Home > Finance > Auto > Buying and Owning a Car Overseas

If you're facing an OCONUS PCS, you'll need to deal with the unique issues of owning a car overseas. These issues include deciding on the appropriate vehicle, servicing, insurance, and more.

Should You Buy or Keep Your Current Vehicle?

If you already own a vehicle, the first question you will have to ask yourself is: Should you bring your current vehicle or should you buy one when you arrive in the destination country? In addition to your own situation here, there are several other important factors to consider.

Some countries won't allow you to bring over certain types of vehicles, so your only choice may be to buy a vehicle in the destination country. This might be the best solution anyway, as there are several other issues to consider. If you own a newer car, you may not want to subject it to the rougher conditions in some other countries. If you own an older vehicle, you should be sure that it will pass the usually more stringent inspections of other countries. Some countries also have certain requirements for vehicles, like two side-view mirrors, etc. The last thing you want to spend your hard-earned money on is upgrading an old vehicle or shipping it back to CONUS because it doesn't meet local requirements.

If you choose to buy a vehicle overseas, you should look for a vehicle with these factors in mind:

1. Fuel-efficiency. Gas costs are much higher abroad than in CONUS.
2. Size. Large cars have a difficult time on the narrow streets of many other countries. In some countries, a large vehicle is also a surefire sign that you are an American; if you want to fit in more, a smaller vehicle is the better choice.

As there are always military personnel transferring in and out, it shouldn't be too difficult finding a vehicle to purchase.

Servicing

If you do decide to bring your current vehicle overseas, there are several servicing issues you might face. Car parts are expensive and not readily available, especially for older cars. This is also the case for foreign cars from the country you are stationed in. For example, Hondas manufactured in the United States may have different parts than those manufactured in Japan. You should bring parts catalogs for your vehicle to facilitate shipping when you need to.

In some countries, unleaded gas is not readily available off-base. If you intend to take long trips, you will have to rely on leaded gas.

Money and Insurance Issues

Insurance, maintenance and inspection fees are normally more expensive for American cars. Some governments require vehicle owners to maintain certain insurance and licenses.