Shipping a Car

traderlindo said:

Can anyone provide info. on shipping car to DR as an American??
I am a US citizen with a rental apt. in DR but don't have residency there. I have found a shipping company in NY willing to ship and was told that my cars year or age( 1998 Ford Escort) doesn't matter. Also was told that taxes and costs wouldn't exceed $1,000 US when it arrives. Also what do I need to do once car arrives in order to be able to drive it being that I have a foreign drivers license

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Not true.

For a 1998 car you will pay ALOT.

Your shipping company must contact you with a customs broker in DR. If they do not have one - forget about them and find another one. In NY there are many DR shippers.

But shipping 98 Escort is not a smart idea. Must be not older than five years old to avoid a big rip-off.
Call any Dominican Consulate first and do not make costly mistakes.

traderlindo said:

Also was told that taxes and costs wouldn't exceed $1,000 US when it arrives.

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You need to check that very carefully - see this thread
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/84191-buying-car-north-coast.html

And then you will need your cedula

to get your drivers license to make your insurance valid..

nothing is really simple here EXCEPT calling the taxi in the Capital which is really simple and cheap and efficient.

and then no worries about parking or being stuck in traffic, because you are sitting in the back with you ipod on and the air conditioning is running and the meter is not ticking.... and you are still going to pay only 150 pesos or so no matter HOW long it takes to get there.

we already have too many cars here..

and despite all the things that seem to not work that well here, the taxi cab companies in the Capital are a miracle.... What efficiency. What luxury. What value.

Of course, I have placed myself strategically well so that I can walk to the grocery, the English Library, the outdoor pool, the deli on the corner, the Zona, and along the Malecon... Don't know how I was so clever. But it did take me -- what-- 7 moves inside the country --to get here..

I am just shipping a car with my effects as new resident so I get a discount on importation.
Everything I read says this is a real hassle but I have 40' container so I will be going to the customs anyway.
I perfer to have my own car, know the history, etc. They say the costs work out the same as buying inthe DR but 20,000 of my own US miles is different than someone else's 20,000 Dominican miles.
If you have the time and/or the inclination, you can drive to FLA for the cheaper, faster transit to the DR.

Good Luck

yes- well putting the car in the container makes sense. If I had not come with just a laptop, a guitar and a duffel, the first think I would have wanted was my old Subaru.

oh wait now everyone is going to think that i am really stupid because you are probably NOT going to put your car IN the container, are you? I just don't think that I ever moved anywhere with enough stuff to fill a 40 ft container....... but then, my house always looked like a second hand store,

wonder why?

The car fits in 20 foot or from Miami it can be driven on. Cost= approx $1000