Collection to UK plates, one team
Ship your car to the UK.
We collect it, ship it and clear customs. Then My Car Import tests and registers it on the same site in Castle Donington. Quoted by a person, not a calculator.
Pick how it travels
Most cars go in a shared container. Some routes suit RoRo, and a few cars need a plane. We will recommend the right one in your quote.
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Container shipping Our default for most cars. Sealed in a container, shared to keep the cost down.
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RoRo shipping Driven onto a car carrier and driven off at the other end. Often the cheapest route.
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Air freight The fastest way to get a car here. Usually a few days, at a price to match.
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Classic car shipping Extra care for older cars, from how it is collected to how it comes out of the box.
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Motorbike shipping Crated or strapped, insured, and handled by people who ride.
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Motorhome shipping Bigger than a car, so the method depends on the size. We work it out for you.
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Four steps, one team
You deal with us from the first quote to the day the car is on UK plates. No handing you off to a shipping line halfway through, and no hauling it across the country for a test.
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Quote
Tell us the car and where it is. A person on our team prices the whole journey and emails it to you.
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Collect
Our partners collect it from your address or dealer and take it to the port. Open or enclosed, your call.
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Ship
Loaded into a container (or onto a RoRo ship or a plane) with marine insurance, and you get updates along the way.
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Clear and register
We clear UK customs as HMRC-authorised agents and unload at our yard. My Car Import tests and registers it there, then you collect or we deliver.
Shipping is half the job
Then My Car Import puts it on UK plates.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so when the container is unloaded the car is already where it needs to be. It goes straight into testing and registration on the same site, with no extra transport and no waiting for a test slot somewhere else.
- One of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain
- The only privately owned MSVA test centre in Great Britain
- A dealer-level DVLA account, so we register imported cars within 10 working days
- In-house conversions and test preparation, from lights to speedos
What it roughly costs
Guide prices built from a year of real jobs. The further away the car starts, the bigger the number. Your quote prices your actual route.
- USA from £1,450 Car, sea freight
- Cyprus from £1,850 Car, sea freight
- UAE / Middle East from £2,150 Car, sea freight
- Canada from £2,175 Car, sea freight
- Australia / New Zealand from £3,200 Car, sea freight
- Motorbikes from £1,250 From anywhere
Guide prices for shipping only. Registration, other services, import tax and remedial fees are not included. European cars come by road and are priced per job.
Where we ship from
The countries we ship from most. If yours is not listed, ask anyway: we can usually help.
Europe
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guernsey
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Italy
- Jersey
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
The Americas
Middle East
Australia and New Zealand
Africa
Guides worth reading first
Plain answers to what people ask us most, written by the team that does the work.
- Countries How to import a car from Japan to the UK Japan is one of the busiest routes into the UK, and a right-hand drive Japanese car needs less work than most. Here is the whole job, from auction to plates.
- Costs and tax What it costs to ship a car from the USA to the UK Shipping a car from the USA starts from around £1,450, shipping only. Here is what moves that price, and what the tax looks like on top.
- Moving to the UK Moving to the UK? How to bring your car tax free If you are moving here and the car is coming with you, you may not pay a penny in VAT or duty. Here is how Transfer of Residence works.
- Buying and owning The IVA test explained for imported cars IVA sounds like the hardest part of importing a newer car. With the right preparation it is a straightforward inspection, and we run the testing on our own site.
Questions people ask first
The short answers. There are more on the FAQs page, or call us on 01332 810442.
How much does it cost to ship a car to the UK?
It depends on where the car is, how big it is, the time of year and how you want it shipped. Shipping lines put prices up when they are busy, and fuel costs move through the year too. That is why a person writes every quote rather than a calculator: you get the price for your car, this month. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, sea freight runs from £1,450 (USA) to £4,000 (Malaysia), shipping only. Motorbikes start from £1,250 from anywhere.
How long does it take?
Within Europe, usually one to four weeks. Between continents, for example North America to the UK, four to eight weeks. From Australia and New Zealand, around six to ten weeks. Air freight is a few days. Your quote will give you a realistic estimate for your route.
Can you register the car once it is here?
Yes. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so the car goes from the container into testing and registration without leaving our site. We run the only privately owned MSVA test centre in Great Britain and one of only seven privately operated IVA centres, and we have a dealer-level account with the DVLA which allows us to register imported cars within 10 working days.
Is my car insured while it is shipped?
It can be, and we recommend it. Our marine insurance covers your car up to its full value if it is damaged or lost in transit. Your normal car insurance will not cover it at sea. The cost is usually a few percent of the car’s value.
Tell us about your car
Where it is, what it is and when you need it here. We will price the whole import, from collection abroad to UK registration with My Car Import, not just the boat.
Rather talk it through? Call 01332 810442
