Car Shipping to Botswana
from the United Kingdom
Botswana, a landlocked Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member, receives UK vehicle imports via container or RORO service to the Port of Walvis Bay in neighbouring Namibia, followed by road transport to Gaborone or Francistown. The Ship Cars arranges this combined sea-and-road route for private buyers, NGOs, and returning residents. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Botswana from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Botswana costs from £1,670 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £1,950). 18–26 days sea transit to Walvis Bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to Gaborone or Francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery). The Ship Cars, the vehicle shipping agent of Ascope Shipping Services LTD, handles UK collection, export paperwork and customs documentation end to end.
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
18–26 days sea transit to Walvis Bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to Gaborone or Francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door
Ports
Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery) +1
Starting From
£1,670
Shipping to Botswana: cars, trucks, machinery and import rules
Always confirm current import rules with the official authority before shipping.
Car shipping from the UK to Botswana
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery) in about 18–26 days sea transit to Walvis Bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to Gaborone or Francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door. RORO: £1,670. Container: Enquire (20ft container).
Choose RORO shipping for the lowest price on running vehicles, or container shipping for extra protection and personal effects. Specialist options include classic car shipping and electric vehicle shipping.
Estimate your price with the cost calculator or check upcoming departures on the RORO sailing schedule.
Truck and commercial vehicle shipping to Botswana
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery), priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 18–26 days sea transit to Walvis Bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to Gaborone or Francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door.
- Exact length, width, height and gross weight required for a quote
- Running and non-running trucks accepted (towing / crane loading arranged)
- Tanks drained, loose items removed, V5C and export declaration needed
- Check Botswana age and emissions limits for commercial vehicles before buying
Read more: truck shipping service, commercial vehicle shipping and our guide to shipping a truck from the UK.
Machinery and plant shipping to Botswana
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery). Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Botswana, inspect for biosecurity.
- Tracked machines loaded on MAFI trailers or flat-racks
- Professional washing and fumigation certificates where required
- Dimensions and weight drive the price — oversize cargo quoted individually
- Commercial invoice and proof of ownership needed for customs
See our heavy machinery shipping service and customs clearance support.
Botswana vehicle import rules
- Botswana drives on the left, so RHD UK vehicles are fully road-legal without modification.
- As a SACU member, import duty follows the SACU common external tariff (typically 0–25%), plus 14% VAT on the customs value.
- There is no blanket age ban, though older vehicles attract a higher environmental levy.
- A BURS (Botswana Unified Revenue Service) customs declaration and roadworthiness inspection at a Botswana licensing authority are required before registration.
Documents required
- V5C registration document
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- BURS customs declaration (SAD 500)
- Namibia-Botswana transit permit
- Roadworthiness inspection certificate
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Botswana & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Overview
Botswana, a landlocked Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member, receives UK vehicle imports via container or RORO service to the Port of Walvis Bay in neighbouring Namibia, followed by road transport to Gaborone or Francistown. The Ship Cars arranges this combined sea-and-road route for private buyers, NGOs, and returning residents.
Shipping Methods
Vehicles are shipped by RORO or container to Walvis Bay, then transported approximately 1,600km by road to Botswana under bonded transit, with our partners handling border clearance at the Trans-Kalahari or Trans-Caprivi corridors.
Transit Time
18–26 days sea transit to Walvis Bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to Gaborone or Francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door.
Import Regulations
Botswana drives on the left, so RHD UK vehicles are fully road-legal without modification. As a SACU member, import duty follows the SACU common external tariff (typically 0–25%), plus 14% VAT on the customs value. There is no blanket age ban, though older vehicles attract a higher environmental levy. A BURS (Botswana Unified Revenue Service) customs declaration and roadworthiness inspection at a Botswana licensing authority are required before registration.
Documents Required
- V5C registration document
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- BURS customs declaration (SAD 500)
- Namibia-Botswana transit permit
- Roadworthiness inspection certificate
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £1,670 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | £1,950 |
| Container | Enquire (20ft container) |
| 2 cars (saloon / 4x4) — 40ft container | Enquire |
Port-to-port only. UK collection, destination charges and import duty are quoted separately.
RORO shipping to Botswana (Gaborone) is £1,670 port-to-port for a saloon and £1,950 for a 4x4 / SUV. Combined sea and road transport from £2,200–£3,200. SACU import duty 0–25%. VAT 14% on customs value. Environmental levy varies with vehicle age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship a UK right-hand drive car to Botswana?
How does a landlocked country like Botswana receive shipped vehicles?
What taxes apply to car imports in Botswana?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Botswana?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Botswana?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Botswana?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Botswana?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Botswana?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Botswana from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Botswana every month. From Tema and Apapa in the west to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam in the east and Durban in the south, African ports operate on dense weekly RORO rotations supported by shared 40ft container groupage. Typical clients on this lane include returning diaspora customers, alongside private owners relocating to Botswana and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Botswana corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Botswana customs.
Vehicles depart from Liverpool, Tilbury, Immingham and arrive at Walvis Bay (transhipment), Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery) via West African RORO rotation calling Antwerp and Dakar. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 18–26 days sea transit to walvis bay, plus 5–8 days road transit to gaborone or francistown — approximately 25–34 days door-to-door, supported by marine all-risks insurance, GPS-tracked UK collection and bonded warehousing where required. For an instant indication of cost, use our car shipping cost calculator or request a tailored quote on our quote page.
How UK to Botswana car shipping works
Every shipment to Botswana follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Liverpool, bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Walvis Bay (transhipment) (and onward feeder to Gaborone (final delivery) where required), and destination customs handover. You choose the shipping mode that best matches the vehicle profile and budget — see the full breakdown on our car shipping costs page or compare live RORO sailing dates to Botswana.
RORO to Botswana
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Botswana. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Walvis Bay (transhipment). RORO shipping to Botswana — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Botswana
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Gaborone (final delivery). Dedicated container shipping to Botswana.
Botswana ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Botswana are typically routed through Walvis Bay (transhipment) as the lead discharge port, with Gaborone (final delivery), Francistown (final delivery) available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Botswana and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Walvis Bay (transhipment)
- Port of Gaborone (final delivery)
- Port of Francistown (final delivery)
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Botswana import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Botswana is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Botswana customs schedule before quoting.
- Vehicle age limits and pre-shipment inspection (PSI/SGS/Intertek)
- Country-specific import duties, VAT and excise on engine size
- RORO and container handling at Tema, Apapa, Mombasa and Durban
- Right-hand-drive compatibility in most markets
Document checklist for Botswana
- V5C registration document
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- BURS customs declaration (SAD 500)
- Namibia-Botswana transit permit
- Roadworthiness inspection certificate
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Botswana import guides and articles, our UK and Botswana customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Walvis Bay (transhipment).
Who ships to Botswana
- • Returning Botswana residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Botswana
- • Africa car dealers and Botswana re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Botswana
- • Saloons, hatchbacks and family cars
- • SUVs, 4x4s and pickups (Land Rover, Range Rover, Toyota, Nissan)
- • Luxury and executive vehicles (Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi)
- • Performance and supercars (McLaren, Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari)
- • Classic and historic vehicles (pre-1990 with HMRC NOVA exemption)
- • Motorbikes, scooters and quad bikes
- • Vans, light commercials and motorhomes
- • Electric and hybrid vehicles (EV battery documentation supported)
Why exporters choose The Ship Cars for Botswana
• Specialist UK-to-Botswana corridor with weekly capacity
• Marine all-risks insurance and bonded UK warehousing
• HMRC NOVA, C88, EORI and DVLA V5C export handled in-house
• Transparent UK to Botswana pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Walvis Bay (transhipment) agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Botswana
Shipping methods
Pricing & schedules
Guides & comparisons
Other Africa destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Africa countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as Botswana. Many customers shipping to Botswana also enquire about Namibia, Lesotho because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Botswana
Our Botswana corridor team responds through the online quote form with port pairing, container availability and indicative duty in a single reply.
Shipping a vehicle to Botswana?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Botswana, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options