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Archive-name: german-faq/part6
Last modified: 2001-09-02
Posting-Frequency: monthly
URL: http://www.watzmann.net/scg/
Version: 2001-09

     This is part 6 of the ASCII version of the FAQ list for
     soc.culture.german. Find the WWW version at
     . The FAQ is posted on
     the first of every month.




                     Table of Contents for Part  6
                     =============================

  23. Money Talk

     23.1 Sending Money
        23.1.1 Sending money to Germany
        23.1.2 Sending money
     23.2 Exchange Rates?
     23.3 Tax
        23.3.1 VAT in Germany?
        23.3.2 Tax Treaty?
     23.4 Currency Names and Nicknames
        23.4.1 Mark
        23.4.2 Groschen (10 Pfennige)
        23.4.3 Taler (3 Mark)
        23.4.4 Sechser (5 (!) Pfennige)
        23.4.5 Heiermann (5 Mark)
        23.4.6 Zwickel (2 Mark)
        23.4.7 Pfund (20 Mark)
        23.4.8 Hunni or Blauer (100 Mark)
        23.4.9 Riese (1000 Mark)
        23.4.10 Page comments

  24. Moving!

     24.1 European Resources
     24.2 Taking a Computer along to Germany?
     24.3 Taking Foreign Electronic Equipment to Germany?
     24.4 Shipping Your Household US<->Europe/Germany
        24.4.1 General Remarks on Shipping your Household
           24.4.1.1 Other experiences:
        24.4.2 Cars
        24.4.3 Specific Shipping Companies
     24.5 Things to take to Germany?
        24.5.1 Some Presents might be Lucrative Paraphernalia ;-)
        24.5.2 Little Things Easily Forgotten
     24.6 Postdoc Experiences at a German University
        24.6.1 Page comments

  25. Urban Legends

     25.1 I am a jelly doughnut
     25.2 German Did Not Become the US's Official         Language by 1 Vote.
     25.3 Once I heard that
        25.3.1 Page comments

  26. Humor

     26.1 Funny men of literature
     26.2 Plain old funny guys
     26.3 Younger guns
        26.3.1 Page comments

  27. Questions and Answers

     27.1 Where do I Keep Up with German Soccer Results?
     27.2 Ich lebe/arbeite fuer begrenzte Zeit im Ausland. Wie    kann ich...
        27.2.1 ...Angehoerige in Deutschland benachrichtigen lassen?
        27.2.2 ...mehr erfahren ueber das Land meiner beruflichen           Taetigkeit?
        27.2.3 ...meinen auslaendischen akademischen Titel          uebertragen?
           27.2.3.1 Fakten fuer alle Bundeslaender:
           27.2.3.2 Fakten fuer alle Bundeslaender ausser Bayern
        27.2.4 ...mein Wahlrecht wahrnehmen?
     27.3 Mail Ordering Other Stuff?
        27.3.1 Software, CD-ROM's etc.
     27.4 How can I Find Out about that Famous ...
        27.4.1 Page comments





  23.  Money Talk

  Money in Germany mostly means real money, good old cash. Cash is used
  more commonly than any other payment method in Germany.  Credit cards
  are accepted by many places, for example car rental agencies,
  airlines, almost all hotels, many gasoline stations, restaurants and
  bigger stores in bigger towns, but often frowned upon for small
  purchases. Many, mainly smaller, businesses won't accept credit cards
  because of their billing costs, so you better ask before you have to
  pawn your firstborn because you don't have cash on you. Businesses
  that accept credit cards usually accept all the major ones like Visa,
  Mastercard/Eurocard and American Express.

  Eurocheque cards (EC cards) are accepted more commonly than credit
  cards because of their lower transaction costs. You usually them from
  almost any European bank if you have an account there and fulfill
  certain conditions, similar to those for obtaining a credit card.
  Payment is guaranteed up to 400,- DM or the equivalent value in a
  different currency, but frequently higher sums are accepted when you
  present some form of identification. You can also get cash from ATMs
  with an EC card for between 0 and 4 DM per transaction.

  23.1.  Sending Money

  Getting money across international borders can be tricky. The
  following hints are mostly based on experiences of posters on s.c.g
  who needed to send money to mail order places in Germany / to transfer
  their funds when working abroad / for their own or their relatives'
  traveling needs /  etc.

  (Says one reader:)


       As for financial transactions, let me point out that combin-
       ing various strategies you've listed really works well. For
       one thing if you have accounts on both sides of the Atlantic
       (or elsewhere for that matter) it's good to have checks of
       those accounts with you wherever you go. Here, for instance,
       I pay my bills in the US simply by sending checks from an
       American checking account. That way cash flow stays within
       the respective country and doesn't have to undergo exchange
       rates or excessive fees.  To bring the money across the
       Atlantic international credit cards work great.


  23.1.1.  Sending money to Germany


     American ATM cards
        German ATMs accept nearly anything that's credit card sized and
        magnetic. Most German ATM's accept cards from one of the major
        American networks such as Cirrus. Ask your American bank though
        how many arms and legs they charge for cash withdrawals abroad.
        The German bank that runs the ATM in question will also want a
        cut, somewhere between 2 DM and 5 DM, usually.

     Transfering from an American account to a German
        Account" People have been able to transfer money from an
        American bank to a German (notably with Postbank and
        Raiffeisenbank.) It's possible to cash a personal check from a
        U.S. to a German account. The Postbank charges a fee of only 3
        DM for one check, Raiffeisenbank takes out 15 DM. No other
        hidden costs, but, alas, you probably need to have an account
        with the respective institute for using this service. US checks
        must be made payable to the bank that cashes them.

     Sending a (e.g. American) personal check
        is definitely risky business, unless the check is a Eurocheque
        drawn on another European bank.

     Deposit with foreign branches of German banks
        If you are lucky enough to find a major German bank's branch in
        your city you might be able to direct deposit money. One bank
        that makes that work like a charm is Citibank
        , an American bank with branches in
        several states in the US and a fairly tightly knit network of
        branches in Germany.

     International postal money orders
        As of May 2000, the Deutsche Post AG does not accept
        international postal money orders anymore. If you want to
        complain about this, send email to their customer service
        .

     Travelers checks
        Go to a local (e.g.) American Express office and purchase DM
        travelers checks. You lose a lot when you change your USD
        traveler checks at German banks. You can get single checks, 20's
        and above. No service fee, but a few points off the bank
        exchange rate. Make sure to fill out the Pay to the order of:
        field for security! Problem: You may not get the exact amount
        you need (DM 57.89) when paying, say, a mail order bill.

     American Express money orders
        Are well accepted by German banks.  For long term you might
        consider opening a German bank account and depositing a regular
        payment with American Express money orders. Then you can pay
        German bills off of that account.

     Ruesch International Financial Services 
        will issue a draft in DM (and other currencies) at the current
        rate of exchange, plus a service charge of US$15 per
        transaction. Their services are for deposit only, meaning, the
        recipient needs an account in Germany!  Call the U.S.
        headquarters  in
        Washington, DC at +1(800)424-2923 to set up an account.  Their
        website  provides a list of regional
        offices.

  23.1.2.  Sending money from  Germany


     Cash advances from a credit card
        Some German credit cards let you maintain a balance on them by
        transferring money to a special account (ask the issuer of your
        credit card how to do this). If you have a balance on your card,
        you can obtain a cash advance up to the amount you have on the
        card, rather than being restricted by the usual per-day maximum
        advances. Depending on the credit card, a cash advance will then
        cost you the same as using the card for purchases abroad,
        usually between 1% and 2% of the total amount.

     Transferring from a German bank to an American bank
        Most German banks have close relations with at least one
        American bank and let you transfer money to any account with an
        American bank. You get usually hit with fees on either end.
        Deutsche Bank charges currently 14 DM for each transfer to an
        American bank.

     German account -> EC ATM
        Take along your Eurocheque (EC) card as long as you are
        travelling within Europe (and selected other countries; ask your
        local bank). Then you can get money from every ATM (Geldautomat)
        with EC sign.

        The fee is DM 5 for every take, but you get the interbank
        exchange rate rather than the marked down rates you get for
        traveler's checks or cash exchanges (shudder).

     Travelers checks
        You pay DM 10 at the time you buy DM-denominated travelers
        checks. Supposedly you should be charged no additional fees when
        you redeem them at your destination for their currency, which,
        however, does not turn out to be true in some places, as s.c.g
        readers report. Theoretically, in such cases, you can be
        reimbursed by your local German bank, once you are back ...what
        an overall hassle... 1996-10

  23.2.  Exchange Rates?

  On the web:

  o  Xenon LAboratories' Universal Currency Converter
      converts pretty much any currency into any
     other currency using daily updated exchange rates. They also
     maintain an archive of historic exchange rates
     .

  o  Deutsche Bank  offers a page
      of the latest exchange rates
     on their truly horrible website.

  o  The Institute for Banking and Finance
      at the Universitaet
     Goettingen maintains links        to currency information
     

  o  Olson's        currency converter 

  23.3.  Tax

  23.3.1.  VAT in Germany?

  In Germany every retail price includes 16% Value Added Tax (VAT) (in
  German: Mehrwehrtsteuer, MwSt). If you buy  goods in Germany and plan
  to take them with you to a foreign country it is possible to get a
  refund for the VAT. In some places you even get a discount in the
  shop. To get the VAT refunded you usually need some proof that you do
  not life in Germany (Passport ...) and a special receipt from the
  store. It is possible for Germans to get a refund if their Passport
  shows a foreign address. Then ask for your refund at the border or
  airport (if the store did not deduct the tax already). Please ask the
  customs people for details. This refund might be not available for
  residents of European Community member states.

  23.3.2.  Tax Treaty?

  The US and Germany have a tax treaty. This means that, as a US
  citizen, you only pay taxes to the IRS if your US taxes would be
  higher than your German taxes. So if your US taxes under your income
  would have been US$1000, and  you paid US$900 to the Finanzamt, then
  you'd owe US$100 to the US  government.

  On basis of this tax treaty German students, studying and working in
  the US, might be able to claim tax exemption for part or all of their
  US income.  The key is whether you receive an assistantship or a
  fellowship. According to the US-German tax treaty special taxation of
  assistantships is limited to four years (maximum presence for these
  rules to apply) and $5000 per year are tax exempt (Treaty Article
  20(4), Compensation during study or training.)

  Fellowships, however, have no limit in terms of time of presence nor
  in the amount (Treaty Article 20(3), Scholarship or fellowship grant,)
  i.e. as long as you receive a fellowship in the sense of this treaty
  your total "income" is tax exempt. Conclusion: try to get a
  fellowship.

  23.4.  Currency Names and Nicknames




  23.4.1.  Mark

  Supposedly Mark was a term coined in Cologne. People there used to put
  marks in equal distances on silver bars, and cut them at these marks
  if they needed smaller amounts of silver to pay someone. So the
  smallest fraction of one silverbar was one Mark.

  The Mark has gone through quite some changes with history:


     Before 1871
        Germany was comprised of some 40 single kingdoms, each of whom
        had their own currency with their own name.

     1871
        United Germany comes into existance, and so does the Mark.

     1871 - 1923
        Mark (abbreviated M)

     1923
        Hyperinflation after WW1 causes the value of the Mark to drop by
        a factor 1,000 each month. At the end of the year, prices like
        1,000 billion Mark for everyday items are common.  A new
        currency was introduced, rendering old money worthless.

     1923 - 1924
        Rentenmark

     1924 - 1948
        Reichsmark (RM)

     After WW2
        The four allied forces (U.S.A., Great Brittain, France on the
        one hand and USSR on the other) introduce new currencies in
        their respective zones. The former three agree to use the same
        kind, whereas the latter choose a different one. (Soon after
        this the two post-war States of Germany were established.)


  Period           West                   East
  1948 - 1964      Deutsche Mark (DM)     Deutsche Mark (DM) (same name butdifferent!)
  1964 - 1967      (same)                 Mark der Deutschen Notenbank (MDN)
  1967 - 1990      (same)                 Mark der DDR (M)
  1990             (same)                 adoption of West German currency
  1990 - today     Deutsche Mark


  23.4.2.  Groschen (10 Pfennige)

  The Groschen was an official currency unit in Prussia until 1871. The
  Prussian currency was the Taler (see below.) 1 Taler = 30 Groschen =
  300 Pfennig (originally, 360 Pfennig, but this changed in the 1850s).
  The Taler currency was also in use in smaller states in northern
  Germany.

  Note that the Austrian Groschen (1/100 Schilling) is quite different
  from the German Groschen. 1997-01

  23.4.3.  Taler (3 Mark)

  remained a common term for 3 Mark coins until they were discontinued a
  few years before WW I. It has the same origin, by the way, as the US
  Dollar, the Danish Rigsdaler and the Swedish Riksdaler. (If you
  pronounce it correctly you'll still hear  it ;-) Namely, they stem
  from the name of the currency used in the area of Joachimsthal in the
  16-th century: the Joachims-Thaler.  1996-10

  23.4.4.  Sechser (5 (!) Pfennige)

  The term dates back to the mid-19th century.  Until the 1850s, a
  Groschen had 12 Pfennige, and a Sechser was therefore half a Groschen.
  When the Groschen later lost 2 Pfennige and was only 10, the new 5
  Pfennig coins were still, colloquially, called Sechser,  which
  persists until today.

  23.4.5.  Heiermann (5 Mark)

  It appears that, in the 1950's, 5 DM would buy you some fun with a
  prostitute in Hamburg's redlight district St.Pauli. A colloquial
  expression for a bed is Heia, which is pronounced the same way as
  Heier ...

  23.4.6.  Zwickel (2 Mark)

  Casual name for the 2 Mark coin; some loved/hated politicians'
  portraits  have appeared on its backside recently. (Strauss, Brandt
  etc.)

  23.4.7.  Pfund (20 Mark)

  A less common term is Pfund (pound) for 20 DM. This might date back to
  times when a British pound was still a pound and worth about 20 DM.

  23.4.8.  Hunni or Blauer (100 Mark)

  Very simply derived from the blue color of the hundert Mark note.

  23.4.9.  Riese (1000 Mark)


  Riese means giant, you get the idea.

  23.4.10.  Page comments

  View/add comments
  

  24.  Moving!

  24.1.  European Resources

  European Resources
   is a
  collection of pointers by David Johnson that cover a variety of issues
  when moving to or visiting the European continent. Among others, there
  are: relocation kits, eurailpasses, international travel news,
  intercultural press, foreign newspapers and magazines, international
  employment gazette, the european (newspaper). 1996-06

  24.2.  Taking a Computer along to Germany?

  Will it work in Germany - different voltage, outlets?  Is there a way
  to use an adapter?  I know that  works  for  hairdryers,  but
  computers  seem  a  bit  more sensitive.



  o  Do not (NOT) use the simple "converters" used for  hairdryers, they
     sometimes  are  nothing but a diode that blocks every other half-
     period of the incoming ac. Great for heating  coils, but  a
     disaster  for  a  computer.   Either  your computer accepts 230 V
     directly, in which case you only need a new power cable,  or  you
     need a decent transformer. It can be a so-called auto-transformer
     (without galvanic separation of primary and secondary,) which is
     half  the  weight and should be half the cost, but the thing must
     be rated for the power of your computer (especially the display, if
     you  take  that also with  you). The transformer should be bigger
     than two fists, and remember: too big does no harm, except to  your
     pocketbook.

  o  Of course you know about the differences in keyboard layout, and
     umlauts in the German language...

  o  Check  the  back  of  your  computer  about  the  voltage and
     frequency  accepted.    If  it  does  accept  240 V and 50 Hz. No
     problem, all you need is an adapter for the outlet (BTW, they are
     easier  to  buy in Germany). If it does accept 50 Hz but only 110
     V, you need a transformer. I've heard that the cheap  ones  from
     travel  suppliers  sometimes  screw up. I bought myself a couple,
     but didn't try them yet. If it only accepts 110V and 60  Hz,  you
     should  consider  getting  a  new power supply and exchange it in
     your computer. It should run well below DM100 to do that.  1996-06

  24.3.  Taking Foreign Electronic Equipment to Germany?

  If you wish to use domestic American electronics in Germany you will
  encounter difficulties such as:

  o  The medium wave (AM) frequencies sometimes have different spacings
     (e.g. 9 kHz vs. 10 kHz). This will cause problems with digital
     receivers.

  o  The voltage / frequency in Germany is 220-240 V / 50 Hz and not 110
     V / 60 Hz as in the US. Improper voltage / frequency could result
     in serious damage. (Actually, that's true for most of Europe now,
     one of the cases where regulation is a benefit ...the states of the
     European Union have agreed to keep line voltages at 230V/50Hz
     everywhere;-) 1997-01

  o  German plugs have a different shape. While people from European
     Union countries might not have the line voltage problems, they are
     faced with differently shaped plugs, just the same!

  o  TV uses the PAL norm. American TV uses the NTSC norm.  French and
     British systems are different, yet. These norms are incompatible.
     Therefore foreign television will generally not work in Germany and
     vice-versa, although multi-norm (multi-system) TV's are available
     in Europe. (See `Audio / Video Tapes' for more.)  1996-1


       Walk About Travel Gear  do a thorough job of explaining which
       appliances need converters, which need adapters, and of
       course, they have some available to sell.


  1997-01

  24.4.  Shipping Your Household US<->Europe/Germany

  Summary of a thread from Winter 1995.

  24.4.1.  General Remarks on Shipping your Household

  There are different shipping methods (besides airmail):


     Regular Shipping
        The regular shipping companies charge about 80c per pound for
        shipping from NY to Frankfurt. The more you have to send, the
        cheaper the rate gets. For shipment of less than 500 lbs, they
        usually use flat rates. For example, International Sea & Air
        shipping Co.  (+1-212-766-1616) charges


          1-100 lbs      101-200 lbs       201-300 lbs 401-500 lbs
          US$247         273               352 445 501-1000 lbs
          1001-2000 lbs     2001 lbs & over 89c/lb         77c/lb
          73c/lb

     If you live far from NY, you have to pay more. If I ship my stuff
     from North Carolina, the rate is much higher than the above rates.
     For example, DeHavens (+1-919-220-5441) in NC charges US$1.48/lb
     for 500-700 lbs, and US$1.35/lb for 701-1000 lbs. Several other
     local places have the same or higher rates. The good thing about
     these places is that their rates include door-to-door service.

     Discount Shipping
        There are some outrageously cheap shipping options for those who
        live in NY or other big cities.  (See below.)

     US Post Office
        The regular shipping service by the US-post is much more
        expensive Than the above mentioned shipping service, but their
        book shipping option, known as M-Bag, is the cheapest way (under
        any ordinary circumstances) to ship books from anywhere in the
        US to anywhere overseas. They charge only 72c per pound. Each
        bag has the minimum weight of 15lbs and the maximum weight of
        66lbs. You can put books and periodicals in these bags. The
        regular printed matter is excluded from this service, although
        its rate is still lower than those for other materials.  Time to
        Germany varies from 2-6 weeks, so plan ahead. But for the price,
        you can't beat it. It is especially good for shipments of books
        and notes.  Supposedly the bags get emptied in Bremen and the
        little boxes are sent individually; but soc.culture.german
        readers also have received the whole bag instead...Reportedly
        these bags take quite a beating, so tape the little boxes well!
        1995-4

  24.4.1.1.  Other experiences:

  several quotes from readers of s.c.g


       I had about 800lbs of stuff to ship. I called several haul-
       ing companies and they would charge me between US$1000-1500.
       Almost as expensive as by mail. A friend gave me a number to
       call, where they charge only about US$250 per cubic meter
       (it's in a container on a ship). I called them and they con-
       firmed the price. I think you should get something similar
       from the east coast.



       Don't know about NC, but if you can get your stuff to NYC,
       there is a guy called K.D. Marreck who does shipments to
       Germany for an outrageously cheap price (I shipped my 5
       large boxes with books, printer, PC etc for US$100). He
       cooperates with the German mover's company Kuehne&Nagel; I
       think what he does is he includes your handful of boxes in
       large containers paid for by companies doing large int'l
       shipments. First I was sort of suspicious since the ware-
       house, to which I had to take my boxes, was in one of the
  worst neighborhoods in NYC and looked rather run-down. But
  everything arrived complete and intact. Besides, I had got-
  ten the address from the German consulate in NYC, so I guess
  this guy is not known as a crook. The address: KD Marreck
  Intl and Domestic Moving Services, PO Box 43, Manhasset NY
  11030, tel +1(516)627-0845, fax 627-6143



       I am an air freight forwarder and I am most familiar with
       what you are saying.  It is true that the warehouses
       (including mine) of freight forwarders are in the worst
       areas of town (for me Buffalo, NY).  It is good advice to
       check with various shipping agents.  If you are not in a
       hurry, tell the forwarder you wish to "consolidate" your
       freight with other oceanbound freight going to Germany.
       This means your freight leaves with other large shipments at
       a rate much less than usually charged.  You can negotiate
       with forwarders.1996-01



       Contact Panalpina in Washington DC. But make a conscientious
       decision what you want to send. Basically the bulkier an
       item, the more expensive it is per pound.



       My advice is to send as much stuff as you can through the
       mail, with the US postal service your local branch about
       book rates, and rates for sending things through surface
       mail. It may take a little longer to get your stuff once you
       are in Germany, but the savings are worth it.

  1995-3

  24.4.2.  Cars

  Be aware of possible difficulties with finding parts or even just
  service stations for rare cars; rare being defined by the German
  market. Of all US car manufacturers, only Ford is presently in the
  German market to a sizable share. To get parts for a Chevy or Pontiac
  could prove very expensive.  Japanese and Korean cars should meet
  fewer problems in Germany.  Of course, practically all European car
  manufacturers also sell to the German market.

  Whichever way you get your car to Germany, you will very likely have
  to make changes to comply with German safety standards. The checking
  is done by, among others, the TUeV . Their
  experts on car importing issues seem to be Herr Gayk, phone number +49
  89 5190 3109, or Herr Schmidt, phone number +49 89 32950 931. Make
  sure that you can make your car the inspection before you ship it !

  The following are quotes from readers of soc.culture.german.

       To ship your car over, in very broad terms, there are two
       ways  of going:

       o  shipping your car door-to-door with your furniture

       o  shipping it     separately.

          I chose the latter because it is much less expensive.
          When they ship your car with your furniture, you need a
          big container and in my case that would have meant
          wasting a lot of space.
  Another thing I did to save money is to drop off my car at
  the port and pick it up at the port in Germany. Finally, I
  learned there are potentially two middle men on the sending
  side - the moving company and the freight forwarder. I
  decided to eliminate the moving company and go directly to
  the freight forwarder.

  The freight forwarder does things like store your car until
  the next shipment and fill out paper work. The one I used is
  called Sea Bridge in Baltimore.

  No matter which way you go you'll need three copies of your
  title notarized front and back. Note that some readers
  report they didn't need this. In my case, the freight
  forwarder is going to make those notarized copies for me.

  In my case the charge for sending my 1992 VW Jetta GL from
  Baltimore to Bremerhafen is US$744 plus the insurance. The
  insurance costs 1.5 % the estimated value of your car. If
  I'd gone through the moving company, the insurance would
  have been 2.5% the value.

  I understand that when I go to pick up my car in Germany
  I'll need to pay some German port taxes. The agent at Sea
  Bridge advised me not to get an agent on the German side. He
  says that I could do the paper work myself in about 2 hours.




       I shipped a car to Paris. There are three ways to do it.
       First,  you can have the car sent on a car-carrier. This is
       the most expensive way. Would have cost me about US$2000 to
       have the car delivered to Le Havre, France.

       Second choice, have the car shipped as if it were household
       goods - ie, in a 40 foot container. This way they deliver it
       to your city, and maybe even to your home. Cost runs about
       US$1000.


       Final way, and the way I did it - I had the car shipped in
       the 40 foot container WITH my household goods. Ran me an
       extra US$600 and I simply picked the car up at the shipper's
       warehouse in Paris.

       Call any major moving company for details. In Washington,
       try Security Storage, Victory Van, or Colonial Storage.




       For shipping cars US -> Europe you can try Sunship Interna-
       tional Harry Zaki (?) 1-800-344-9428 Aug '92: US$900



       in 1992 I selected pick-up at home (in the US) and delivery
       to the harbor in Antwerp; it did cost around US$ 1000. I had
       it organized by Rainier Movers(?)  (somewhere in Washington
       state); can recommend them.



       Last year I shipped my Mazda from Portland, Oregon to Bre-
       men,  with the following costs:
  o  Truck to San Francisco: US$250

  o  Ship from SFO to Bremen (via Panama): US$800

  o  Handling in Bremen: DM300

  o  Customs and Tax (Umzugsgut!): zilch

  o  remodeling for Tuev: DM600

     Transport: Bossi & CO. Inc., 80 Park Avenue, P.O.  Box
     69, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, tel +1(201)659-4471, fax
     659-4325. Customs: Since I had owned the car for more
     than 6 months, and my residence was in the US, I was
     exempted. Otherwise it would have been 15% tax, 10%
     customs (22% for pickups) based on the value of the car.


  Insurance: my German insurance insured the car temporarily
  for remodeling.


  Remodeling: the car is a Mazda Miata, 1990. It's sold just
  the same in Germany. I had to change: bright lights to H4,
  turn signals separate from parking lights, brake lights need
  individual fuses.  1995-3



       British vehicles need to change headlights ... and still
       have  the steering wheel on the other side. But can't do the
       TUeV without having  the headlights converted to continental
       type. Before also strict emissions testing ...1996-1


  24.4.3.  Specific Shipping Companies

  Abaco International    Shippers   in Chicago,
  Il offer special shipping rates to students moving over seas. Can also
  be contacted by email  or tel
  +1(800)621-4504

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