Shipping Cars to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Need car shipping to the UK from the United States? Whether you need to ship a car to the UK, a bike, or multiple vehicles, the process is straightforward and simple.
We offer multiple car shipping methods for you to chose from, whether you are looking for a method to lower the shipping cost or a way to send a vehicle to the UK quickly.
For those searching for auction services, we provide a specialized service through our Schumacher Secure division.
With 6 locations across the US, and England near major departure ports, your vehicle can be picked up anywhere in the USA and delivered directly to you in the UK. You’ll always have options to choose from for departures, domestic transport, and arrivals. This flexibility makes car shipping from the USA to UK simple no matter where you are.
Get started shipping a car to the UK with a free car shipping quote. Read our US to UK shipping guide below to learn more about your car shipping options, what impacts the cost of shipping a car from the US to the UK, and documentation needed when importing a car to the UK.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car to the UK from the US?
The average cost of shipping a car from the USA to the UK starts around $1000+. The price of car shipping to the UK depends on the type of vehicle, the origin of the vehicle in the US, the shipping service chosen, and the final destination in the UK.
As an example, the cost to ship a car to England will be different than to Scotland even with everything else the same. In this case, the average cost of shipping a car from the US to the UK does not have much bearing as there is such a large range. For this reason, our representatives create custom quotes for each shipment.
Get the cost for your car shipment to the UK by filling out the car shipping quote form.
How to Ship Your Car to the UK
Shipping a car from the USA to the UK is quite simple with Schumacher Cargo Logistics. Once you start your shipment with us, we take care of all the major steps from beginning to end no matter which options you need.
There are three ways to ship a car from the USA to the UK. You can ship your car via a containerized service, roll-on roll-off, or air-freight.
Containerized
You can ship cars two ways with a container; consolidated or individual. The most cost effective and quicker of the two is consolidated container. As we are consolidation experts, this is the method that we recommend to clients. Using this service, your vehicle is shipped inside a 40ft container with others bound for the UK. This not only reduces the ocean transport costs but also destination and unloading fees as well.
You also have the option to move your auto inside its own 20ft container. This individual container option has increased fees, but arrival and departure times are faster and if you’re moving household goods to the UK they can go inside the container as well.
Container services for car shipping to the UK departs from our six locations:
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Houston
- Savannah
- Miami
- New York / New Jersey
Our port of entry for consolidated containers in England is Felixstowe or Southampton.
Roll On Roll Off
Shipping a vehicle via RoRo to the UK is a second option. All cars must be in running condition to use this method. With RoRo cars are driven into the hull of the shipping vessel. Depending on departure locations and which arrival port you use, single vehicle rates may be less, however nothing is allowed inside the car and sail times can be longer.
If you elect RoRo service for shipping a car to the UK the primary US departure ports for UK car shipping are:
- Baltimore, Maryland
- New York, New York
Arrival ports in the UK for autos using RoRo include Liverpool and Southampton with the latter being more frequented.
Car Shipping to the UK via Air Freight
We also offer a specialty air freight service to ship a car to the UK. With this service, your vehicle can be delivered in record time. It is by far the fastest service, but comes with much higher costs involved. Shipping a car by air freight from the US to the UK is often used for car shows or races or anyone that has tight timeline for their car to arrive.
Documentation to Export a Car to UK
To ship a car to the UK, international auto transporters will need original documents for both exporting the vehicle from the US and importing it into the UK.
Documentation includes:
- Original title
- Bill of sale (if applicable)
- EIN or Passport
You won’t have to worry about anything, as we can organize a door to door shipment. We will need the paperwork from you in order to prepare it for customs. Once the vehicle is with us, we’ll take care of the rest.
For automobile shipping to Ireland, Northern Ireland in this case, a good starting point is determining whether or not you can ship a car at all. We recommend contacting either the DVLA in Great Britain or the DVA if you intend to import a motor vehicle that is over 10 years old. This is to insure that it meets the requirements for approval.
Most Popular UK Car Shipping Destinations
Below are some of our most popular destinations for car shipping to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Door to door service can also be arranged to any other city in the UK beyond those on the list below. From our destination ports, your car is delivered to anywhere in the UK.
- Aberdeen
- Belfast
- Dublin
- Felixstowe (leading vehicle-handling port)
- Liverpool
- London
- Southampton (leading vehicle-handling port)
Import a Car from US to UK
We easily ship your car to England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland, and take care of the import process as well. Though when importing a car into the UK, it is important to find out your tax status so you don’t get surprised overseas.
Instances Requiring VAT and Vehicle Tax
- You are importing a new vehicle, less than 6 months of drive time
- Staying for a period of time over 12 months and you normally live outside the EU
- You received a refund on the VAT or sales tax of the vehicle prior
- You purchased the vehicle under a duty or tax free scheme
Instances NOT Requiring VAT and Vehicle Tax
- You live in the EU and it is only a temporary import
- You are moving to the UK and meet the qualifications for residency transfer
- Someone from outside the EU imports it for temporary individual use – Requirements:
- Must be visiting
- Only use the car for a 6 month period
- Vehicle must be registered and taxed in its home country
- Students and workers that live outside the UK are eligible for a slightly longer period
*It’s important to contact the HMRC to obtain proper documentation for proof of customs relief
UK Vehicle Import Taxes:
If the scenario does not apply, then you have to pay the import duty and VAT tax to customs. You must also make sure that you have valid car insurance.
Those numbers are:
- Import Duty: | 10%
- VAT: | 20%
- Import Duty for Collector’s Vehicles: | 5% | with no VAT
These taxes change often, so please check with the UK government to see your particular duty and tax obligation. For more information regarding car shipping to the UK, visit Great Britain’s government website for guidelines pertaining to vehicle importation.
Mutual Recognition and Why It’s Important
Mutual recognition applies to those shipping a car to the UK that was originally registered in the EU. It is important because it will save time and a lot of extra work in assessing the cars status for UK roadways. When importing the car, there are different scenarios that will dictate what charges you incur upon arrival.
These depend on whether you’re relocating and changing primary residence, you are importing a previously exported vehicle or it’s a temporary import. Specifics are listed below.
More UK Vehicle Shipping Info
Start your car shipping to the UK by filling out our Online Quote and working with an SCL representative today!
Have more questions? Contact one of our UK car shipping professionals today for rates or more information!
Call in at US: 562-408-6677 or Toll-Free: 800-599-0190
SCL UK Car Shipper Reviews
