Vehicle shipping from South Africa to Europe (UK, Belgium, Germany & Italy)

We specialise in shipping cars, 4×4’s, Motorhomes, Campervans & Camping trucks from South Africa to Europe, offering shipping services on fast, frequent Roll on Roll off (RORO) and container vessels to all major European ports including the United Kingdom (Southampton, Tilbury, Liverpool, Felixstowe, London Gateway and Bristol), Belgium (Zeebrugge & Antwerp), Germany (Bremerhaven & Hamburg), Netherlands (Rotterdam), Italy (Genoa) and others.

Departure Ports in South Africa are Cape Town (containers only), Port Elizabeth and Durban.

RORO Services

There are regular, reliable Roll on Roll off services to and from Europe, we recommend people to book on direct services that go non stop between Europe and South Africa as these provide a little more peace of mind regarding security than the stopping services via the Americas or West Africa.

From South Africa we have 5 services, three of these are direct with no stops once leaving South Africa, until arrival at the first port in Europe.

The others are a) A stopping service to Europe via West Africa (Tema, Abidjan, Dakar, Conakry) or South America (Santos Brazil, Montevideo, Zarate, Vitoria), b) A stopping service via east Africa (Mombasa, Dar Es Salaam, Jeddah, Barcelona).

The stopping service is usually cheaper than the direct services.

The services are good value for those with oversized vehicles, but also provide comparative costs for sharing a 40ft container for a smaller vehicle.

The import/export costs of shipping RORO is significantly cheaper than container shipping in Southern Africa.

Latest RORO South Africa to Europe schedules

We now have weekly services from Durban to Europe, in addition to the schedules below. Please note this is an unpublished service so please contact us for details.

C1 – Direct from South Africa to Europe – first port of call Vigo
C2 – Normally 1 stop before Europe (Tema)
C3 – Stopping service via Tema, Abidjan & Dakar
C4 – Direct from South Africa to Europe – first port of call Vigo

*Port calls, routing and schedules are not guaranteed and can be changed at the carriers discretion without notice, above is the normal scheduled followed for information

There are also services from South Africa to South America (Montevideo, Uruguay and Zárate, Argentina)

RORO Shipping rates (from)

Returning from South Africa to Europe (Southampton UK , Antwerp & Zeebrugge Belgium, Bremerhaven Germany) prices start from $70 per cubic metre, special rates are available for vehicles under certain heights/volume. Export costs are $650 – $800 depending on port, carrier and vehicle weight/dimensions.

Vehicle	Carrier 1	Carrier 2	Carrier 3
Sedan	$1,200
4×4	$1,600
Others	$82 per cbm	$72 per cbm	$65 per cbm

*Unit prices subject to height and max cbm limits

Container Shipping

We offer Container shipping from Durban and Cape Town to all major ports in Europe including United Kingdom (Southampton, Tilbury, Liverpool, Felixstowe, London Gateway and Bristol), Belgium (Zeebrugge & Antwerp), Germany (Bremerhaven & Hamburg), Netherlands (Rotterdam), Italy (Genoa) and others.

Container share: Shipping a container for sole use can be expensive, we offer a container share service whereby you can share a container with others to reduce the costs. Please contact us for further details.

Container shipping rates

Expect to pay around $3700 / $4200 for 20/40ft container from South Africa to Europe including all charges on both sides. (*prices vary by port of departure).

Size	No. Vehicles	Cost
20ft	1	$    3,700
40ft HC	2	$    4,200

*Prices vary by port of departure/arrival.

*Prices do not include costs in relation to containers selected for further inspection or scans.

Import  / Export Requirements – South Africa / Europe

If you are shipping a foreign vehicle from South Africa we recommend entering the South African Customs Union (SACU) via land borders with a Temporary Import permit, this can reduce the customs costs for outgoing shipments.

For import into Europe, a Carnet is not required for tourism purposes, however, a carnet may be used if you wish to use one.

For returning vehicles to the EU you may enter with or without your Carnet, depending on the port, sometimes the customs fees differ depending on whether you use one or not.

For clearing customs in the EU, we request a copy of your original BL or ferry ticket from when you first exported your vehicle.

For export, we recommend you arrive in the city of departure a week before sailing to complete customs formalities. Customs formalities can take place a few days before the vehicle is taken to the port. Under normal circumstances, the vehicle is dropped off at the port 48 hours before arrival of the vessel.

 

Travel Insurance

We would strongly recommend a Travel insurance policy for travel in Europe. Read more about Europe Travel Insurance.

Booking

We recommend booking Africa bound services 2-3 months before departure due to the high volume of cargo on this route. To obtain a quote please complete our online quotation form.

Recommended Reading / Information

The Overlanding Africa facebook group is the best resource for travellers with their vehicles, providing information on routes, campsites, visas, border crossings and much more. Join today and meet other travellers.

Port Connections to and from Africa