty tall for almost all off-roading anyway.
A bumper has to be the full width of the vehicle in my country. Second, turn signals have to be clearly visible both from the front and from the sides. Third, fog lights are mandatory. With this in mind, I settled on an ARB Deluxe bumper. This has cutouts for mounting the original fog lights and additional turn signals in the bumpers. An AEV Premium Front Bumper would probably work too, as would other full-width bumpers. Be aware that Made in America bumpers often do not have additional turn signals. This could become a problem if you have to disconnect your stock front turn signals. The problem is that these (the orange lights in the grille) are on all the time. In my country, orange lights on the front of the vehicle are illegal. I suppose you could get clear lenses. But I decided to just take the bulbs out and let the bumper's turn signals handle the task.
As for lift kits and other mods, there really aren't any specific regulations in The Netherlands. But go too crazy and you'll get pulled over anyway. The police will certainly find something to nag about. So
I just went with slightly taller springs and different shocks, some protection like diff covers, and left it at that. In other countries, like Germany, all accessories have to be approved by a government body (the TÜV). This means you have to find parts that are approved in Germany, which can be very difficult. Going with Mopar parts can make life easier.
Taxes in home country
Something to take into consideration is the import taxes you have to pay when importing the vehicle into your home country. A vehicle specific tax in The Netherlands is the BPM. This is calculated based on the vehicle's price and its engine's 'cleanness', mostly based on CO2 emissions. Needless to say the Jeep isn't very clean. The BPM on a new 2012 JK in The Netherlands is about 26,300 euros. The base price of the vehicle including normal value added tax is 27,400 euros. So, the BPM tax on this car effectively doubles the price! Getting a very clean vehicle would save a lot on this tax. Also, BPM tax decreases with the vehicle's age. Getting a Jeep that's ten years old or so cuts down on these taxes a lot.
For The Netherlands, you do not have to pay import taxes on a vehicle if it is part of your removal goods. You have to prove that you have lived in a non-EU foreign country for over a year. The vehicle must be in your possession for six months prior to re-entry and you cannot sell the vehicle for a full year after moving back. I find that reasonable. Just make sure you buy the vehicle at least 6 months before you move back!
Shipping
So, it's time to move back to Europe. It's actually fairly easy to ship a car. We used SCL because they have an office in Los Angeles and one in Rotterdam. The freight was about $ 2,000 in a shared 40 ft container, including some offloading costs that they don't mention to you up front. If you ship an expensive car, I would go with a 20 ft container with just the one vehicle in it so nobody messes with it. Other removal goods, such as household items, are usually not allowed in the container. But sometimes worldwide moving companies can make you a deal and ship everything in one container.
Shipping is a slow business, so count on a month or more of sailing time and a few weeks for your local customs and taxes offices to wake up and put some stamps on your papers.
Papers
What papers do you need? Depends on your country probably. I needed at least:
- the bill of sale
- the receipt, to prove that you paid for the car
- the title (ownership papers)
- my passport
- proof of having lived in the USA (a rental contract for your home or apartment and some bank accounts go a long way)
Make sure you have plenty of copies of everything and PDF files too. These days, sending PDFs through email is generally accepted and a lot quicker than paper. I kept PDFs of everything on a USB key that I carried with me.
The shipper will have to prove to customs that you can import the vehicle. Once that's done, you can take the vehicle to be tested. In The Netherlands this is arranged very nicely. There is a string of official vehicle testing facilities called the RDW. Some even have a little tax office inside, so you can settle import tax and road tax at the same time. You make an appointment, prove that the vehicle is part of removal goods, and they give it a quick check. The vehicle basically has to adhere to the normal standards in the country. I mentioned a couple under 'Road legal accessories'. What I didn't know is that a car has to have small lights in or near the headlights. These are used for marking the vehicle when parked. Also, every car has to have a rear fog lamp. So the JK didn’t have either and was rejected. I found 7" round Hella lights with small lights and the normal hi and lo beam in them.
Hella lamp mounted, original US lamp on left
I also bought an inexpensive aftermarket fog lamp and fitted the parts. The second time the JK passed.
American vehicles often do not have room for large European license plates. So make sure you ask to get special, smaller plates. It is not possible to fit the large Euro plates on the back of the JK, so you would either have to invest in a complete rear bumper (which has fog lamps built in too) or fix something up. A frame, the plate and a license plate light could be tied to the spare wheel on the back or so. I got the small plates and after shaving one just a bit, it fit right into the stock US license plate holder.
Insurance
So, you vehicle is road legal and taxed (or exempt) and you can finally drive it. Hang on, you have to be insured first.
if the vehicle is imported into your European country, this is not too hard. Call a bunch of insurance companies and have them quote you. Rates vary wildly. Some insurance databases see the Jeep as a slow vehicle with little horsepower, which is good! Others see the Wrangler as a convertible, even if you have the hardtop, which is bad. If you're really unlucky the insurance company doesn't know the exact type at all. For instance, you might have a Rubicon and these may not be officially imported. You may have to be creative. Also, many insurance companies require a vehicle alarm. This is not common in US vehicles and even if you had one, such as a LoJack, they would not be recognized abroad. You may have to invest in having an alarm system fitted. It's worth it, because you will save big time on premiums.
One catch for expats returning home: while you were away, your 'accident free driving record' in your home country may have elapsed. So you will have to start accumulating a good driving record all over again and pay the same premium as a young driver.
Last tips
Avoid the dealership. European dealers have no clue what a US Jeep looks like and how to make it road legal. Their prices are ridiculous. A good, independent car repair shop will be happy to help you. There are also 'grey' import companies that routinely import cars from the USA and Canada (why Canada? Because they have speedos in km instead of miles). These import companies know how to ship, retrofit and get a vehicle approved in record time. Worth the money if you don't have the time to do it yourself.
As far as The Netherlands and some other countries are concerned, I mentioned the high import taxes you may be able to avoid. The more expensive the vehicle, the larger the sum that you can save.
So if you are really sure that import taxes can be avoided, buy the most expensive vehicle that you can afford! You can drive it for a few years in Europe and then sell it for the price you paid the dealer in the US. That is, provided it is a desirable vehicle. This would include all German brands and most Italian and Asian cars. Sadly, American gas guzzlers aren't popular now and certainly will not be in the future. Remember that gas in Europe is at least twice as expensive as it is Stateside. For larger cars, almost everyone favors the more frugal diesels.
If your vehicle has a navigation system built in, check if it will work in Europe - you will most likely get different answers. I don't know about the Jeep nav but with another car I imported, the navigation system did not work in Europe and simply installing other maps was impossible. I had to source a completely new system at considerable cost. So, consider selling your US system there before moving.
02-03-2012, 11:52 PM
#2
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Thanks for sharing!
I know here somebody who wishes to import from USA a new petrol JKU Wrangler MW3.
Unfortunately almost everywhere in EU there are the same "requirements".
Enjoy "Out There!" your rig in EU as much you can!
Cheers
John
I know here somebody who wishes to import from USA a new petrol JKU Wrangler MW3.
Unfortunately almost everywhere in EU there are the same "requirements".
Enjoy "Out There!" your rig in EU as much you can!
Cheers
John
02-08-2012, 05:53 AM
#4
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Hoi Dennisr
Er zijn mij geen problemen bekend met de achter- en knipperlichten. De APK stelt ook weinig eisen aan achterlichten: het mogen er niet meer dan 4 zijn, ze mogen uitsluitend rood licht uitstralen (dus geen scheuren e.d.), remlicht moet werken en dat was het wel zo'n beetje. Alleen schijnen er reflectoren te moeten zijn en ik weet niet of de USA versie die heeft. Bij de RDW keuring kwam mijn auto er probleemloos doorheen met de standaard USA achter/knipperlichten. Het is niet te zeggen of er later bij een APK nog een hele wakkere keurmeester lastig gaat doen over een of ander detail.
De Europese JK's zijn qua achter/knipperlichten echter nauwelijks anders. Het valt me alleen op dat het achteruitrijlicht wat groter is.
(translation: I have had no issues with the stock USA taillights, which double as turn signals. The Euro lights seem very similar.)
Er zijn mij geen problemen bekend met de achter- en knipperlichten. De APK stelt ook weinig eisen aan achterlichten: het mogen er niet meer dan 4 zijn, ze mogen uitsluitend rood licht uitstralen (dus geen scheuren e.d.), remlicht moet werken en dat was het wel zo'n beetje. Alleen schijnen er reflectoren te moeten zijn en ik weet niet of de USA versie die heeft. Bij de RDW keuring kwam mijn auto er probleemloos doorheen met de standaard USA achter/knipperlichten. Het is niet te zeggen of er later bij een APK nog een hele wakkere keurmeester lastig gaat doen over een of ander detail.
De Europese JK's zijn qua achter/knipperlichten echter nauwelijks anders. Het valt me alleen op dat het achteruitrijlicht wat groter is.
(translation: I have had no issues with the stock USA taillights, which double as turn signals. The Euro lights seem very similar.)
08-13-2012, 04:48 AM
#5
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Insurance
Hi,
You don't have to worry about having no record of insurance when you relocate, just get your insurance company that you have tne no claims with to give you a letter confirming your % of no claims so you can give it to your next company along with your details. This has worked for me when I lived in the UK, the Us, Norway, and Sweden then back to the UK all with 75% no claims.
You don't have to worry about having no record of insurance when you relocate, just get your insurance company that you have tne no claims with to give you a letter confirming your % of no claims so you can give it to your next company along with your details. This has worked for me when I lived in the UK, the Us, Norway, and Sweden then back to the UK all with 75% no claims.
01-14-2013, 11:15 PM
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01-03-2014, 12:17 PM
#8
JK Enthusiast
OK, I know this is a somehow old thread but wanted to say thank you for posting this info!
I am planning on returning to EU and was wondering if you remember what international transport companies you looked into.
last question about the headlights, what do, you mean by small lights next to the large ones? do you have the reference of the Hella 7'' headlights?
Thanks in advance!
Happy wheeling
I am planning on returning to EU and was wondering if you remember what international transport companies you looked into.
last question about the headlights, what do, you mean by small lights next to the large ones? do you have the reference of the Hella 7'' headlights?
Thanks in advance!
Happy wheeling
01-03-2014, 01:06 PM
#9
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Hi
We used the transport company SCL (sclnl.nl), they have an English version of the site). A main reason was that they transport directly to Rotterdam harbor, which is very close to where we live. It did mean that we had to deliver the Jeep to a warehouse in Los Angeles. Shipping wasn't very expensive and they did a great job. Jeep went in a large container with one other vehicle, was strapped down well and came out a couple of weeks later undamaged.
Our removal goods and a second car went with Crown relocations (crownrelo.com). They also did very well and went out of their way for us to deliver the car undamaged and with little hassle.
About the headlights, in The Netherlands and probably other EU countries you have to have 'parking lights' or 'city lights' in the headlights. These are small bulbs that can be turned on when the vehicle is stationary or parked. You're not allowed to run them on the move but they are required to be on the vehicle.
This is why I swapped the USA headlights for Hellas with a E-marking (European version). I can't recall the part number on these now. If you really need it I could investigate further. They may be harder to get in the US (not DOT approved probably) but easy and cheap to get in Europe.
Below is a picture I found on another forum that shows the E-marking and the small bulb inside for the 'parking light'.
from englishforum.ch/transportation-driving/72528-importing-us-jeep-wrangler-x-2.html
Good luck!
We used the transport company SCL (sclnl.nl), they have an English version of the site). A main reason was that they transport directly to Rotterdam harbor, which is very close to where we live. It did mean that we had to deliver the Jeep to a warehouse in Los Angeles. Shipping wasn't very expensive and they did a great job. Jeep went in a large container with one other vehicle, was strapped down well and came out a couple of weeks later undamaged.
Our removal goods and a second car went with Crown relocations (crownrelo.com). They also did very well and went out of their way for us to deliver the car undamaged and with little hassle.
About the headlights, in The Netherlands and probably other EU countries you have to have 'parking lights' or 'city lights' in the headlights. These are small bulbs that can be turned on when the vehicle is stationary or parked. You're not allowed to run them on the move but they are required to be on the vehicle.
This is why I swapped the USA headlights for Hellas with a E-marking (European version). I can't recall the part number on these now. If you really need it I could investigate further. They may be harder to get in the US (not DOT approved probably) but easy and cheap to get in Europe.
Below is a picture I found on another forum that shows the E-marking and the small bulb inside for the 'parking light'.
from englishforum.ch/transportation-driving/72528-importing-us-jeep-wrangler-x-2.html
Good luck!