When we moved abroad in 2016, our only asset of value in the United States was our 2009 VW Rabbit. We didn't sell it for two reasons: 1) we needed a mode of transportation when we visit the USA and 2) it was almost paid off. 

Fast forward and we purchased a home (refer to Buying a House Abroad) in Spain. Instead of sitting in the States (it should be noted that our car got great use during our epic Canadian road-trip; refer to Canada), we decided to ship our car to Spain in 2018. Our zippy, two-door car would be perfect navigating the small streets and alleys of Oliva. 

Not only that, but we could load the car with all our other sentimental items collecting dust at our respective parents' home. 

When analyzing whether to ship our car or buy one in Spain, we ultimately decided to export. There were a variety of factors considered including quality for price and moving our personal items.

Shipping Company

After some research, we selected Schumacher Cargo Logistics; they specialize in vehicle shipping out of Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Savannah, and New York. 

Required Documentation

In order for a vehicle to be exported, the vehicle owner will need to supply the documentation as follows: 

• Passport 

• Ownership Document (Title)

• Shipping Authorization Letter*

At the time of shipment, we did not own our car outright. As such, we were required to obtain a Shipping Authorization Letter from Wells Fargo. Most over-the-phone representatives are not aware of or knowledgeable regarding this particular request; you might get a lot of information that is not necessarily correct. Save yourself hours of explaining, catch 22 scenarios and no's. Contact the special handling or like department directly if you need a shipping authorization letter from your lien holder. I have included Wells Fargo's general specialized handling department email below.

cssspecializedhandling@wellsfargo.com

My email included my account number, contact information, port-to-port insurance, duration of time the car will be in Spain, and explanation of my need to ship the car to Spain - reliable transportation during my wife's pregnancy.  

During my many conversations over-the-phone, I found out that I couldn't send the car to Spain permanently; I had to specify a time less than a year. In our request, I explained that we never missed a payment and that the car would be paid off in a year and a half, obtaining full-rights over the car anyways. I believe the logical argument related to the lean holder's limited risk resulted in our obtaining the authorization letter.    

Quick Note

The entire Schumacher Customer Documentation Requirement & Shipping Checklist (port of Houston/Galveston) has been provided to get a better idea of the requirements. 

Once we obtained the authorization letter, the other document requirements were a breeze. My car was moved from Dallas to Houston for processing and shipment. Schumacher stored my car in their warehouse facilities until placed in a shared container and shipped. 

Quick Note

Instead of renew our car registration when we were abroad, we listed as non-operational with the California DMV. We obtained a one-trip permit (green) to move our car from where it was being stored in Dallas (my Mom's home) to the shipping port in Houston.

Ocean Bill of Lading

Once our car was paired with another vehicle in a shared container to the same destination, we were provided with an ocean bill of lading outlining the details. Unfortunately, this happened after we returned to Kuwait from Spain in August. The original sail date was cancelled due to a re-route of the ship. The updated sail date put the cars arrival in September. 

Total Cost 

The total cost for exporting our car (medium sized vehicle, shared container) to Spain was $1,450 with $300 relating to insurance and processing fees. 

Now that you've finished exporting, it's time for importing. Two separate things handled by two separate companies - news to us! Importing was facilitated by Sparber Lineas Maritimas, S.A.. While they were equally knowledgable and accommodating given the language barrier, we did have to pay for Importing - something the exporting company did not tell me. The transaction was easy enough: I paid bill, showed ID, and drove my car to Oliva. 

Quick Note

Importing services included tourist insurance and fees to drive the car in Spain, but not indefinitely. You have a grace period to register your car and obtain Spanish car insurance.  

Total Cost 

The total cost for importing our car to Spain was $1,200. 

Quick Note

The Import Tax does not need to be paid immediately to obtain your car from Port. Thus, we did not include the tax in the total cost for import/export. The tax must be paid to register the vehicle in Spain. 

Import Tax

First, we want to say: Be careful; ask questions! In order to begin car registration of an imported vehicle to Spain, you must obtain receipt ("stamp") that the import tax was paid. A majority of the import tax calculation is based on the following: 

• Vehicle Value

•  CO2 emissions 

I was recommended Adunas T. Cremades S.L. from an administrative office at the Port of Valencia. I was quoted roughly $5,000 on a car valued at $4,500 (2019, Kelley Blue Book). Something did not seem right, so I did additional research.  

We ended up working with Translevante S.A. where they informed us the import tax was calculated at roughly $3,200.  We ended up learning that the Vehicle Value was based on purchase price and not necessarily the current value.  Either way, we saved almost $2,000. 

While there were some difficulties and annoyances, the exporting and importing of our vehicle was fairly easy. I believe some of our specific circumstances made the processes a little more challenging - living and working in different countries and not owning our car outright when we shipped. 

Having some of the information provided above will be extremely useful to those with a similar situation and save you hours of your personal time. In summary, it cost roughly $2,700 to export and import a vehicle to Spain and took about a four months to export/import the vehicle to Spain. Most of delay (3.5 months) was waiting for a shared container, destined for the desired port. 

Please note that this was only half the battle. We still need to register the car in Spain and make modifications to the vehicle to meet local regulations. As of 2023, we still do not have the car registered in Spain (refer to Spanish Car Registration).