SSANCAR › FAQ › Importing Korean Used Cars into Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia
Import rules outside the EU: Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia
Age limits, Euro emission requirements, duty, excise and VAT for the non-EU markets where Korean used cars are popular, with 2026 rates.
Key facts
- Albania and Kosovo: cars must be under 10 years old and at least Euro 4. Albania 0% duty + 20% VAT; Kosovo 10% duty + 18% VAT.
- Montenegro: no cars over 15 years, Euro 5; Bosnia: Euro 5; Serbia: Euro 3 minimum, 12.5% duty + 20% VAT.
- Ukraine 2026: 10% duty, excise by engine size and age, 20% VAT including EVs (EV VAT exemption ended 31 Dec 2025); minimum Euro 2.
- Georgia from 2 April 2026: excise 1.5 GEL/cc for cars up to 6 years and 4.5 GEL/cc for older cars; Euro 5 required.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Albania?
Yes, if it is under 10 years old and at least Euro 4. Albania charges 0% customs duty on cars, an excise based on engine size and 20% VAT on the customs value (or the minimum reference value), and requires an emissions conformity certificate and technical inspection. RoRo from Korea to Durres takes 38-45 days and costs about USD 2,040-2,140 per car; clearance takes 3-5 days. Albania and Kosovo together take about 80% of SSANCAR's exports, so SSANCAR has three partner agencies in Albania.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Kosovo and what is the age limit?
Yes. Kosovo's Law on Vehicles allows imports of cars no older than 10 years (from 1 January 2026, model year 2016 or newer) and at least Euro 4. Duty is 10% (Korea has no preference), VAT 18%, plus an excise based on engine size and age. Cars arrive at Durres (315 km from Pristina), Bar or Thessaloniki and are trucked to Kosovo. A COC is required only for new cars; used cars pass a homologation check at registration.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Serbia?
Yes. Serbia requires at least Euro 3 (still in force in 2026), charges 12.5% customs duty on non-EU-origin cars (Korean cars do not qualify for the EU 0% rate), 20% VAT on the AMSS catalogue value, and homologation at first registration. Cars enter via Bar (Montenegro), Koper or Constanta. Because duty is higher than in the EU and the catalogue value is used, Serbian dealers tend to import higher-value SUVs where the Korean price gap is largest.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Yes, with emission limits. Montenegro bans cars older than 15 years (since 1 July 2024), requires Euro 5 for used cars, and charges about 5% duty, 21% VAT and a 5% transfer tax at registration; its port is Bar (40-48 days from Korea). Bosnia and Herzegovina requires Euro 5 for used cars (since June 2019), charges 15% duty on non-EU origin and 17% VAT, with homologation within 6 days of entry; cars arrive via Ploce, Bar or Koper.
Can I import a used car from Korea to North Macedonia?
Yes. North Macedonia charges 5% customs duty on cars (Korean origin does not qualify for the EU 0% rate), an excise based on engine size and value, and 18% VAT on the total; a Euro 4 minimum applies to used imports. Cars are shipped to Thessaloniki (Greece), Durres or Bar and trucked in. Homologation is done at first registration.
What does it cost to clear a used car from Korea through Ukrainian customs in 2026?
Ukrainian customs charges in 2026 are: 10% duty (0% only for EU-origin cars with EUR.1, which Korean cars are not), excise = base rate x engine litres x age coefficient (petrol EUR 50 per litre up to 3.0 L, EUR 100 above; diesel EUR 75 up to 3.5 L, EUR 150 above; age factor = years since production, minimum 1, maximum 15), 20% VAT on value + duty + excise, and a Pension Fund levy of 3-5% at first registration. Example: a 2021 2.0-litre petrol Tucson (age 5) pays EUR 500 excise, 10% duty and 20% VAT. Minimum standard is Euro 2.
Is VAT charged on electric cars imported into Ukraine in 2026?
Yes. Ukraine's VAT exemption for electric vehicles expired on 31 December 2025, so from 1 January 2026 imported EVs pay 20% VAT, plus excise of EUR 1 per kWh of battery capacity; customs duty on EVs remains 0% and EVs are exempt from the Pension Fund levy. A 77 kWh Hyundai Ioniq 5 therefore pays EUR 77 excise and 20% VAT. This change ended the 2024-2025 surge in Korean EV imports to Ukraine.
What is the best shipping route for a Korean used car to Ukraine?
The usual route is Korea to Klaipeda (Lithuania) or Gdansk (Poland) by container, then road or rail to Ukraine under T1 transit. Klaipeda takes 40-50 days by sea and about USD 2,000-2,500 per car in a shared container; Gdansk's Baltic Hub handles about 40% of Ukraine's container traffic with a 5-day rail link to Zamosc near the border. Constanta (Romania) is an alternative but has 5-7-day congestion. Direct calls at Odesa remain restricted in 2026.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Moldova and is there an age limit?
Yes. Moldova abolished its age limit on 1 January 2021 and now taxes used-car imports mainly through excise charged per cubic centimetre, rising with the car's age band, plus a luxury surcharge on expensive cars. Hybrids get a 25% excise reduction, plug-in hybrids 50% and electric cars 100%. Cars reach Moldova via Constanta, Odesa (limited) or overland from Romania. A reform planned for 2027 would move to 20% VAT with a reduced excise.
What are Georgia's rules for importing used cars from Korea in 2026?
From 2 April 2026 Georgia replaced a planned 6-year age ban with a higher excise: GEL 1.5 per cc for cars up to 6 years old and GEL 4.5 per cc for older cars; right-hand-drive cars are taxed at 3 times the rate, EVs are exempt from excise but pay 18% VAT, and a Euro 5 minimum (roughly 2013 and newer) applies. Cars for Armenia and Azerbaijan can transit through the Poti free industrial zone without paying Georgian excise. RoRo and container ships from Korea reach Poti in about 35-45 days.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Turkey?
Practically no. Turkey allows commercial import of used cars only with Ministry of Trade permission, which is not granted in normal trade; the exceptions are returning Turkish citizens and diplomats importing their own car up to 3 years old. Turkey is nevertheless Korea's third-largest used-car destination by units (about 94,000 cars in Jan-Oct 2025) because cars are transited through Turkish free zones to third countries such as Libya and Iraq, not registered in Turkey.
Can I import a used car from Korea to Russia or Belarus through SSANCAR?
No. SSANCAR does not sell to buyers in Russia, Belarus or other sanctioned jurisdictions, and does not accept orders where the contract party, consignee or payer are in different countries without a clear business reason. Korean used-car exports to Russia continue through other channels, but SSANCAR's compliance policy excludes them.