I have been issued my license plates by Estonian Road Administration aka ARK on August 6, 2010. Let's sum up what did it take to get there in terms of time and money.
I was sold by Aero Motors of Essex, MD on April 22, 2010 for $4,795.
Penbroke Marine Services aka shippingmycar.com brokered shipping me to Paldiski, Estonia for $1170. I set out from Baltimore, MD on May, 27, changed ships in Bremerhaven, Germany and arrived to Paldiski on June 18.
Estonian customs fees were calculated based on the sum of the sale price and shipping costs and amounted to 24,507 EEK, which was roughly equivalent of $2000 at the time. The car was released by customs on June 22.
After that a long wait ensued while my lights were converted to European standards. US-produced cars cannot be registered in the European Union unless they conform to certain standards. These include the requirement for yellow rear turn signals (I obviously had the traditional red ones) and some other things. Cars older than 20-something years are exempt from the rule, but that does not apply in my case - yet.
The main lights conversion costs were the 163 EUR ($210) paid to the guys at angars.lv to make a yellow insert into the upper section of rear lights.
Finally, the ARK charged a registration fee of 2,800 EEK ($230).
Sure, there were other minor expenses and it's hard to estimate the cost of about 80 emails, faxes and phone calls involved, and also the numerous trips to and from shipping offices and authorities, but the main costs have been listed.
Summa summarum: purchasing a used car from dealer's lot in the US and making it a registered vehicle in Estonia took 3 1/2 months and 4,795 + 1,170 + 2,000 + 210 + 230 = $8,405 (approx. 102,000 EEK). Money well spent?
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