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

Container shipping is the standard method for cars heading to Pakistan, as RORO services to Karachi are limited. A shared 20ft container from Southampton or Tilbury to Karachi's Port Qasim or Karachi Port typically costs £1,300-£1,900 per vehicle, while a dedicated container runs £2,100-£2,900. Many overseas Pakistanis ship under the Transfer of Residence or gift/baggage schemes, which have their own separate duty concessions worth checking before booking — get a specific quote through our cost calculator.

Container vessels from the UK to Karachi typically take 24-35 days, sailing via the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Arabian Sea. Once the vessel docks, allow a further 10-20 working days for Pakistan Customs clearance, valuation and release, as Karachi's ports frequently experience congestion and vehicle imports face additional scrutiny under Pakistan's evolving import policy for used cars.

Under Pakistan's standard commercial import policy, used vehicles must generally be no more than 3 years old from the date of manufacture. Separately, overseas Pakistanis can import one vehicle under the Personal Baggage, Gift, or Transfer of Residence schemes, each with its own age allowance (commonly up to 5 years under some scheme variants) and duty concessions, but strict eligibility rules apply around length of residence abroad and frequency of use (typically once every two years per person). These schemes are handled through the Directorate General of Customs Valuation and require supporting documentation proving overseas residency status.

Pakistan calculates duty using a fixed schedule based on engine capacity under the standard scheme, or a percentage of the assessed value with age-based depreciation under the baggage/gift/transfer schemes — depreciation is typically applied at around 1% per month up to a maximum of 50% for older eligible vehicles. Combined duty, sales tax and additional customs duty under the standard commercial route can total 60-100%+ of the assessed value for larger-engined cars, while the concessionary schemes often bring this down to 30-50% for a single qualifying vehicle. Given the complexity, we strongly recommend confirming your specific scheme eligibility and duty rate with a customs agent before committing to a purchase.

You will need the original V5C logbook, commercial invoice, bill of lading, and — if importing under a concessionary scheme — proof of overseas residency (passport pages, visa/work permit history) and a declaration confirming this is your entitled import for the relevant period. Pakistan Customs also requires the vehicle's chassis number and engine details to be verified against the shipping documents before valuation, so accuracy on the bill of lading is essential to avoid delays — our team can help prepare this correctly.