How to Ship a Car to Canada from the UK: Step by Step

Canada does not let every vehicle in. Passenger vehicles less than 15 years old must be listed as admissible under the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) programme and must be able to meet Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards after modification. Vehicles 15 years or older (measured to the month of manufacture) are exempt from RIV and are the most straightforward UK cars to move — this is why classic and enthusiast exports dominate this route. Check admissibility before you pay for anything else; it is the single most common reason a Canada shipment goes wrong. If you are unsure, send us the VIN and registration date with your quote request and we will check it with you.

RORO (roll-on/roll-off) is the cheaper option for a running, road-legal car: it is driven onto a dedicated vehicle deck and driven off at the destination port. Nothing may be packed inside the vehicle on RORO sailings. Container shipping costs more but protects the car from weather and handling, allows spare parts and personal effects to be shipped with it where customs permit, and is the sensible route for classic, modified or high-value vehicles. Shared container shipping sits between the two: your car shares a 40ft unit with other vehicles, so you get container protection at a lower price in exchange for waiting for the container to fill.

We collect the vehicle from your address or you deliver it to the loading port. Standard UK sailings to Canada leave from Southampton, Tilbury, Liverpool and Immingham depending on the carrier. Before loading, the vehicle must be presented to HMRC for export clearance with the original V5C, which is submitted to the DVLA so the car is recorded as permanently exported. Give the export agent the full V5C rather than a photocopy — Canadian customs will ask for proof of UK title and any outstanding finance must be settled and evidenced first.

Prepare the original V5C, the bill of lading issued once the vehicle is loaded, a commercial invoice or bill of sale showing the purchase value, your passport or ID, and — for vehicles under 15 years old — the RIV case file and manufacturer recall clearance letter. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) requires the shipping documents to be lodged in advance of arrival, so we forward digital copies to your customs broker while the vessel is at sea. See our documents required page for the full export checklist.

Canadian import charges are assessed on the value of the vehicle and vary by where the car was manufactured, its age and the province of entry — duty, GST and, in some provinces, an air conditioning excise tax and provincial sales tax may apply. Vehicles subject to RIV must be inspected and any required modifications (typically daytime running lights, tyre and speedometer labelling, and child seat anchorage checks) completed within the RIV deadline before the province will register them. Budget for these steps in your landed cost rather than treating the freight figure as the total.

The main drivers of the freight cost are the vehicle's dimensions (RORO is priced on cubic metres), the port pair, the shipping method and the season. Eastern Canadian ports such as Halifax and Montreal are the usual discharge points from the UK; Vancouver on the west coast is a longer routing. Winter sailings into the St Lawrence can be affected by ice restrictions. We quote each shipment against live carrier rates rather than a fixed price list — try the cost calculator for an indicative figure, then request a firm quote.