bringing car from outside Singapore

[boffenl]

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!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Welcome to Singapore! (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.

At one point is was cheaper to buy a resale 3 room HDB flat than a mid-sized Toyota Corolla!

[boffenl]

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!

[sundaymorningstaple]

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

Now I'm still within viewing distance of the old place but catch the 183 instead to Enterprise Hub on Toh Guan Road East.

[Strong Eagle]

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.

[ScoobyDoes]

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.