Temporary import into the USA · Updated October 2026
Temporarily Importing Your Foreign Vehicle into the USA
A nonresident can bring a foreign vehicle into the USA duty-free for personal use for up to one year, if it arrives in connection with your own arrival. Before it ships you need an EPA approval letter and an Importer Security Filing. On arrival a customs broker clears it with EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7. The vehicle cannot be sold in the USA and must be exported within the year. No carnet is needed.
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UK to the USA by RORO, standard car
from £1,090
sea freight · plus about $450 US customs, ISF, EPA/DOT filing and port fees
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Duty
None for a nonresident's personal vehicle
Time limit
Up to 1 year, no extension
Before shipping
EPA letter and ISF
At customs
EPA 3520-1 and DOT HS-7
Carnet
Not needed
US import costs
About $450, including port fees
The rules for nonresidents
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lets nonresidents import a vehicle duty-free for personal use for up to one year, if it is imported in connection with the owner's arrival. A vehicle that does not meet US safety and emission standards must be exported within one year and may not be sold in the USA. CBP states there is no exemption or extension of the export requirement.
- Emissions: you need a written EPA nonresident approval letter before import
- Safety: you declare the nonresident box on DOT form HS-7, with your passport number
- Use: personal use by you or your spouse, not mainly for business
- Exit: the vehicle leaves after one year, or when you leave the USA, whichever comes first
EPA does not count driving into Canada or Mexico as exporting the vehicle, unless it came from there. Plan to ship it out of North America within the year.
Step by step
- Get your quote. Fill in the 2-minute form for instant pricing, with the US import costs.
- Apply to the EPA. Email your signed request letter to Imports@epa.gov well before shipping. The approval letter must be in hand before the vehicle is imported.
- Book and prepare. We confirm the carrier, sailing and port. Clean the underside thoroughly: the US Department of Agriculture requires it to be free of foreign soil.
- File the ISF. An Importer Security Filing is required for cargo arriving by sea. Your US broker normally files it before the vehicle is loaded.
- Sea crossing. RORO vehicles travel in the ship's enclosed hold; containers are sealed. We track the vessel and keep you updated.
- Clear and collect. Customs is cleared by our US broker, a local agent we introduce, or your own broker. Shipments are cleared at the first US port of entry.
Documents for US customs
- EPA approval letter for the nonresident exemption
- EPA form 3520-1, code O, with the letter attached
- DOT form HS-7, nonresident box, with your passport number and country of issue
- Original bill of lading (we issue it)
- Foreign registration document, and bill of sale if you have one
- Copy of your passport
- Proof of your travel dates, as the vehicle must arrive in connection with your own arrival
- Customs power of attorney for the broker (the broker provides the form)
The broker may ask for other entry forms depending on the port. Belongings in the vehicle must be declared; see our guide to personal effects.
Who it suits
- Touring and overlanding
- Driving the USA for up to a year in your own car, motorhome or 4x4 camper, then shipping on or home.
- Long visits for work or study
- A nonresident on a temporary stay who wants their own vehicle.
- Classic and collector cars
- Taking a classic to US events and rallies. Vehicles at least 25 years old (DOT) and 21 years old in original condition (EPA) can use age exemptions instead.
- Moving to the USA
- Temporary import is not for residents. A permanent import must meet US standards, pay duty and usually needs a customs bond.
- Business and equipment
- Vehicles used mainly for business cannot use the nonresident rules. Show, display and test vehicles have their own exemptions; send us the details.
What it costs
Shipping a standard car from the UK to the USA by RORO costs from £1,090 in sea freight, and a motorhome from £2,300, based on our quotes in the last 90 days. Allow about $450 for US customs, ISF, EPA/DOT filing and port fees. There is no import duty for a nonresident's temporary import.
Marine insurance is not included unless stated. Motor insurance is required to drive in the USA.
UK to the USA: prices, ports and sailings →
Motor insurance for foreign vehicles in the USA and Canada →
Shipping your vehicle home
Before your year runs out, we ship the vehicle home or on to your next country by RORO or container. US export customs needs the vehicle and its documents at the port at least 72 hours before export. For a foreign-registered vehicle that means the original proof of ownership, with an English translation if needed. If you bought a vehicle in the USA, export customs needs the original title, free of any lien (or with a signed letter from the lender authorising export).
Official sources
CBP: Importing a motor vehicle →
CBP: Exporting a motor vehicle →
CBP: Importer Security Filing →
EPA: Instructions for Requesting a Nonresident Exemption (pdf) →
Questions about temporary import into the USA
Can I take my UK car to the USA temporarily?
Yes. As a nonresident you can import it duty-free for personal use for up to one year. You need an EPA approval letter before shipping, and it is cleared with EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7.
Do I pay import duty on a temporary import?
No. CBP lets nonresidents import a vehicle for personal use duty-free for up to one year, if it arrives in connection with their own arrival. You still pay the broker, ISF and port fees, about $450 in total.
Do I need a carnet for the USA?
No. A Carnet de Passages is not needed for the USA.
What is the ISF and who files it?
The Importer Security Filing is a CBP requirement for cargo arriving by sea. Your US customs broker normally files it before the vehicle is loaded. Missing it can lead to penalties and delays.
Can I extend the one-year limit?
No. CBP states there is no exemption or extension of the export requirement for a vehicle that does not meet US standards.
Does driving into Canada or Mexico count as leaving?
Not for the EPA. Taking the vehicle into Canada or Mexico does not count as exporting it, unless it came from there, so plan to ship it out of North America within the year.
Can I leave my car in the USA and come back for it?
Not under the nonresident exemption. The vehicle must be exported when you leave the USA or after one year, whichever comes first.
What do I need to ship it home from the USA?
The vehicle and documents must be at the port at least 72 hours before export. A foreign vehicle needs the original proof of ownership; a vehicle bought in the USA needs the original title, free of any lien (or with a signed letter from the lender authorising export).
Related services and guides
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