International Car Shipping Costs Guide 2026 (UK)

An international car shipping invoice is built from five line items:

1. Ocean freight — the line's per-vehicle or per-container charge.
2. UK origin charges — port handling, terminal release, security and documentation.
3. UK customs — CDS export declaration filed with HMRC.
4. Marine insurance — typically 1.5–2.5% of CIF value, optional but strongly recommended.
5. Destination charges — terminal handling, customs clearance, duty and VAT in the import country.

A quote that shows only the first item will look attractive but conceal hundreds of pounds of mandatory charges. Always ask for a full landed-cost estimate.

Standard saloon, port-to-port:

- UAE (Jebel Ali): £695
• Saudi Arabia (Dammam): £895
• Kuwait: £1,150
• Qatar (Doha): £1,250
• Oman (Sohar): £950
• Nigeria (Lagos): £750
• Ghana (Tema): £795
• Kenya (Mombasa): £895
• Tanzania (Dar es Salaam): £950
• USA East Coast (Baltimore): £995
• Canada East Coast (Halifax): £1,150
• Australia (Brisbane via transshipment): £2,450

20ft container, one vehicle, Felixstowe origin:

- UAE: £1,950
• Australia (Sydney): £2,950
• Canada (Toronto): £2,650
• USA (New York): £2,450
• New Zealand (Auckland): £3,150
• Pakistan (Karachi): £2,650
• South Africa (Durban): £2,150
• Brazil (Santos): £2,750

40ft High Cube adds typically £450–£650.

Per-vehicle in a shared 40ft:

- UAE: £1,150
• Australia: £2,150
• Canada: £1,650
• Cyprus: £950
• New Zealand: £2,350
• South Africa: £1,495
• Malta: £1,050

- Port handling and terminal release: £90–£160
• CDS export declaration: £25–£60
• Marine insurance: 1.5–2.5% of CIF value
• UK collection on a flatbed: £150–£550 depending on distance — see vehicle transportation.
• Documentation and Bill of Lading: included in our quotes.

- UAE: 5% duty + 5% VAT on CIF value.
• Australia: 5% duty + 10% GST + Luxury Car Tax above the threshold.
• Canada: 6.1% duty + 5% GST (older vehicles may qualify for exemptions).
• USA: 2.5% duty for cars, 25% for light trucks (chicken tax).
• Nigeria: 35% duty + 35% levy on CIF value.
• South Africa: 25% duty + 14% VAT.

For a country-by-country deep dive read the vehicle import duties guide.

- Choose RoRo where possible — almost always the cheapest option.
• Use shared container on routes where RoRo is irregular.
• Book in advance to avoid peak-season surcharges (June–September Australia / pre-Eid UAE).
• Drop the car at the port yourself rather than booking UK collection.
• Bundle paperwork — we discount when you ship two or more vehicles in the same booking.

Use the shipping cost calculator for instant indicative pricing or request a fully landed quote. Call or WhatsApp +44 (0)1495 320540, email info@shipcarsroro.co.uk.

Before any international shipment, vehicles need to reach the loading port — and many customers ask us to handle the UK leg too. Our recovery and transport network covers every postcode, 24 hours a day.

Start with the main hubs: Car Recovery UK, Vehicle Recovery UK, 24/7 Breakdown Recovery and Nationwide Vehicle Transportation.

City coverage includes London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield and Bristol.

Pre-book a port run on a flatbed transporter from Southampton, Portsmouth, Liverpool or Felixstowe via Ipswich, or call 24/7 for breakdown recovery in London, Birmingham or Manchester.