Guide · Travellers and overlanders · Updated October 2026

Overland Vehicle Shipping: The Complete Guide

To ship an overland vehicle, you book a RORO sailing or a container to the port where your trip starts, drop the vehicle at the port about a week before it sails, fly out, and collect it once customs has cleared it. Most motorhomes, 4x4 campers and expedition trucks go RORO; a container suits vehicles under about 2.5 m high. As a visitor you normally import the vehicle temporarily with no duty, for 6–12 months depending on the country, sometimes with a carnet. Sea freight for a 4x4 camper is typically £1,340–2,860 from the UK to the USA, or US$930–1,650 across the Darien Gap, based on our quotes in the last 90 days.

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By the IVSS team, who have shipped their own vehicle around the world · Updated 28 October 2026

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Usual method

RORO: any height, priced by size

Container

Vehicles up to about 2.5 m high

Book ahead

2–3 months for the best choice of sailing

Drop off

Usually 4–7 days before sailing

Duty as a visitor

Normally none, under temporary import

Carnet

Needed for Australia, South Africa and many countries in Africa and Asia

Plan your route and timing

Start with where your trip begins and ends, because that decides the ports, the sailings and how long the vehicle may stay in each country. Popular starting points are Halifax and Baltimore for North America, Montevideo and Zárate for South America, Durban, Cape Town and Walvis Bay for southern Africa, and Australia and New Zealand for the long loop home.

Book 2–3 months ahead if you can. RORO sailings to North America are busiest in spring, when many travellers start a summer on the road, and space for tall vehicles goes first. Plan the end of the trip too: temporary import limits (see below) set how long you can stay, and the port you ship home from affects the price.

Decide where you start and finish, and which countries you cross
Check the temporary import limit and carnet rules for each country
Measure your vehicle: length, width and height, including roof tents and racks
Choose RORO or container, then book your sailing
Arrange road insurance for the first country before you collect

RORO, container or shared container?

Most overland vehicles travel RORO (roll-on roll-off): the vehicle is driven onto a vehicle carrier and parked in the enclosed hold. A container is the alternative for vehicles low enough to fit through the door.

RORO: Any height, priced by size. Usually the cheapest for motorhomes, campers and expedition trucks. You hand the keys to the port, and the crew drives it on and off.
Shared container: Share a 40ft container with another vehicle and split the cost. Belongings can travel too. Common on routes like the Darien Gap.
Sole-use container: A 20ft or 40ft container just for you: the most secure option, and you can pack more. Costs more than RORO for one vehicle.

Container doors are about 2.28 m high on a standard container and about 2.58 m on a high-cube, so vehicles up to about 2.5 m high usually fit, sometimes with the tyres partly let down. Taller campers, roof-tent 4x4s over that height and expedition trucks go RORO.

RORO shipping explained →

Container shipping explained →

What it costs to ship an overland vehicle

Sea freight depends on the route and the size of the vehicle. These are typical RORO ranges from our own quotes in the last 90 days.

Route	Motorhome / campervan	4x4 camper	Expedition truck
UK to the USA	£2,310–3,280	£1,340–2,860	£3,440–5,140
UK to Canada	£2,550–3,510	£1,930–3,060	£3,660–5,290
Europe to Canada	€2,920–4,060	€2,190–3,520	€4,200–6,130
USA and Canada to Europe	US$2,520–3,440	US$1,690–3,020	US$3,560–5,100
USA to the UK	US$2,860–3,980	US$2,200–3,470	US$4,130–6,010
Darien Gap: Panama to Colombia	US$1,300–1,940	US$930–1,650	US$2,020–3,090
Argentina and Uruguay to the USA	US$3,650–5,370	US$2,620–4,590	US$5,600–8,490
Europe to South Africa and Namibia	US$3,490–5,070	US$2,540–4,350	US$5,280–7,950
UK and Europe to Australia and NZ	US$4,920–7,240	US$3,540–6,190	US$7,570–11,450

Also budget for

Destination port charges and customs clearance: Quoted with your booking
Marine insurance for the crossing: Our motorhome cover starts from €300 single trip or €600 multi-trip, for a value up to €50,000, with contents up to €15,000
Carnet de passages: An issuing fee plus a security, where your route needs one
Cleaning and inspection: Australia and New Zealand charge for cleaning if the vehicle arrives dirty
Lithium leisure batteries: Can add a hazardous cargo fee
Road insurance on arrival: Bought locally or from a specialist
Flights and accommodation: While the vehicle is at sea

Your quote is emailed to you with the exact price for your vehicle and sailing.

Temporary import: how long can your vehicle stay?

As a visitor you normally bring your vehicle in under temporary import (also called temporary admission). You pay no import duty or tax, as long as the vehicle is for your own use, is not sold or lent to a resident, and leaves before the time limit. Overstaying usually means paying duty and tax, or the vehicle being seized.

Destination	Visitor can keep the vehicle	Carnet needed?	Good to know
United Kingdom	Up to 6 months in any 12	No	Claimed on arrival (form C110, or by your customs agent if shipped). Private use only.
European Union	Up to 6 months	No	Temporary admission for vehicles registered outside the EU, for private use.
USA	Up to 1 year	No	EPA approval letter (form 3520-1, code O) and DOT form HS-7. The vehicle cannot be sold.
Canada	Until your declared departure, up to 12 months	No	Can sometimes be extended to 18 months. Cannot be sold or used by Canadian residents.
Australia	Usually up to 12 months	Yes	On a carnet you do not need a Vehicle Import Approval. Strict cleaning and biosecurity checks.
New Zealand	Normally up to 1 year	Carnet or cash deposit	Duty-free if the vehicle is re-exported. One extension possible.
South Africa	Normally 12 months	Yes	One extension of up to a further year, requested 30 days before expiry.
Namibia	For the length of your visit	Temporary import permit	The vehicle cannot be used by anyone else.
Colombia	6 months, extendable by 3	No	Temporary import permit from DIAN, applied for online.

Summarised from official customs and transport sources in October 2026. Rules depend on your passport and circumstances; we confirm what applies to your trip when we quote.

Do you need a carnet de passages?

A carnet de passages en douane (CPD) is an international customs document that works like a passport for your vehicle. It guarantees the destination country that its duty and taxes will be paid if the vehicle is not taken out again, so you do not have to leave a cash deposit at the border.

Carnets are issued by a motoring club in the FIA or AIT network, normally in the country where the vehicle is registered. The club asks for a security, such as a deposit, bank guarantee or insurance, and sets the amount from the vehicle's value and the countries on your route. A carnet is normally valid for 12 months. Customs stamps it when the vehicle enters and leaves each country; when you get home, you return it to the club to get your security back.

Needed: Australia, South Africa and many countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia
Carnet or cash deposit: New Zealand
Not needed: the UK, the EU, the USA, Canada and Colombia, which use their own temporary import permits

Apply early: issuing a carnet can take several weeks. Tell us your route when you book and we will tell you whether your destination port expects one.

Documents you will need

Original registration document or title (a US export needs the original title)
Your passport, and a copy for the booking
Proof of ownership, or a letter of authority if you are not the registered owner
Carnet de passages, if your route needs one
Road insurance for the country of arrival
An International Driving Permit, where the country requires one
For the USA: EPA form 3520-1 (code O) and DOT form HS-7, which we help you prepare
The bill of lading we issue: keep it, as it proves when the vehicle arrived

Preparing your vehicle for shipping

Clean it inside and out, including the underbody and wheel arches. Australia and New Zealand inspect for soil, seeds and insects and charge for cleaning.
Turn off gas bottles at the valve and tell us about them; some carriers want them empty
Run the fuel down to about a quarter of a tank and remove jerry cans
Declare lithium leisure batteries and disconnect them where you can
Remove food, plants and animal products
Drain water tanks and empty the fridge
Switch off the alarm and supply a spare key
Photograph every side, the interior and the odometer before drop-off
Secure roof tents, racks and anything fixed outside

Packing belongings inside the vehicle

On RORO, rules depend on the carrier. Touring vehicles such as motorhomes and campers can usually carry personal belongings if they are secured in a locked area and out of sight; standard cars normally have to be empty. Nothing hazardous may travel: no spare fuel, gas canisters you have not declared, aerosols in bulk or weapons.

In a container you can pack more, but everything should be on an inventory and declared to customs at both the departure and arrival ports.

What you can pack and how →

Insurance: at sea and on the road

Marine insurance covers the vehicle while it is being shipped; your normal motor policy will not. Choose between total loss cover and all-risks cover. We can arrange single-trip or multi-trip marine cover for motorhomes and touring vehicles, including contents up to €15,000.

You also need road insurance from the day you collect the vehicle. In Europe, visitors usually buy frontier or visitor cover; from what our customers tell us, third-party cover is around €150 a month. The USA and Canada need a specialist policy for foreign-registered vehicles. In South America, Colombia requires SOAT and the Mercosur countries accept the regional green card (carta verde); in East and southern Africa, the COMESA yellow card covers many countries. Travel insurance for yourself is separate.

Insurance in the USA and Canada for foreign vehicles →

Drop-off, sailing and collection

You deliver the vehicle to the port terminal, usually 4–7 days before sailing, hand over the keys and documents, and fly out. Vehicle carriers and container ships do not usually take passengers, so you travel separately and meet the vehicle at the other end.

On arrival, customs is cleared by our broker, a local agent we introduce, or your own. Collection is normally 2–3 working days after the ship arrives. At some ports you need to be there in person with your passport and documents, for example for the customs inspection in Cartagena.

Get your quote Fill in the 2-minute form; your quote is emailed to you.
Book your sailing We confirm the sailing and send port delivery instructions.
Drop off Deliver the vehicle to the port, usually 4–7 days before sailing.
Fly out Travel separately; we track the vessel and keep you updated.
Clear and collect Customs is cleared by our broker, a local agent or your own; then you collect at the port.
Ship home When the trip ends, we ship it home or onward.

Crossing the Darien Gap

There is no road and no car ferry between Panama and Colombia. Vehicles cross by RORO or container from Manzanillo, Panama, to Cartagena, Colombia, and you fly or take a boat separately. Sharing a container with another traveller is common and splits the cost.

Car (saloon/hatchback): US$440–590
4x4 / SUV: US$680–930
Van: US$770–1,440
Campervan / motorhome: US$1,300–1,940
4x4 camper / overlander: US$930–1,650
Expedition truck: US$2,020–3,090

RORO sea freight, Panama to Colombia, from our quotes in the last 90 days.

Darien Gap shipping: prices, sailings and process →

Shipping home or onward

When your trip ends we can ship the vehicle home or to your next continent: from North America to the UK and Europe, from South America to Europe, the USA or Africa, from southern Africa to Europe or South America, and from Australia and New Zealand. Book the return before your temporary import time runs out, and remember to have the carnet stamped out.

Common mistakes to avoid

Booking too late for a tall vehicle in peak season
Arriving in Australia or New Zealand with a dirty vehicle
Overstaying the temporary import limit
Not declaring gas bottles or lithium batteries
Collecting without road insurance in place
Leaving valuables in sight in the cab
Assuming a port-to-port price includes destination charges
Forgetting to have the carnet stamped out, and losing the security

Popular overland routes

Standard car, RORO sea freight, from our own quotes in the last 90 days. Motorhomes and trucks are priced by size.

Questions from travellers and overlanders

How much does it cost to ship a motorhome or overland vehicle overseas?

It depends on the route and the size. As a guide from our quotes in the last 90 days, RORO sea freight for a 4x4 camper from the UK to the USA is about £1,340–2,860 and a motorhome about £2,310–3,280. Destination charges, insurance and any carnet are extra. Your quote is emailed with the exact price.

Should I ship my camper by RORO or container?

RORO is usually cheaper and is the only option for vehicles taller than about 2.5 m. A container suits lower vehicles, is more secure and lets you pack more belongings, and a shared container splits the cost.

Do I need a carnet de passages?

Not for the UK, the EU, the USA, Canada or Colombia. Australia and South Africa normally expect one, New Zealand accepts a carnet or a cash deposit, and many countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia require one. Tell us your route and we will advise.

How long can I keep my vehicle in the USA as a visitor?

Up to one year for personal use as a non-resident, with an EPA approval letter and DOT form HS-7. The vehicle cannot be sold in the USA and must be exported again.

How long can I keep my vehicle in Canada?

Until the departure date you declare, up to 12 months, and sometimes extended to 18. It cannot be sold or used by Canadian residents.

Can I travel on the ship with my vehicle?

Usually not. Vehicle carriers and container ships rarely take passengers, so you fly and collect the vehicle when it has cleared customs.

Can I leave belongings in my motorhome?

Usually yes on RORO, if they are secured in a locked area and out of sight, but rules depend on the carrier. Standard cars normally have to be empty. A container lets you pack more.

Is there a car ferry across the Darien Gap?

No. There is no road and no car ferry between Panama and Colombia. Vehicles are shipped by RORO or container from Manzanillo, Panama, to Cartagena, Colombia, and travellers fly or take a boat separately.

Do I need to be at the port when my vehicle arrives?

Sometimes. At many ports our broker or local agent clears the vehicle for you, but some, such as Cartagena, need you there in person with your passport and documents. We tell you what to expect when you book.