bringing car from outside Singapore

Moving to Singapore? Ask our regular expats in Singapore questions on relocation and their experience here. Ask about banking, employment pass, insurance, visa, work permit, citizenship or immigration issues.
Post Reply
User avatar
boffenl
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 565
Joined: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:07 pm
Location: Clementi all the way baby!

bringing car from outside Singapore

Post by boffenl » Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:34 pm

O.K., been sourcing a right hand drive jeep on e-bay and have found a 2007 model I'd like to get. I know the car has to be less than 3 years old to bring into Singapore but I'm gobsmacked by the following sentence:

You would be required to make a payment to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for S$1,000 if you are registering a private car, or S$5,000, if you are registering a company car. On top of that, there will be an Additional Registration Fee (ARF) of 110% of the vehicle's Open Market Value (OMV).

So, if I pay $10,000 USD for the car, I've got to pay LTA $11,000 USD? Seriously??

Anyone imported a car? Love to hear any experiences!

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 39858
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 11
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 27 Nov 2008 2:08 pm

Welcome to Singapore! :P (one of the downsides here).

Yup, you read it right. PARF is payable on each and every car brought into the country. Be thankful. A number of years ago (back in the '90's) Parf was still fixed at 175% of the OMV! And if that wasn't bad enough by the end of the forth year of the COE system the COE's were bid up to 104K at one point. This is why the COE and the ERP have contributed to the reduction of PARF to a more managable 110%. Bit of a bummer, but one we all have to live with if we choose to drive. It's one of the reasons I sold my car back in the '90s and rely on public transport. :wink:

At one point is was cheaper to buy a resale 3 room HDB flat than a mid-sized Toyota Corolla! :o
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

User avatar
boffenl
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 565
Joined: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:07 pm
Location: Clementi all the way baby!

Post by boffenl » Thu, 27 Nov 2008 5:56 pm

Hey SMS, I still love my 189 bus to Clementi, but sometimes I just itch to drive. Maybe I still haven't been here long enough to have that beaten out of me too. :)

110% is shocking. but 175% makes me sick. No wonder where that billion$ surplus came from last year. It still figures out to half what I would pay for a comparable jeep here in singapore. That's what's most unbelievable--cheaper to bring a car from US than to purchase one here!

User avatar
sundaymorningstaple
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 39858
Joined: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 1:26 pm
Answers: 11
Location: Retired on the Little Red Dot

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Thu, 27 Nov 2008 6:06 pm

Hey, I used to take the 189 to Clementi as well (I worked in Unity Centre). :D

Now I'm still within viewing distance of the old place but catch the 183 instead to Enterprise Hub on Toh Guan Road East.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

User avatar
Strong Eagle
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 11504
Joined: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 12:13 am
Location: Off The Red Dot
Contact:

Re: bringing car from outside Singapore

Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 27 Nov 2008 7:31 pm

boffenl wrote:O.K., been sourcing a right hand drive jeep on e-bay and have found a 2007 model I'd like to get. I know the car has to be less than 3 years old to bring into Singapore but I'm gobsmacked by the following sentence:

You would be required to make a payment to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for S$1,000 if you are registering a private car, or S$5,000, if you are registering a company car. On top of that, there will be an Additional Registration Fee (ARF) of 110% of the vehicle's Open Market Value (OMV).

So, if I pay $10,000 USD for the car, I've got to pay LTA $11,000 USD? Seriously??

Anyone imported a car? Love to hear any experiences!
You have it exactly right. The taxes to import a car are somewhat more than buying one... but mostly the same. Pay the registration tax, and the GST, and the customs tax... all paid on the TOTAL value of car, shipping, insurance, inspections, you name it.

Don't forget you have to get it inspected and approved offshore... you're talking USD so I'm guessing it will be the official shop in Los Angeles.

But... the 110% is standard... as is all the other fees... so you're not getting banged up any more than the standard purchaser.

User avatar
ScoobyDoes
Manager
Manager
Posts: 1667
Joined: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 6:42 pm
Location: A More Lucky Spot

Post by ScoobyDoes » Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:14 am

boffenl wrote:Hey SMS, I still love my 189 bus to Clementi, but sometimes I just itch to drive. Maybe I still haven't been here long enough to have that beaten out of me too. :)

Scratch it now and again by hiring from a local rental company, a day/week/month whatever. Let's say to take a bit of a holiday into Malaysia for a long weekend or something like that.

There are a lot of companies offering rentals only for Singapore but a good few that also allow for driving in Malaysia.

For me, i love the fact i have a car here.....though more because of my 2yr old.

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Relocating, Moving to Singapore”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests