How much does importing a car from Korea cost in total?

The final price is the price of the car plus freight, insurance, duty, VAT and the importer's service. The exact sum depends on the specific car and is given in a written quote broken down by line, before any commitment is made.

Is VAT paid on the duty as well?

Yes. VAT is charged on the price of the car plus the freight, the insurance and the duty already charged, so the VAT base includes the duty.

When exactly are duty and VAT paid?

At customs clearance after the car arrives in Bulgaria. Working with an importer, those sums are calculated in advance and go into the quote so they do not appear as a surprise at the port.

Duties and taxes

Duty and VAT when importing a car from South Korea

Duty and VAT are the most common question before a first inquiry. Here is what the bill is made of, and at which point in the import each item appears.

9 September 20266 min readThe Korea Cars BG team

Importing a passenger car from South Korea into Bulgaria attracts duty and VAT. Duty is charged on the price of the car plus freight and insurance up to the European Union border, and VAT on that same sum together with the duty already charged. Both fall due at customs clearance after the car arrives, not at the point of order.

This article is part of the complete guide to importing cars from South Korea.

Terms in this article:Duty VAT on import Customs declaration

This is a working draft. The Korea Cars BG team is still expanding it — for your specific case, write to us and we will answer in writing.

What duty is calculated on

The base is not only the price of the car. The costs up to the European Union border are added to it — sea freight and insurance of the shipment. Duty is calculated on that total, not on the car alone.

The rate for passenger cars from third countries is [PERCENT]%. Check the current rate in TARIC before planning a budget — it moves with trade agreements.

How VAT is calculated

VAT is charged on the price of the car plus freight, insurance and the duty already paid. The rate in Bulgaria is [PERCENT]%.

That means VAT is paid on the duty as well — which is why two quotes with the same car price can end at different totals if the freight differs.

When it falls due

Duty and VAT become payable at customs clearance after the car arrives in Bulgaria, not when you order.

In our quotes both items are calculated in advance and included in the final price, so the balance due on arrival is not a surprise.

What to ask the importer for

Ask for a written quote in which the car price, freight, duty, VAT and the service fee are listed separately. A single lump sum with no breakdown cannot be compared with another quote.

Frequently asked questions

How much does importing a car from Korea cost in total?: The final price is the price of the car plus freight, insurance, duty, VAT and the importer's service. The exact sum depends on the specific car and is given in a written quote broken down by line, before any commitment is made.
Is VAT paid on the duty as well?: Yes. VAT is charged on the price of the car plus the freight, the insurance and the duty already charged, so the VAT base includes the duty.
When exactly are duty and VAT paid?: At customs clearance after the car arrives in Bulgaria. Working with an importer, those sums are calculated in advance and go into the quote so they do not appear as a surprise at the port.

Have a question about a specific car?

Tell us what you are looking for and we will answer in writing — with an indicative final price and timeline.

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