Car imports from Korea
Cars from South Korea are richly equipped, and many of them never reach European showrooms. We'll choose a car from Encar or KB Cha-Cha-Cha, check its history in three sources and deliver it to your address. If a car isn't worth buying, we'll tell you straight.
Makes and models from Korea
Popular cars from the Korean market. Looking for a different model? Write to us and we'll check availability.
Duty 0%*Genesis
G70, G80, G90, GV70, GV80 and more
Duty 0%*Hyundai
Grandeur, Palisade, Santa Fe, Sonata Hybrid, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and more
Duty 0%*Kia
K8, Carnival, Sorento Hybrid, Mohave, EV6, EV9 and more
Duty 0%*KGM (formerly SsangYong)
Torres, Rexton, Korando, Tivoli and more
Duty 10%BMW
Versions for the Korean market, often richly equipped
Duty 10%Mercedes-Benz
Versions for the Korean market, often richly equipped
* The 0% duty under the EU-Korea free trade agreement applies to cars made in Korea, based on a proof of origin. Cars of these makes made outside Korea have 10% duty.
Why import a car from Korea
South Korea is the home of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis. Tens of thousands of listings appear on Encar and KB Cha-Cha-Cha every day - mostly dealer cars sold at a fixed price, with an inspection report.
For a similar budget you get a car better equipped than its European counterpart.
Rich equipment
A 360° camera, ventilated seats or a head-up display often come as standard.
Models not sold in Europe
Hyundai Grandeur, Kia K8 or Kia Mohave - you can't buy these cars in a Polish showroom.
0% duty for cars from Korea
Cars made in Korea benefit from the free trade agreement between the EU and Korea.
Left-hand drive
As in Poland, so the car needs no steering conversion.
Verifiable history
The state history database, workshop reports and the inspection report show damage and mileage.
Hybrids and electric cars
A wide choice of hybrid and electric cars, on which you pay lower excise duty or none at all.
What you get by importing with us
We don't just advise - we also advise against. Not every car is a bargain.
Client panel and a dedicated advisor
One advisor handles your import from start to finish, and in the client panel you see at any time what stage the import is at.
Clear terms
We sign an import service agreement, and you know the full delivered price before the car is bought. Our commission is PLN 5,000 gross.
Service from choice to delivery
You don't need to know Korean or customs rules - we handle export, shipping and customs clearance for you.
We buy the car for you
Someone from outside Korea can't buy a car there on their own. We handle the purchase and all the formalities in Korea.
Checks in three sources
We compare the history and mileage in three independent sources. If the data doesn't match, we advise against buying.
FTA document check
The proof of origin for cars from Korea, which lets you benefit from the preferential 0% duty under the EU-Korea trade agreement.
We handle the whole import
How importing from Korea works
Six steps from choosing a car to delivery to your address. The whole import usually takes 8-12 weeks.
Choosing a car
We agree on budget, mileage, drive and equipment. We suggest which models are most worth importing from Korea.
Shortlisting offers
We go through offers from Encar, KB Cha-Cha-Cha and local dealers, and show you the ones that match your needs.
Checks
We compare history and mileage in three databases, and damage in reports and photos. We reserve the car only after a positive check.
Purchase and export
We buy the car for export, deregister it in Korea and prepare the proof of origin for 0% duty.
Sea freight
From the port of Busan or Incheon to Europe by container or RORO ship. The voyage usually takes 4-6 weeks.
Customs and delivery
Customs clearance, excise and VAT, then delivery to your address with all the documents needed for registration.
Cars we don't import from Korea
An attractive price isn't everything. We don't import:
Cars with an inconsistent history
When the mileage or damage differs between the report, the history database and the photos.
Cars with a rolled-back odometer
We check the mileage in three sources - any discrepancy rules the car out.
Cars after structural repairs
Grade D in the inspection report: replaced load-bearing parts, welding after a serious collision.
Flood-damaged cars
Flood damage in the vehicle's history.
Cars without photos of key parts
Encar, where we buy 80% of our cars from Korea, requires photos of the engine bay and underbody, among others. A listing without them is a warning sign.
Cars offered as “unused” despite high mileage
Typical of former taxis: mileage usually over 300,000 km, inconsistencies in the registration number and service history.
“We'd rather lose an order than bring you trouble.”The Centrum Importu team
Importing a car from Korea - what to know
A car from South Korea is a good choice if you're looking for a richly equipped car with a documented history, a hybrid or an electric car - or a model that simply isn't sold in Polish showrooms. We handle the whole import: from choosing the car, through checks and purchase in Korea, to shipping, customs clearance and delivery to your address in Poland.
What cars are worth importing from Korea
Korea is the home of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, so the choice of these brands there is huge. Cars for the Korean market usually come in richer versions than in Europe: 360° cameras, ventilated seats, a head-up display and advanced driver assistance systems are often standard. You'll also find models that aren't sold in Polish showrooms at all, such as the Hyundai Grandeur or the Kia K8, and a wide choice of hybrids and electric cars.
Importing from Korea pays off most for cars a few years old, in well-equipped versions, with low mileage. With cheap, basic cars the cost of shipping and paperwork often eats up the price difference - in that case we tell you so plainly before the purchase.
Where cars from Korea come from
We buy most cars on Encar, Korea's largest car portal, where around 80% of the cars we import come from. We also use KB Cha-Cha-Cha and local dealers' offers. Most are dealer cars sold at a fixed price with an inspection report, and some we buy at auction - always only up to the amount you set.
Someone from outside Korea can't buy a car there on their own, so we handle the purchase, deregistration and export documents for you. The steering wheel is on the left, as in Poland, so the car needs no conversion.
How we check a car before buying
We compare the history and mileage in three independent sources. Smartcheck is the state database of the Korean Ministry of Transport, with odometer readings, damage reported to insurers and changes of owner. Carhistory collects data from workshops and Korean authorised dealers, that is the service history. Encar History is the inspectors' report with a grade from A to D and a map of faults on a drawing of the body.
We match the data from the three sources by VIN and compare it with the description in the listing. We also look at the photos, including the engine bay and underbody. If the data doesn't match or the car has had serious accident repairs, we advise against buying.
For cars over PLN 100,000 we recommend an on-site inspection: an assessor in Korea takes 30-40 photos, records a test drive, measures the paint thickness at a dozen or so points and checks the engine and gearbox numbers. It costs PLN 800-1,500. We reserve the car only after a good inspection. We check cheaper cars remotely.
0% duty and the proof of origin
Thanks to the free trade agreement between the EU and Korea, cars made in Korea - Hyundai, Kia, Genesis or KGM - have 0% duty. The condition is a proof of origin, which we prepare at export and check before customs clearance. Cars from the Korean market made elsewhere, such as BMW or Mercedes, have the standard 10% duty. In the quote we always show which duty rate we assumed and why.
How long the import takes and where customs clearance happens
The whole import usually takes 8 to 12 weeks. Choosing and buying the car usually takes 1-3 weeks, deregistration and export documents about a week, and the voyage itself from the port of Busan or Incheon 4-6 weeks. Cheaper cars travel on a RORO ship, while cars over PLN 100,000, premium cars and electric cars in winter go in a container, which protects the car from salt and rain.
You choose the port of clearance: in Gdynia you pay 23% VAT, in Rotterdam 21%. You pay excise duty in Poland, and its rate depends on engine size and drive. At every stage you can see in the client panel where your car is.
What documents you get
Together with the car you get a full set of documents: the Korean registration certificate with confirmation of deregistration, the Export Certificate, the customs clearance documents and an invoice. With them you do the technical inspection, sworn translations and registration in Poland. If you like, we'll also help with these formalities.
How much it costs to import a car from Korea
The final cost is made up of: the car price, export and transport to the port, sea freight (RORO PLN 5,000-8,000, container PLN 9,000-13,000), duty, VAT, the customs agency, excise duty, transport in Poland and our commission. Freight prices change during the year - they are usually highest in January and February. The commission is fixed at PLN 5,000 gross. A quote for sample models is free, and we start a specific search after an agreement and an advance of PLN 599 gross, which we refund when we complete the purchase. You know the full delivered cost before the car is bought.
Let's import your car from Korea
Tell us what car you're looking for or send a link to an Encar listing - we'll calculate the full delivered cost.
Got questions? See the FAQ