Car Shipping to Chile
from the United Kingdom
Chile is more open to vehicle imports than many South American countries. The Ship Cars ships vehicles to Valparaiso and San Antonio via container shipping with competitive rates. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Chile from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Chile costs from £1,690 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £2,110). 25–35 days to Chilean ports from Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Valparaiso, San Antonio. The Ship Cars, the vehicle shipping agent of Ascope Shipping Services LTD, handles UK collection, export paperwork and customs documentation end to end.
Shipping to Chile: cars, trucks, machinery and import rules
Information reviewed September 2026. Always confirm final rules with the official authority before shipping.
Car shipping from the UK to Chile
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Valparaiso, San Antonio in about 25–35 days to Chilean ports from Southampton. RORO: £1,690. 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 Chile
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Valparaiso, San Antonio, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 25–35 days to Chilean ports from Southampton.
- 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 Chile 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 Chile
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Valparaiso, San Antonio. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Chile, 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.
Chile vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Chile allows private vehicle imports with 6% duty and 19% VAT.
- Vehicles must pass a technical inspection (revision tecnica) within 30 days of import.
- Right-hand drive vehicles are NOT permitted for road use in Chile.
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of origin
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Chile & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Chile?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Chile, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
25–35 days to Chilean ports
Ports
Valparaiso, San Antonio
Starting From
£1,690
Overview
Chile is more open to vehicle imports than many South American countries. The Ship Cars ships vehicles to Valparaiso and San Antonio via container shipping with competitive rates.
Shipping Methods
Container shipping to Valparaiso and San Antonio. Limited RORO availability.
Transit Time
25–35 days to Chilean ports from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Chile allows private vehicle imports with 6% duty and 19% VAT. Vehicles must pass a technical inspection (revision tecnica) within 30 days of import. Right-hand drive vehicles are NOT permitted for road use in Chile.
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of origin
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £1,690 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | £2,110 |
| 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 Chile (Iquique) is £1,690 port-to-port for a saloon and £2,110 for a 4x4 / SUV. Import duty 6%. VAT 19%. Technical inspection fees approximately £100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship a right-hand drive car to Chile?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Chile?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Chile?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Chile?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Chile?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Chile?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Chile from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Chile every month. Trans-Atlantic and Panama-routed services into the Americas split cleanly between East Coast RORO calls (Halifax, New York, Baltimore) and container groupage to Gulf, Pacific and Latin American ports. Compliance regimes (EPA, DOT, Transport Canada, INMETRO) drive most of the cost and timeline. Typical clients on this lane include 25-year-rule classic importers, alongside private owners relocating to Chile and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Chile corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Chile customs.
Vehicles depart from Tilbury, Immingham, Liverpool and arrive at Valparaiso, San Antonio via Gulf routing via Houston and Veracruz. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 25–35 days to chilean ports from southampton, 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 Chile car shipping works
Every shipment to Chile follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Tilbury, bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Valparaiso (and onward feeder to San Antonio 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 Chile.
RORO to Chile
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Chile. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Valparaiso. RORO shipping to Chile — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Chile
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to San Antonio. Dedicated container shipping to Chile.
Chile ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Chile are typically routed through Valparaiso as the lead discharge port, with San Antonio available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Chile and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Valparaiso
- Port of San Antonio
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Chile import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Chile is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Chile customs schedule before quoting.
- EPA, DOT, Transport Canada and INMETRO compliance
- 25-year and 15-year classic-import exemptions
- Customs bonds, brokers and HS code 8703 classification
- Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific routings via Panama Canal
Document checklist for Chile
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of origin
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Chile import guides and articles, our UK and Chile customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Valparaiso.
Who ships to Chile
- • Returning Chile residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Chile
- • Americas car dealers and Chile re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Chile
- • 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 Chile
• Specialist UK-to-Chile 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 Chile pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Valparaiso agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Chile
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Other Americas destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Americas countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as Chile. Many customers shipping to Chile also enquire about Argentina, Brazil because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Chile
Use our online quote form for Chile sailing dates, indicative landed cost and document checks. Quotes are typically answered the same working day.