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Smart VIN Check

Importing a used car from the US to Armenia

A US car on sale in Yerevan may have started as an insurance write-off at Copart or IAAI, then been shipped through Georgia, repaired and registered with no trace of the damage. Their US auction record keeps the photos and the title brand, and it’s the first thing to check.

Updated October 2026

What the seller may not mention

A car that a US insurer has written off is sold on a salvage, flood or similar title, and the federal title database NMVTIS keeps that brand on its record. It stays on the US side. Armenian registration documents start fresh, so a car rebuilt after a heavy front-end hit or a flood can be offered as a clean US import.

The auction lot is the one record made before the repair. It has photos of the car as it sat in the yard, the damage noted at sale, the title type and the odometer. If you are buying in Armenia, ask for the VIN and compare those photos with the car in front of you: panel gaps, new airbags, a replaced dashboard, water marks under the carpets.

The route: by sea to Poti, by road to Armenia

Armenia has no sea coast. Cars from the US are shipped to Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti, which its operator, APM Terminals, describes as a gateway for trade with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan and which handles ro-ro cargo. From there the car crosses Georgia overland to the Armenian border.

Before the ship leaves, US customs needs the title and the car at least 72 hours ahead. Transit through Georgia has its own customs formalities, so let your forwarder handle the Georgian leg and confirm the papers before the car leaves the US.

EAEU customs rules for cars

Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on 2 January 2015, so a car imported into Armenia pays the union’s rates. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) clears cars at customs, checks their customs value and publishes a duty calculator for passenger cars.

From the SRC calculator, rates last updated 5 September 2026. Age is counted from the date of manufacture.
Who importsHow it’s charged
A private person, for personal useOne combined payment under EEC Council Decision 107, by age, engine size and, for cars under 3 years, value. Over 5 years old: from €3.0 to €5.7 per cm³, depending on engine size.
A business or dealerEAEU common tariff (EEC Council Decision 80). Used petrol car over 7 years old: €1.4 to €3.2 per cm³ by engine size. Then 20% import VAT and an environmental tax that rises with the car’s age.

Rates per cm³ make a big engine expensive, whatever the car cost at auction. Run the SRC calculator with the exact engine size and build date before you bid. A business import also needs conformity documents under the EAEU technical regulation on wheeled vehicle safety.

Registration with the Road Police

Once the car is cleared, it is registered at a registration and examination unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You book a time on roadpolice.am and bring the application, your ID, proof that you acquired the car lawfully and proof that the fees were paid. The customs papers and the US title are your proof of acquisition, so keep both originals.

Checks before you bid

  1. Decode the VIN with the VIN decoder for the engine size and build date, the two figures the duty depends on.
  2. Open the auction record: photos, recorded damage, title type and odometer at sale.
  3. Run a CARFAX or AutoCheck report for brands from earlier states, insurance total losses and the US mileage trail.
  4. Price the duty in the SRC calculator before you bid, not after.
  5. If the car is already in Armenia, check its VIN the same way before you pay.
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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

What our reports cover

CARFAX and AutoCheck cover vehicles sold in the US and Canada: title brands, total-loss and auction events, and recorded mileage. The auction report shows a Copart or IAAI lot as sold, with photos, recorded damage, title and odometer. Reports are in English. We don’t arrange shipping, Georgian transit, customs or registration.

Questions

How do cars from the US get to Armenia?

By sea to a Georgian port such as Poti, then overland to the Armenian border. Armenia has no seaport of its own.

How is customs duty on a used car worked out in Armenia?

As an EAEU member, Armenia charges by age and engine size. A private importer pays one combined rate per cm³ for older cars; a business pays the common tariff plus 20% VAT and an environmental tax. The SRC calculator gives the figure for a specific car.

Will the Armenian registration show that the car was salvage?

No. The salvage or flood brand stays on US records. A history report and the auction photos are how a buyer in Armenia finds it.

Related

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