--- title: "Shipping a car from South Africa to the UK | Shipping a Car" url: https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/south-africa/ description: "Ship your car from South Africa to the UK with My Car Import. Collection, shipping, customs clearance, testing and UK registration, quoted by a person." --- - [Home](https://shippingacar.co.uk/) - [Countries](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destinations/) - South Africa # Shipping a car from South Africa to the UK Whether you are moving back to the UK or you have found the car you want in South Africa, we handle the whole journey: collection, shipping, customs, then testing and UK registration with My Car Import. [Photo: Cape Town and Lion’s Head from the air at sunset] Typical journey **About 4 to 6 weeks** How it travels **Shared container** Arrives at **Castle Donington, Derby** ## How it works from South Africa It starts with a quote. There is no instant calculator here: a person writes yours with current prices and the best way to ship your car. - ### Collection We collect from your address or dealer anywhere in South Africa and truck it to the port. Depending on its value, we will quote for open or enclosed transport to the port. If you want enclosed, just say so on the quote form. - ### Shipping Unless you pay for a container of your own, your car shares one with other customers’ cars, which keeps the price down. We keep you updated from the day it sails. - ### Customs We handle the customs paperwork at both ends. In the UK we are HMRC CDS authorised agents, so we clear the car ourselves and make sure you pay the right amount, with no unnecessary add-ons. - ### Arrival The car comes to our site in Castle Donington, where our team unloads it. No waiting around at a port warehouse. - ### Testing and registration My Car Import tests and registers the car on the same site, so it never has to be moved for an appointment. Then you collect it on UK plates, or we deliver it anywhere in the UK. By sea Road to our yard Indicative route. The shipping line chooses the actual lanes and ports. ## From South Africa: the details We can arrange the trucking to the port. Cars over 40 years old do not need an MOT, so they can be delivered straight to your UK address once they are registered. ### Ports - [Cape Town](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/cape-town/) - [Durban](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/durban/) - [Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/port-elizabeth/) - [East London](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/east-london/) - [Richards Bay](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/richards-bay/) Cape Town is where we usually ship from. The sea crossing itself is around 15 to 25 days. ### Paperwork - Registration papers - Purchase invoice - Passport ### Usually needs changing - A rear fog light, the most common change - Speedometer converted from km/h to mph on cars under 10 years old ## Tax and duty A car from South Africa usually pays 20% import VAT plus 10% duty. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. And if you are moving here after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for over 6 months, Transfer of Residence makes it tax and duty free. We work out what applies to your car when we quote, so the number you see is the number you pay. Want a rough idea now? Try the [import tax calculator](https://shippingacar.co.uk/import-tax-calculator/). Moving here? Read [how to bring your car tax free](https://shippingacar.co.uk/transfer-of-residence/). Bringing a UK car home? See [what you need](https://shippingacar.co.uk/bringing-a-uk-car-back-home/). ## Getting it on UK roads Getting the car here is half the job. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so once it is unloaded it goes straight into testing and registration on the same site. Which test it needs depends mostly on its age: Under 10 years old IVA test, on our own lane, plus any changes it needs 10 to 40 years old MOT, usually with a rear fog light added Over 40 years old No MOT needed We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. [Importing a car from South Africa, the full guide](https://mycarimport.co.uk/importing-your-vehicle/location/south-africa/) ## Questions people ask About 4 to 6 weeks, as a guide. Sailing dates, customs checks and how busy the route is all play a part, so your quote will give you a firmer estimate. Our guide price is from £1,975 for a car, built from a year of real jobs. It covers shipping only: registration, other services, import tax and remedial fees are extra. Motorbikes start from £1,250. A car from South Africa usually pays 20% import VAT plus 10% duty. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. And if you are moving here after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for over 6 months, Transfer of Residence makes it tax and duty free. Usually: registration papers, purchase invoice, passport. Yes. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so testing and registration happen on the same site. Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. ## Guide price to the UK from £1,975 South Africa, car by sea Motorbikes from £1,250 Guide prices for shipping only. Registration, other services, import tax and remedial fees are not included. Built from a year of real jobs. [How prices work](https://shippingacar.co.uk/shipping-costs/) ## Then on to UK plates My Car Import tests and registers the car on the same site it is unloaded at, within 10 working days through our dealer-level DVLA account. [Registration at My Car Import](https://mycarimport.co.uk/importing-your-vehicle/location/south-africa/) ## Guides - [How to ship a car from South Africa to the UK](https://shippingacar.co.uk/ship-a-car-from-south-africa-to-the-uk/) - [Moving to the UK from South Africa with your car](https://shippingacar.co.uk/moving-to-the-uk-from-south-africa-with-your-car/) - [Bringing a UK car back home](https://shippingacar.co.uk/bringing-a-uk-car-back-home/) - [Bringing a Land Rover Defender back to the UK](https://shippingacar.co.uk/bringing-a-land-rover-defender-back-to-the-uk/) - [The paperwork you need to ship a car to the UK](https://shippingacar.co.uk/documents-to-ship-a-car-to-the-uk/) ## Also in Africa - [Morocco](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/morocco/) - [Algeria](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/algeria/) - [Egypt](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/egypt/) [All countries](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destinations/) ## Shipping from South Africa? 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