New Zealand's collector market holds low-kilometre European classics with full paper trails, and the 25-year rule makes them importable to the US just like JDM cars. Here's how to bring a Porsche, Mercedes or Ferrari across the Pacific.
Step 1: Confirm eligibility (25-year rule)
A European car 25 or more years old is exempt from FMVSS under the 25-year rule and can be imported and registered in the US. See which European classics are eligible for the marque-by-marque detail.
Step 2: Source and inspect
Pick from New Zealand's collector market or brief us on a spec. The car can be inspected and often driven before you commit, with originality and service history verified, a real advantage on a hand-built European classic. Note most NZ cars are right-hand drive from new; RHD is legal to import and register under the 25-year rule.
Step 3: Ship and clear US customs
We ship RoRo or container into Long Beach, Baltimore, Houston, Brunswick or Tacoma and handle NZ export. On arrival your customs broker files the NHTSA HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 forms and pays the import charges, currently 2.5% duty plus a 12.5% tariff on the car's price (the 12.5% tariff is current US policy and can change).
Step 4: Title and register
Title and register the car in your state as a classic import; fees and taxes vary by state. Our exotic import guides by region cover the local detail.
See what it costs, or the broader European classics import guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I import a European classic to the USA?
Confirm the car is 25 or more years old (the 25-year rule), source and inspect it, ship it from New Zealand, and have your customs broker clear it (NHTSA HS-7, EPA 3520-1, and import charges currently 2.5% duty plus a 12.5% tariff on the car's price, a current rate your broker confirms before shipment). Then title and register it in your state, presenting the sales contract and the New Zealand registration document to your local DMV. Importify handles the New Zealand side end to end.
Are New Zealand European classics left- or right-hand drive?
Most are right-hand drive from new, as New Zealand drives on the left. RHD is fully legal to import and register in the US under the 25-year rule. If you specifically want a left-hand-drive example we'll tell you up front what's available.
Which European classics can I import to the US?
Any European car 25 or more years old: air-cooled Porsche 911s, W124 and R129 Mercedes, E30/E36 BMWs, 1990s Ferraris, XJS Jaguars and their contemporaries are all eligible today, with more unlocking each year.
