Can a Korean-Spec Car Be Registered in the EU? Check the VIN First
Customs clearance does not prove EU registration eligibility. Check CoC availability or an individual-approval route for the exact VIN before paying in Korea.
Car export from Korea to Germany, the EU and Switzerland
European buyers come to Korea for two things: German and Italian cars in rare specifications at Korean-market prices, and Korean-built cars that enter the EU duty-free. The customs treatment is different for each, and Switzerland is a different story from the EU. All three are set out below.
What Korea allows
- No displacement or value cap. Korea restricts used-car exports only to Russia and Belarus (engines of 2.0 litres and above, and cars over $50,000). Every other destination can take any car in the catalogue.
- Left-hand drive. Korea drives on the right, so every car here is left-hand drive from the factory. There is no conversion and no right-hand-drive question.
- Export deregistration. The car is deregistered for export in Korea and issued an export certificate (수출말소증명서). That document, with the invoice and bill of lading, is what customs on the other side works from.
- Inspection before payment. You receive the dealer listing, the insurance and accident history and the lien check before any money moves. The sequence is on the How it works page.
What Europe charges and requires
- EU customs duty
- 10% of the customs value (price plus freight and insurance) for passenger cars. Korean-built cars (Hyundai, Genesis, Kia) enter at 0% under the EU–Korea free trade agreement when the invoice carries an origin declaration; above €6,000 that needs an approved exporter. A car built in the EU and re-imported may qualify for returned-goods relief; your broker decides that case by case.
- EU VAT
- The importing country’s rate on the customs value plus duty: 19% in Germany. Paid at import, not again at registration.
- EU registration
- A car needs EU type approval to register. Where the manufacturer can issue a Certificate of Conformity for the Korean-market car, registration follows the normal route; otherwise it goes through individual approval (in Germany, §21 StVZO at a TÜV or DEKRA station). We tell you which applies before you buy.
- Switzerland: customs duty
- None. Switzerland abolished customs duty on passenger cars from 1 January 2024, whatever the country of origin.
- Switzerland: automobile tax
- 4% of the value including transport and insurance to the border.
- Switzerland: VAT
- 8.1% on the value plus all costs to the Swiss destination, including the automobile tax.
- Switzerland: CO₂ sanction
- Applies on first registration to new and near-new cars (the figures differ by source and year). A used car a few years old is normally outside it; confirm for a car under six months or 2,000 km.
Figures last checked 2026-10-25. Customs rules change; confirm the current rate with your broker before a purchase.
Route and timing
RoRo or container from Busan or Incheon to Bremerhaven, Rotterdam or Antwerp. Six to eight weeks from booking to the port is typical; the sailing itself is the larger part of it. We quote the current transit with the car.
Clearance happens at the port of entry, and the car can then move by transporter or on its own plates (with a temporary registration) to Germany, Switzerland or wherever it is going.
Documents the buyer needs
- Identity document or company registration.
- Commercial invoice with an origin declaration where the car is Korean-built; bill of lading.
- Korean export certificate with English or German translation (we issue both).
- Customs declaration and VAT receipt; then the Certificate of Conformity or the individual-approval report, and the registration.
Questions buyers ask
Which cars enter the EU at 0% duty?
Cars built in Korea, when the invoice carries an origin declaration under the EU–Korea agreement. A Porsche or a G-Class bought in Korea was built in Germany, so it does not qualify for the FTA rate; it may qualify for returned-goods relief instead, which your broker assesses from the car’s history.
Can a German-built car go back to Germany?
Yes. It clears at 10% duty and 19% VAT unless returned-goods relief applies, and registers on a Certificate of Conformity if the manufacturer issues one for the Korean-market specification, otherwise through individual approval. The specification is the point to check before buying: Korean-market cars are built to Korean rules, and the differences are usually small but have to be shown.
What about Switzerland?
No customs duty since 2024. The cost at the border is the 4% automobile tax and 8.1% VAT on the value plus transport, and registration goes through the cantonal road traffic office with a type approval or individual inspection. A car that has been yours for more than six months may enter as household effects with no tax; that is a relocation rule, not a purchase route.
Do I need a COC?
It is the simplest route to registration, and for many German-brand cars sold in Korea the manufacturer can issue one. Where it cannot, individual approval replaces it. We find out which applies for the specific car before you commit, because it changes both the cost and the time.
What a Korean used car costs landed in the EU (worked example)
A 80,000,000 won car lands in Germany near EUR 69,400: EUR 5,301 EU duty, EUR 11,079 import VAT, EUR 30 registration, plus lines only a quote fills.