Purchasing a car overseas - how to shop, ship and pay

When you’re shopping around for a new or used car, sometimes you need to look a little further afield to find the best deal or that perfect set of wheels. Buying a car overseas to be shipped back to the States is actually not as complicated as you might think.With the help of an international money transfer, you can safely and securely send funds overseas to complete your purchase. But regardless of whether you’re buying a vintage classic, a rare European marque, or even if you’ve just found a much cheaper sale price abroad, finding the most affordable way to pay for your new set of wheels is crucial.

Compare money transfer providers to help you buy a car in another country

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Min. Transfer Amount	Transfer Speed	Online Transfer Fee	Rate	Amount Received	Description	CTA	Details
$1,000	1 day	USD 0.00	0.831	EUR 4,154	OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AUD, AZN, BGN, BHD, BND, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, FJD, GBP, HKD, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KRW, KWD, LKR, MAD, MGA, MXN, MYR, NOK, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, RUB, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, THB, TOP, TRY, TWD, TZS, USD, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
GBP 1,000	1 - 2 days	USD 0.00	0.831	EUR 4,154	Exclusive: Minimum transfer of $1,000 for Finder readers (normally $5,000). CurrencyTransfer lets you shop around for the best exchange rate on its online marketplace.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount GBP 1,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Chat Available currencies AED, AUD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, HUF, ILS, JPY, MXN, NOK, NZD, PLN, RON, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, USD, ZAR Go to site Read the full review
USD 1	Same day	USD 0.00	0.835	EUR 4,177	XE has fast transfers with no fees and a range of foreign currency tools.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount USD 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ANG, AOA, ARS, AUD, AWG, AZN, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BND, BOB, BRL, BSD, BTN, BWP, BZD, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CUC, CVE, CZK, DJF, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ERN, ETB, EUR, FJD, FKP, GBP, GEL, GGP, GHS, GIP, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, IMP, INR, IQD, IRR, ISK, JEP, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KPW, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, LSL, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MNT, MOP, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SDG, SEK, SGD, SHP, SLL, SOS, SPL, SRD, SVC, SYP, SZL, THB, TJS, TMT, TND, TOP, TRY, TTD, TVD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VEF, VND, VUV, WST, XAF, XCD, XDR, XOF, XPF, YER, ZAR, ZMW, ZWD, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$10	Within an hour	USD 1.99	0.822	EUR 4,110	Special offers like free transfers and better exchange rates available for new customers. Remitly has quick, affordable transfers around the world, with both express and economy options.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 10.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options N/A Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies ALL, AMD, ARS, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BIF, BOB, BRL, BSD, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, GYD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KZT, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MWK, MXN, MYR, NIO, NPR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SLL, SRD, SVC, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, UZS, VND, XAF, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
$1	1 - 2 days	USD 40.00	0.839	EUR 4,162	Wise uses the mid-market rate and transparent fees to help you send money in 45+ currencies.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, ARS, AUD, BDT, BGN, BRL, BWP, CAD, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, EGP, EUR, GBP, GEL, GHS, HKD, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, JPY, KES, KRW, LKR, MAD, MXN, MYR, NGN, NOK, NPR, NZD, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, RON, RUB, SEK, SGD, THB, TRY, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, XOF, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review
$1	Within an hour	USD 3.99	0.836	EUR 4,175	WorldRemit sends money to 110+ countries for bank-to-bank deposits, cash pick-ups or mobile top-ups.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount 1.00 Transfer methods Online, Bank Account to Bank Account, Cash Transfer Transfer options One off payments Customer service Phone, Email Available currencies AED, ALL, AMD, AOA, ARS, AUD, BAM, BBD, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BOB, BRL, BWP, CAD, CDF, CHF, CLP, CNY, COP, CRC, CVE, CZK, DKK, DOP, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GNF, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HTG, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, ISK, JMD, JOD, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, KYD, KZT, LAK, LKR, LRD, LSL, MAD, MDL, MGA, MRO, MUR, MVR, MWK, MXN, MYR, MZN, NAD, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PAB, PEN, PHP, PKR, PLN, PYG, RON, RUB, RWF, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, SOS, SRD, THB, TJS, TND, TOP, TRY, TZS, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, WST, XAF, XCD, XOF, ZAR, ZMW, BYN Go to site Read the full review
USD 10,000	1 - 2 days	N/A	N/A	N/A	Dunbridge Financial offers diverse transfer options to more than 120 countries. Powered by Currencycloud.	Go to site	Compare	Show details	Details Minimum transfer amount USD 10,000.00 Transfer methods Online, Phone, Bank Account to Bank Account Transfer options Regular payments, One off payments, Market orders, Forward contracts Customer service Phone, Chat, Email Available currencies AED, AFN, ALL, AMD, ARS, AUD, AZN, BAM, BDT, BGN, BHD, BIF, BMD, BOB, BRL, BWP, BYR, CAD, CHF, CNY, COP, CRC, CZK, DKK, DOP, DZD, EGP, ETB, EUR, FJD, GBP, GEL, GHS, GMD, GTQ, HKD, HNL, HRK, HUF, IDR, ILS, INR, IQD, ISK, JMD, JOD, JPY, KES, KGS, KHR, KMF, KRW, KWD, LAK, LBP, LKR, LRD, MAD, MDL, MGA, MKD, MMK, MNT, MOP, MUR, MVR, MXN, MYR, MZN, NGN, NIO, NOK, NPR, NZD, OMR, PEN, PGK, PHP, PKR, PLN, QAR, RON, RSD, RUB, RWF, SAR, SBD, SCR, SEK, SGD, SLL, THB, TJS, TND, TRY, TTD, TWD, TZS, UAH, UGX, USD, UYU, VND, VUV, WST, XOF, XPF, YER, ZAR, ZMW Go to site Read the full review

Compare up to 4 providers

What's in this guide?

Compare money transfer providers to help you buy a car in another country
Using a money transfer service to buy a car from overseas
How can I compare money transfer services?
What are some Issues to consider when buying a car from overseas?
Frequently asked questions

Using a money transfer service to buy a car from overseas

If you need to send funds abroad, the first option you might consider is transferring money through your bank. But even though banks can send international wire transfers in a huge range of currencies to destinations all around the world, sending money via your bank will cost you.

Poor exchange rates and high fees are the norm when sending overseas transfers through your bank, so you can save a lot of dough if you shop around to find a specialist money transfer service. These companies offer markedly better exchange rates than the banks and in most cases also impose lower transfer fees, which can all add up to a significant saving — especially when you’re transferring a large amount.

Online money transfer providers such as USForex, and WorldRemit all offer secure and reliable online transfers, combining convenience with affordability.

In other cases, you may want to transfer the funds overseas in cash, either directly to a private seller or perhaps to a trusted friend who will buy the car on your behalf. Companies like MoneyGram, Western Union and Ria can help in these circumstances, offering fast and simple money transfers to cash pickup locations around the world.

Case study: Finding the best deal

Vintage car enthusiast Don wants to buy a historic Mini Cooper from a seller in the United Kingdom. Having agreed on a sale price of USD $10,000 with the seller for the slightly damaged car, Don begins arrangements to transfer the necessary funds. But when he sees the poor exchange rate on offer from his bank, he decides to see if he can find a better deal from a specialist transfer service — he compares two services to see which one offers the better deal.

	Money transfer company 1	Money transfer company 2
Exchange rate	1 USD = 0.6493 GBP	1 USD = 0.637 GBP
Transfer fee	$0	$10
Transfer method	Bank account transfer	Bank account transfer
Turnaround time	3 business days	4 business days
Amount received (in GBP)	£6,493	£6,370

As this table shows, Don can send an extra £123 by using the first transfer service and also save USD $10 in transfer fees.

5 steps to import a car into the US

How can I compare money transfer services?

Consider the following factors when weighing up the pros and cons of different money transfer services:

Exchange rates. How high or low are the company’s exchange rates? If their rates are often better than their competitors’, do they also charge high fees?

Fees. In most cases you’ll need to pay a transfer fee so it’s worth comparing amounts, but some companies scrap their fees when you send large transfers — for example $5,000 or greater.

Available currencies. Consider the range of currencies that the transfer provider offers for transfers — does it offer transfers in the currency you want and to the destination you need?

How to place a transfer. Some companies are online-only, while others will allow you to place transfers over the phone or by visiting a transfer branch.

Flexible options. Depending on your circumstances, you may wish to look for a range of transfer options that can help you save time and money. For example, you might want to schedule several payments to buy a car in instalments over time, or you may wish to place a forward contract to protect yourself against fluctuating exchange rates.

Processing times. How long will each provider take to deliver the funds you send to your beneficiary?

Customer service. How will you be able to access customer assistance if you ever experience a problem with a transfer? Is there an online help centre as well as phone and email contact options?

Pickup options. If you want to send cash and don’t need to send a large amount, there are companies available that offer transfers with cash pickups. Other providers specialise in online transfers from your bank account to your recipient’s overseas account.

What are some Issues to consider when buying a car from overseas?

Make sure it meets US specifications. Check to ensure that the car you buy meets all the necessary requirements to be driven legally in the United States, including meeting any safety and emissions regulations.
Warranty. Does the car come with a manufacturer’s warranty? If so, where can you get it serviced in the States without voiding your warranty?
Shipping. Will you be taking care of the shipping arrangements or will this be taken care of by the dealer/seller? Remember to factor this expense into your purchase price calculations if needed.
How affordable is the car to run? Buying a car only represents a portion of your overall cost, so don’t forget to consider how much a car costs to run and whether or not it will fit into your budget in the future.

Frequently asked questions

Thank you for your feedback!

Shirley Liu

Shirley Liu is Finder's global program manager. She was previously the publisher for banking and investments and has also written comparisons for energy, money transfers, Uber Eats and many other topics. Shirley has a Master of Commerce and a Bachelor of Media, Journalism and Communications from the University of New South Wales. She is passionate about helping people find the best deal for their needs.

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2 Responses

JakeJuly 10, 2019

Can I buy a car in another country and leave it there? After I purchased the car, what progress do I need to do? Do I have to report it to DMV? After getting a loan from the US to purchase a car in another country, what documents do I need for the bank?

finder Customer Care

JeniJuly 12, 2019Staff

Hi Jake,

Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

Yes, you may leave the car you purchased overseas, if you prefer to. You do not have to report that to the DMV unless you’re considering to transport that to the US. If you file for a personal loan and get approved, the bank/lender doesn’t ask for proof on where you spend your money unless they require you to send them paperwork if it was a secured loan, let’s say a car loan. It is best to get in touch with your bank/lender on that matter for further clarification.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

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