UK to Australia Car Shipping: Costs, Rules and Transit Times 2026

From the UK to Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Fremantle):

- Sole-use 20ft container: from £2,950
• Sole-use 40ft High Cube: from £3,450
• Shared container per vehicle: from £2,150
• RoRo (via transshipment, slower): from £2,450

Transit: 38–55 days port-to-port depending on routing.

Every car entering Australia needs Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) entry. Standard newer vehicles use full ADR compliance. Older, specialist or enthusiast vehicles can enter under the Specialist & Enthusiast Vehicle (SEV) scheme. Pre-2004 vehicles must carry an asbestos declaration.

- Duty: 5% on CIF (0% on vehicles over 30 years old)
• GST: 10% on CIF + duty
• Luxury Car Tax: 33% on value above the LCT threshold (AUD 80,567 fuel-efficient / AUD 71,849 others)
• Asbestos inspection if pre-2004
• Quarantine inspection on arrival

Full detail in the Australia destination guide.

- Sydney (Port Botany): main East-Coast gateway, fastest clearance.
• Melbourne: best for Victoria deliveries, good rail links.
• Brisbane: Queensland deliveries, slightly cheaper handling.
• Fremantle (Perth): West Coast, dedicated WA agency.

We quote all four — choose by final delivery address.

RoRo to Australia uses transshipment via Singapore or Salalah, which adds time and risk. Container goes direct on major liner services with weekly sailings. For classics, modified cars and SEV-scheme vehicles, container is the only sensible option.

1. Quote and book — request an Australia quote.
2. UK collection or drop at Felixstowe.
3. Asbestos declaration completed (pre-2004 only).
4. Stuffed and sealed in container.
5. CDS export declaration filed.
6. BL issued, vessel sails.
7. Australian Border Force lodgement.
8. Quarantine inspection at Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane / Fremantle.
9. RAV registration.
10. Vehicle released for state registration.

The headline freight rate is only part of the landed cost. The RoRo figure of £2,950 covers collection or drop-off at the UK load port, terminal handling in the UK, export customs entry, the ocean leg and standard marine transit cover. The container figure of £3,450 additionally covers the box, lashing and stuffing at the packing depot. It does not cover destination-side costs, and those are where budgets slip:

- Import duty and local taxes at Australia Car Shipping, assessed on the customs value of the vehicle rather than on what you paid for it.
• Destination terminal handling and delivery order fees, typically the equivalent of £150–£400 depending on the port.
• Clearing agent fees — usually £150–£350, and effectively unavoidable where the customs system requires a registered broker.
• Storage if clearance stalls. Free time is normally 3–7 days after discharge, then daily demurrage.
• Inland delivery from the arrival port to the final address.

Ask for a landed-cost estimate rather than a freight quote when comparing suppliers — two quotes that look £200 apart on freight can be £900 apart once Australia Car Shipping charges are added. Our quote form returns freight plus an itemised estimate of the destination charges we can see in advance.

Sea transit on this route runs 38–55 days port-to-port depending on routing. Around that, plan for:

1. Days 1–3 — booking and documents. Quote accepted, sailing reserved, V5C and invoice supplied, export entry prepared.
2. Days 3–10 — collection and delivery to port. The vehicle is collected or driven in, inspected and photographed, and receipted at the terminal.
3. Loading and departure. RoRo units are driven aboard; container loads are stuffed and lashed at the depot, then delivered to the quay. The bill of lading is issued after departure.
4. Ocean leg. 38–55 days port-to-port depending on routing. Transhipment routings add roughly 5–10 days.
5. Arrival and clearance at Australia Car Shipping. Duty and taxes assessed and paid, delivery order released, vehicle collected within the free-time window.

Build a two-week buffer into any plan that depends on the vehicle being available on a fixed date — vessel schedules move, and customs queues at Australia Car Shipping are outside any forwarder's control.

Customs at both ends work from documents, not from phone calls. Assemble these before the vehicle is booked onto a sailing:

- V5C logbook (original, not the green slip). This is the proof of title UK export customs and Australia Car Shipping customs both work from.
• Purchase invoice or bill of sale showing a realistic value — undervaluing is the single most common cause of a customs hold.
• Photo ID and proof of address for the exporter and the consignee.
• Bill of lading — issued after loading, and the document that releases the vehicle at Australia Car Shipping.
• Export customs entry (CDS) filed by your forwarder, plus the NOVA/HMRC notification where the vehicle is leaving the UK permanently.
• Insurance certificate confirming cover and the agreed value for the voyage.

Where Australia Car Shipping requires pre-shipment inspection, roadworthiness certification or an import permit, that document has to exist before loading — it cannot be obtained retrospectively once the vessel has sailed. Our customs clearance guide walks through each stage in order.

- Share a container. Two vehicles in a 40ft box typically cut the per-unit rate by 30–40% against sole use. See how shared loading works.
• Be flexible on the load port. Southampton, Immingham, Liverpool and Tilbury each serve different trades; moving one sailing or one port can change the rate materially. Compare the UK export ports.
• Avoid the peak. Rates firm up ahead of the summer relocation window and around the Chinese New Year equipment squeeze. Booking three to four weeks out is usually the sweet spot.
• Choose RoRo where the vehicle allows it. RoRo is cheaper than container for a standard, driveable car; container earns its premium for high-value, non-runner, modified or parts-laden shipments.
• Get the value right first time. A customs query at Australia Car Shipping costs more in storage than any freight saving you might have made.