This page covers the shipping process. If your main question is price, use the separate Germany → USA car shipping cost guide, which tracks current published market benchmarks and then points you to a provider-verified rate for your exact vehicle and destination.
Enter the VIN or vehicle details, mileage, Germany origin and U.S. destination. Ship or Sell compares SHIP, SELL and STORE and keeps provider-dependent pricing separate until it is verified.
Analyze my vehicle & get a rate →No Orders upload or SSN required for the decision analysis.
Confirm whether the vehicle is the government-authorized POV or an additional privately arranged vehicle.
Check NHTSA and EPA requirements before paying for transport.
Confirm year, make, model, dimensions, running condition and modifications.
Include Germany pickup, international transport, possible import costs and U.S. inland delivery.
Use current provider pricing and review exactly what is included or excluded.
Prepare ownership, identity, shipment and import paperwork required for your specific case.
Follow the booked provider's instructions for fuel, cleanliness, keys, accessories and personal items.
Complete release and arrange pickup or inland transport from the gateway to the final destination.
Military OneSource states that for OCONUS-to-CONUS, CONUS-to-OCONUS and OCONUS-to-OCONUS moves, only one POV owned or leased for personal use may generally be shipped at government expense. Exceptions can exist, and members who want to make their own arrangements to ship more than one POV should contact their local transportation office.
That distinction matters because a privately arranged second vehicle is a commercial shipping decision. Do not assume a private quote will be reimbursed simply because the move itself is PCS-related. See Can I ship two cars during a PCS from Germany to the USA? for the dedicated two-vehicle answer.
NHTSA says a vehicle less than 25 years old that was not originally manufactured and certified to applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards generally cannot be permanently imported unless NHTSA has determined it eligible for importation. Vehicles at least 25 years old have a separate age-based path measured from the date of manufacture. EPA emissions requirements are separate.
Use the U.S. car import check and the 25-year import rule guide before treating a shipping quote as an import approval.
Year, make, model, running condition and dimensions matter. Lift kits, roof tents or racks, oversized tires and other modifications can change carrier acceptance, dimensions and rate class. If the vehicle is modified, actual measurements are more useful than factory specifications.
The private shipping decision can include Germany-side pickup, international transport, insurance, export or terminal handling, customs or duty exposure, compliance, destination charges and U.S. inland delivery. A port-to-port headline price is not automatically the landed total.
For current published market benchmarks and the exact cost stack, use How much does it cost to ship a car from Germany to the USA?
A useful final quote should be tied to the actual vehicle and route and should make inclusions and exclusions visible. Ship or Sell keeps planning evidence separate from provider-verified pricing rather than silently presenting an estimate as a booking price.
For the checklist of what to inspect, see what should be included in a vehicle shipping quote.
The exact document package varies by provider, ownership situation and import path. Common categories include registration or title evidence, proof of ownership, identification, shipment details and the federal import paperwork that applies to the vehicle. Sensitive documents should be handled only in the appropriate secured workflow when they are actually required.
Use the dedicated Germany → USA vehicle shipping documents guide for the document-by-document breakdown.
Follow the exact instructions from the provider you booked. Fuel level, cleanliness, personal belongings, loose accessories, alarms, keys and vehicle condition can all be subject to provider or carrier requirements. Do not rely on a generic checklist when your booked provider gives a specific one.
If the vehicle does not run, review the non-running vehicle and RoRo guide. For belongings, see the personal-items guide.
The shipment moves through the booked Germany export process, international transport and U.S. entry. Customs, NHTSA and EPA are separate parts of the import process. After release, the arrival gateway may still be far from the final duty station or household destination.
See how long Germany → USA vehicle shipping can take and the U.S. inland vehicle transport methodology.
Private vehicle shipping and second-POV planning for the KMC.
KMC → USA guide →USAG Bavaria private vehicle shipping and second-POV planning.
Bavaria → USA guide →First confirm entitlement, then check import eligibility, collect the exact vehicle and route details, compare the complete cost, obtain a current provider quote, prepare the documents and vehicle, and plan for U.S. release and inland delivery.
Military OneSource says one personal-use POV may generally be shipped at government expense for OCONUS moves, with possible exceptions. A second vehicle often requires private arrangements; confirm your case with your transportation office.
Use the dedicated cost guide for current published market benchmarks. Your actual booking number should come from a provider-verified quote tied to your vehicle and route.
Not automatically. Federal safety and emissions requirements depend on the vehicle. NHTSA's rules for nonconforming vehicles and the separate EPA requirements need to be checked before booking.
Published: 31 August 2026 · Last reviewed: 7 October 2026.
Use the exact car, Germany origin and U.S. destination. If SHIP is the path you want, request the provider-verified rate after the decision analysis.
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