Cost to Ship a Car from the UK to Ghana in 2026

Vehicles ship from Southampton or Tilbury to Tema port near Accra, Ghana's principal container and RORO gateway. Transit time typically runs 14-21 days, with RORO services common for standard saloons and SUVs and container shipping preferred for higher-value cars or when shipping personal effects alongside the vehicle. Tema handles a very high volume of used-vehicle imports, so sailing frequency is good and delays are relatively rare outside peak pre-festive-season demand in November/December.

RORO shipping to Tema costs £850-£1,250 for a standard saloon and £1,100-£1,550 for larger SUVs or pickups. A shared container slot runs roughly £950-£1,400 per vehicle. Ghana Ports Authority also charges a terminal handling fee on arrival, typically £120-£220, separate from the ocean freight rate.

Ghana restricts imports of used vehicles to those no older than 10 years from the date of manufacture; older vehicles can be refused entry or face a substantial penalty levy. Import duty is charged on the CIF value at rates generally between 5% and 20% depending on vehicle category (with a preferential rate for buses and commercial vehicles), plus a 12.5% VAT, a 2.5% National Health Insurance Levy, and additional levies including the ECOWAS levy (0.5%) and GETFund levy (2.5%). Combined, these can push total taxes to 40-60% of the customs value for standard passenger cars, making Ghana one of the higher-duty destinations we ship to.

In addition to standard duty, Ghana applies an age-based 'overage' penalty on vehicles more than 8 years old, calculated as a percentage surcharge on the duty payable, rising the closer a vehicle gets to the 10-year cutoff. This makes vehicles aged 3-6 years the sweet spot for cost-effective importing, balancing purchase price against duty exposure. Always confirm exact manufacture year (not registration year) since Ghana Customs calculates age from the chassis build date.

Required documents include the V5C or export certificate, commercial invoice, bill of lading, and a Ghana Customs classification/valuation report generated through the GCNet/ICUMS electronic clearance system. Using a licensed Ghanaian clearing agent at Tema is essential, and we coordinate directly with agents there to avoid demurrage charges, which accrue quickly if paperwork isn't ready when the vessel arrives. Get an accurate landed-cost estimate via our quote form before purchasing a car for this route.