Biberstrasse 10 · 1010 Vienna Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 office@fivestarcars.at

S01 · Sourcing

US import & custom orders

You choose any car registered for road use in the United States. We buy it, inspect it, ship it, clear it and register it — one contract, one contact, one agreed price.

Buying a car in America from Austria is not hard because of the distance. It is hard because six different parties each hold one piece of the process, and none of them is accountable for the piece before theirs. We take all six.

How it works

Step 01

You describe the car

A model, a listing URL, or a specification. We come back with what it costs landed in Vienna, itemised — vehicle, freight, duty, import VAT, NoVA, conversion, registration and our fee.

1 working day · no deposit
Step 02

We find it and check it

Dealer stock, private sale or a dealer-only auction. We run a free basic pre-check on anything we shortlist — the seller, the listing, the title status. Once you have picked a car, a full in-person inspection follows before any purchase money moves; that one costs €1,000 and comes straight off the price of the car when you buy it.

3–10 days
Step 03

Purchase and title

We buy in your name or ours, whichever suits the paperwork, and take possession of the title. Aviajur reviews the contract on both sides.

2–4 days
Step 04

Ocean freight

Container or roll-on roll-off from the nearest port, fully insured for the declared value. You get the bill of lading and a tracking link.

18–24 days
Step 05

Customs and NoVA

Cleared at Vienna. Duty, import VAT and NoVA filed by us at the figure we quoted. If the car has no European CO₂ figure we deal with that before it becomes expensive.

3–5 days
Step 06

Legal in Austria, then yours

Lighting converted to EU specification, speedometer to km/h, single approval, §57a and plates. Keys at Biberstrasse 10, with the whole import file.

2–4 days

What we need from you

  • The car, or enough of a description that we can go looking
  • A budget ceiling — landed, not the US price
  • Your ID and address for the registration paperwork
  • Roughly when you want to be driving it

What it costs

Our fee is 20 % of the vehicle purchase price, tapering on more expensive cars — 15 % above €50,000, 12 % above €100,000, 10 % above €200,000, with a €4,500 minimum. Duty, import VAT, NoVA, freight and registration are passed through at cost.

The single largest variable is not our fee or the shipping. It is whether the car has a European CO₂ figure. Without one, NoVA is assessed on a substitute of engine power × 2, which on a powerful car can cost more than the car itself.

Common questions

Do I pay anything to get a quote?

No. You get an itemised landed price with no deposit and no obligation. We only ask for money once you have accepted a figure in writing and we are ready to bid.

What if the car turns out to be worse than advertised?

That is what the inspection is for, and it happens before the purchase money moves. You keep the photographs and the written report either way, we do not buy the car, and we go back to looking. The €1,000 inspection fee is credited against the car when you do buy one — so on a deal that goes ahead it costs you nothing.

Can I import a car myself and just use you for the customs part?

Yes. Customs, NoVA and registration are available separately. Most people who try the shipping themselves come to us for this half.

How long does the whole thing take?

Eight to fourteen weeks from your go-ahead to Austrian plates, depending on how quickly the right car turns up and which port it leaves from.

Send us a listing

Paste a US listing URL, or just name the model. You get the full landed breakdown back within one working day.

Describe the car