Importing your Car
You are relocating to a new country but you love your old car. Don’t worry. You do have some options. It is possible to ship your car nearly anywhere in the world, but before you decide to send your Mustang to London or your Range Rover down under, there are a couple things for you to consider.
- In many countries the cars are driven on the opposite side of the road (e.g. Ireland, England, Japan, and Australia). The steering wheel is also on the opposite side. Before shipping your car, you should make sure that it is legal to drive in the new destination. More importantly, make sure that you would feel comfortable driving it.
- The cost of shipping a car overseas can be fairly steep. Also, many countries have tariffs on importing cars. If your company is not paying for the shipping you may want to consider selling your car and using the money to buy another one at your new location. Depending on where you are moving to, you may find that purchasing a car locally is a better economic deal such as buying a German car in Germany or a Japanese car in Japan.
Also, you should not forget to get a new license. Most countries will honor the driver’s license you already have for a specified period of time, but not forever. Be prepared to learn the new rules of the road.
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