Bringing a car from the USA to Hungary

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bogoz-bntd@reddit

Dont leave us hanging, what car is it

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It is possible, but not sure if it's worth it after all. It's going to take time to ship it and especially to get it registered. The US speced car may not be roadworthy in the EU given the different requirements.

There are companies who specialize in overseas car import services. You would need to find one.

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Helpful_Green_8880@reddit

It’s also worth keeping in mind that many workshops won’t even touch US cars, since they use different standards (like fasteners), and getting parts can sometimes be a hassle.

If it’s something rare or a bit special, it can still be worth the trouble, but for an average car that’s easily replaceable in the EU, I wouldn’t bother dealing with it.

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Signal_Ability_7075@reddit

It’s also worth keeping in mind that many workshops won’t even touch US cars

this happens, if a country using imaginary measurement units

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DataNerdling@reddit (OP)

it's a one year old Rav 4

to get the same model here it's about 20m HUF, and in the U.S. he can get about 12m HUF for it now

so to sell and buy one there he'd be looking at spending 8m minus whatever it costs to have it shipped there

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mymillionthburner@reddit

You have to ship it, which will cost $3-4k. It will need a TÜV inspection in Germany or the equivalent in the Netherlands, only the can you register it in Hungary. There is VAT, import taxes, fees and the parts you’re looking at to convert it to a European spec.

American cars don’t have the same market here as the EU ones. You will not be able to sell a US import Rav 4 for 20M HUF. Especially considering that brand new 2026 cars are selling for ~17.5-18.8M from dealerships!

You’re looking at 15-16M worth of value IF you don’t have to pay vat and taxes. Not such a good deal.

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Helpful_Green_8880@reddit

Selling price is also a valid concern when it comes to owning a US import in Hungary (or the EU in general). You can more or less group these cars into three categories, which also explains why many people tend to avoid them.

First, there are US-spec rare, sporty, or muscle cars. These are usually hobby or weekend cars, so maintenance and practicality aren’t really a major concern.

Second, there are models that were also sold in the EU, but are cheaper to import from the US, like older Porsches. Some of these get properly restored, but often they’re bought as the “affordable” way into that segment, and realistically, no one is going to pay for proper maintenance on them.

Finally, there are totaled US cars that get rebuilt somewhere (often in places like Lithuania) and then sold as if they were in excellent condition.

Of course, your father’s car might not fall into any of these categories, but these are the kinds of patterns people see. So the prejudice is there, and to some extent, it’s understandable.

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Individual_Author956@reddit

Trust me, you’re much better off selling the car and buying another one in Hungary. If it was some very special car it might’ve been worth the hassle, but for such a generic car it makes absolutely no fucking sense whatsoever. You will thank me later.

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Interstate-84@reddit

You might be not able to register it in Hungary. A couple of years ago registration rules became much stricter for cars which came from outside of the EU. It doesn't matter if the car was even manufactured in the EU for the US market, the authorities will not allow to register it. There is a story of a guy who imported electric Fiat 500s from the US, and he got into all sorts of legal trouble when tried to register the cars in Hungary.

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GeneralAd1047@reddit

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that!
On the same line, some US cars are just not practical for average EU use, so if it's a Ford F-150 or any other huge pick-up truck, it will be useless here as they won't fit into most parking spaces and garages

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Complete-Gas-5084@reddit

Hi!

I moved home from the states as a Hungarian citizen a year ago. Brought my car with me. I moved with this company, absolute painless, fast and correct pricing. https://www.americargo.hu HMU in private if you need more info.

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Just_Problem_1645@reddit

Why?

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izz420@reddit

What car is he bringing over? A Cadillac Eldorado? 😃

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szm14@reddit

It is possible, but if you import from outside the EU, you have to pass the inspection by the NKH to get the license plate. They are the least competent and most pain-in-the-ass authority in Hungary. For oldtimers, the usual way is to import the car to Germany, get a german license plate, and then import to Hungary. I would contact a company, which is specialized in US import for an offer, and decide based on that.