Khizar Seo
Moving a vehicle overseas isn’t something most people do every day. In fact, for many of our customers, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. Maybe you’re relocating for work. Maybe you’ve sold your car to a buyer on the other side of the planet. Or maybe there’s a classic project sitting in your garage that deserves a second life abroad.
Whatever your reason, the questions are usually the same: Where do I start? Who can I trust? And how much is this actually going to cost?
At Ship Cars Ltd, we’ve built our entire service around answering those questions clearly, honestly, and with a human touch. This is what we do, how we help, and why our customers keep coming back.
What We Actually Do
We help people ship vehicles from the UK to almost anywhere in the world. That sounds simple, but behind the scenes, there’s a lot that goes into getting a car from your driveway to a port on the other side of the ocean.
Here’s what we take care of:
Collection from Anywhere in the UK
We arrange for your vehicle to be collected from your home, workplace, garage, or even an auction house. Whether it runs or not, we’ll get it onto a flatbed truck and delivered safely to the departure port.
Port Handling & Loading
Once at port, your vehicle is processed, inspected, and loaded onto the vessel. Depending on your chosen method, it’s either driven on (RORO) or secured inside a container.
Ocean Freight
Your car travels by sea on a scheduled vessel. We book the space, handle the documentation, and track the shipment throughout its journey.
Customs Clearance Support
This is where most people get nervous and where we earn our keep. We connect you with experienced customs brokers at the destination port who handle the import paperwork, duty calculations, and release of your vehicle.
Final Delivery (If Needed)
Once cleared, your car can be collected from the port or delivered directly to your door.
A real story: “I was shipping my Audi A4 to a buyer in New Zealand. I’d never exported a car before and honestly didn’t know if I was doing it right. Shipcars.co.uk held my hand through the whole thing from the collection in Manchester to the customs broker in Auckland. The buyer got the car in five weeks, and I got paid. What more could you ask for?” — Steve, Manchester
RORO Shipping: The Everyday Workhorse
Most of the cars we ship go via RORO Roll-on, Roll-off. It’s the most common method for a reason.
How it works: Your car is driven onto a huge specialised vessel, parked securely on deck alongside hundreds of other vehicles, and transported to the destination port. At the other end, it’s simply driven off.
Why people choose it:
- It’s the most affordable option
- Fast loading and unloading
- Works for 95% of standard vehicles
Real costs by route:
| Route | Typical RORO Cost | Typical Transit Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK to USA (New York) | £1,000–£1,600 | 12–18 days |
| UK to Australia (Sydney) | £1,300–£2,000 | 40–55 days |
| UK to Turkey (Istanbul) | £800–£1,400 | 14–21 days |
Customer story: “I needed my Honda Civic shipped to New York for a three-year work placement. RORO was the obvious choice, affordable and straightforward. Shipcars.co.uk arranged the collection from my parents’ house in Leeds, and three weeks later I was picking it up at the Brooklyn terminal. No drama, no delays.” — Aisha, Leeds
Container Shipping: When Only the Best Will Do
For high-value, classic, or fragile vehicles, container shipping is the gold standard.
How it works: Your vehicle is loaded into a secure, sealed container either a full 20ft or 40ft container dedicated to your car alone, or shared space in a groupage container with other vehicles.
Why people choose it:
- Complete protection from weather, sea spray, and damage
- You can load personal belongings around the car
- Ideal for non-running vehicles (winch-loaded)
- Lower risk of theft or tampering
Real costs by route:
| Route | Typical Container Cost | Typical Transit Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK to USA (Los Angeles) | £1,400–£3,200 | 18–40 days |
| UK to Australia (Melbourne) | £1,500–£3,800 | 55–60 days |
| UK to Turkey (Istanbul) | £1,400–£2,800 | 14–30 days |
Customer story: “My 1967 Jaguar E-Type was my pride and joy. There was no way I was putting it on an open deck. Shipcars.co.uk arranged a dedicated container, and the team even helped me find a specialist shipper who knew how to strap a classic car properly. It arrived in Singapore looking exactly as it left perfect.” — Nigel, Oxfordshire
What About Non-Runners?
One of the most common misconceptions we encounter is that a car needs to be driveable to be shipped. That’s simply not true.
Non-running cars, whether they have a seized engine, flat tires, or missing parts, can be shipped just as easily. The main difference is in the loading method:
- Winch loading (container) – The car is pulled up a ramp and into the container using a winch
- Forklift loading (container) – For severely disabled vehicles that can’t roll.
- Tug assist (RORO) – Some ports offer towing services for non-runners at an additional surcharge.
Customer story: “I’d bought a non-runner Toyota Supra from a breaker’s yard in Essex. The engine was in pieces in the boot. Everyone told me I was crazy to try shipping it to Dubai. Shipcars.co.uk sorted a flatbed collection, winch-loaded it into a container, and three weeks later it was in my garage in Dubai. I’ll never forget the look on my friends’ faces when the container door opened.” — Zak, Dubai
Import Duties & Vehicle Tax: What You’ll Actually Pay
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: import duties and vehicle tax. These costs vary wildly depending on where you’re shipping to, and getting them wrong can cost you thousands.
Here’s the honest picture for the three most common destinations:
🇺🇸 USA
The USA is one of the most affordable destinations for import taxes.
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Import duty (passenger cars) | 2.5% of CIF value |
| Customs Merchandise Processing Fee | ~0.3464% of value |
| Port fees | $100–$300 |
| State sales tax | Varies (paid at registration, not customs) |
What it means in real money: For a car worth £30,000, you’re looking at roughly £750–£1,000 in duties and fees.
🇦🇺 Australia
Australia is moderately expensive, but the process is well-defined.
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Import duty | 5% of CIF value |
| GST (Goods & Services Tax) | 10% on (CIF + duty + shipping + insurance) |
| Luxury Car Tax | 33% on value above ~AUD $89,332 |
| Quarantine & compliance | AUD $500–$1,500 |
What it means in real money: For a car worth £30,000, expect £4,000–£6,000 in duties and taxes.
🇹🇷 Turkey
Turkey is the most expensive destination on this list and it’s not close.
| Charge | Rate |
|---|---|
| Import duty | 60–80% depending on engine size |
| ÖTV (Special Consumption Tax) | 40–80% |
| VAT (KDV) | 20% on the total |
What it means in real money: For a car worth £30,000, the total tax bill can easily exceed £35,000–£40,000.
Shipcars.co.uk advice: If you’re shipping to Turkey, always check whether you qualify for a personal import exemption (for relocating residents). It won’t eliminate the taxes, but it can significantly reduce them in some cases.
How We Make the Whole Thing Easier
Here’s the thing: you can arrange international car shipping yourself. You can call shipping lines, fill out customs forms, and coordinate with port agents. Plenty of people do.
But here’s what we’ve learned from thousands of shipments: the people who use Shipcars.co.uk save time, money, and stress. Here’s how:
We Know the Paperwork
International Vehicle Shipping involves a mountain of documentation. Bill of Lading, Certificate of Title, commercial invoice, export declaration, import permit applications… one mistake can delay your shipment by weeks. We guide you through every single form.
We Have the Right Connections
We work with trusted partners shipping lines, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and transport companies who we know and trust. When something goes wrong (and occasionally, things do), we have people to call.
We Give Straight Answers
No jargon. No sales pitch. No “let me check with my manager.” If you ask us a question, you get a real answer from a real person.
We Actually Care
This sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. Our team genuinely enjoys helping people move their cars. We celebrated with customers when their classics arrived safely. We’ve stayed on the phone late into the evening helping someone sort out a customs issue. It’s not just a transaction to us.
One of our favourite reviews: “Shipcars.co.uk didn’t just ship my car — they treated me like a friend who needed help. I’ll never use anyone else.” — Claire, Glasgow
How to Get Started (It Takes 5 Minutes)
Getting a quote from Shipcars.co.uk is genuinely simple:
- Tell us about your vehicle – Make, model, year, condition, and where it’s going.
- We send you a quote – Clear, itemised, with no surprises.
- You say yes (or ask questions) – No pressure, no hard sell.
- We handle the rest – Collection, shipping, customs, delivery.
That’s it. Whether you’re shipping a running car, a non-runner, a classic, or a commercial vehicle — we’re ready to help.
Let’s Get Your Car Moving
Every car has a destination. Whether it’s a family SUV heading to a new life in Australia, a classic British sports car bound for a collector in America, or a project car on its way to a restoration enthusiast in Turkey — we’ll get it there.
Get your free quote today at Shipcars.co.uk
No obligation. No hassle. Just honest advice and expert support.
Ship Cars Ltd — Your car, anywhere in the world.
