Importing a Car from the US to India
Planning to import a car from the United States to India? Then be prepared to meet the rules and regulations imposed by the Indian customs officials stationed at the ports of entry in Calcutta, Mumbai, Nhava Sheva or Chennai, considering that there are different rules for each port.
The very first shipping rules you should take note of when shipping cars in India is the orientation of the car. First, you have to make sure that you are about to ship a car with right hand steering and controls. The car’s speedometer should also show the speed data in kilometers per hour to be allowed entry to India.
When importing a car from the US to India, you also have to make sure that you are shipping a car that has been manufactured in the US because India only allow car shipments straight from the country where the car has been manufactured.
Shipment of used cars to India
If you are working, changing your residence, or already a resident of India and you would like to ship a used car then take note of the car’s manufacturing date because the customs in India no longer allow shipment of cars that are older than three years. And even if you meet that requirement, you still have to show documents that will prove the road-worthiness of the car for a period of no less than five years counting back from the time of its shipment to India.
Settling in India
If you plan to make India your home and you intend to settle here permanently, it is possible to bring your old car with you but you have to ship it within six months of your arrival in India. Your passport would then be endorsed by Customs as transfer made with car.
Duties to be paid
While you already know the basic rules in shipping cars to India, you should also check out if the specific car you are shipping out to India would pass Indian Customs, which means you have to be ready with an import license. If so, then be prepared to pay the necessary fees imposed for shipping a specific car to India including the special additional duty, additional duty and customs duty. You need to pay a 169 percent customs duty for an old car and a 114 percent customs duty for a new car, subject to a 12.36 percent depreciation and service tax. Your financial obligation is not over even if you have already shipped the car to India because you still have to pay the tax or insurance fees when you register the car in India.
Documentary requirements
When shipping motor vehicles to India, you need to present the original title of the vehicle, insurance certificate, original marketing invoice and a certificate which will confirm that the Euro III pollution standards are met by the vehicle.
By choosing an efficient and reputable shipment company, the process of shipping out your car to India would be much easier. Choose a shipping company which will provide you with an online quote considering the specific car you intend to ship to India such that you will have an idea as to how much it will cost you.