The first thing most people notice about shipping from Malaysia is the price, which is higher than from most places we ship from. It is worth knowing what that figure covers, and worth knowing the other side of it: a Malaysian car is right-hand drive, so the work it needs here is usually light.
- Port
- Port Klang
- Guide shipping price
- From £4,000
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Steering
- Right-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Why Malaysia has its own price
Our guide prices come from a year of real jobs, grouped by where the cars came from. Malaysia came out as its own figure, from around £4,000 for shipping, and that is the top of our range. It is shipping only, and excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
It is a guide, not a quote. The car's size, the method and where it is collected from all move the number, and our guide to what affects the cost of shipping a car explains each one. Your quote prices your actual car.
Shipping from Port Klang
We collect from your address or dealer and take the car to the port. Our route from Malaysia runs from Port Klang, the country's principal port, on the Strait of Malacca about 38 km south-west of Kuala Lumpur. Its terminals are run mainly by Northport and Westports, which between them handle cars and have RoRo berths. More on our Port Klang page.
From Malaysia the car goes by container or RoRo. Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks depending on the sailing.
| Feature | Container | RoRo |
|---|---|---|
| How it travels | Sealed in a container | Driven on and off the ship |
| Speed | Usually a little slower | Usually a little quicker |
| Protection | More secure for the whole voyage | Parked on the ship's vehicle decks |
| Unloading | At our own site, by our team | Driven off at the UK port, then brought to us |
Our guide to container, RoRo or air goes into more detail.
From Port Klang to your drive
Customs clearance takes a few days to a week. The changes take from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the car. With testing and registration on top, allow roughly 2 to 4 months in all, sometimes more, from a car that is ready to ship.
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Before it sails
Collection and loading
We collect the car and get it loaded at Port Klang, by container or RoRo.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car sails for the UK.
-
A few days to a week
Customs
We handle customs in-house as HMRC CDS authorised agents.
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A few days to a few weeks
Changes and testing
Our team makes the changes, then the car is tested on our own IVA or MOT lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your UK plates.
What a Malaysian car needs
Malaysia drives on the left, so its cars are right-hand drive. The usual changes are:
- A rear fog light, the most common change
- A speedometer converted from km/h to mph, on cars under 10 years old
A car under 10 years old takes an IVA test. One between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, with similar changes first. A car over 40 years old needs no MOT and can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered.
The cars people ask us about from Malaysia range from local models like the Proton Saga, Perodua Myvi and Perodua Bezza to the Toyota Vios, Honda City, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Triton and BMW 3 Series. What each needs depends on the car and the support its manufacturer gives importers, which differs between manufacturers. A local model with no UK history is worth a conversation with us before it ships. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly, and the IVA test explained guide covers the test.
Import tax from Malaysia
Malaysia is outside the EU, so a car bought there pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the transport, with VAT on top of the duty. An invoice more than 3 months old is replaced by a recent valuation.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad, and have owned the car for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can make it tax and duty free. You apply online with HMRC, with proof of your Malaysian residence, your move to the UK and your ownership and use of the car. An approved application gives you a reference for customs. A car that was UK-registered before may also come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C.
Get the Transfer of Residence reference before the car lands. It goes to customs when the car arrives, so apply as soon as you know your moving date.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from Malaysia starts from around £4,000. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work. Try the numbers for your car below, or use the import tax calculator.
There is more on our shipping costs page and the Malaysia country page.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to ship a car from Malaysia to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from Malaysia starts from around £4,000. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
How long does it take to ship a car from Malaysia to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks. With customs, changes, testing and registration, allow roughly 2 to 4 months in all, sometimes more.
Which port do cars ship from in Malaysia?
Port Klang, Malaysia's principal port, on the Strait of Malacca south-west of Kuala Lumpur.
Can you import a Proton or Perodua to the UK?
They are among the cars people ask us about. What each needs depends on the car and the support its manufacturer gives importers, so send us the details before it ships.
Does a Malaysian car need changes for UK roads?
Usually only a few, because it is right-hand drive. The most common is a rear fog light, plus an mph speedometer on cars under 10 years old.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Malaysia to your drive.
