Car Shipping to DR Congo
from the United Kingdom
The Democratic Republic of Congo receives vehicle imports via Matadi port on the Congo River. The Ship Cars arranges full logistics including inland transport. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Methods
Container
Transit Time
22–30 days to Matadi
Ports
Matadi
Starting From
£1,800
Overview
The Democratic Republic of Congo receives vehicle imports via Matadi port on the Congo River. The Ship Cars arranges full logistics including inland transport.
Shipping Methods
Container shipping to Matadi or via Dar es Salaam with inland transport.
Shared Container Shipping to DR Congo
For enclosed protection at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated container, our shared container shipping service consolidates two to four UK vehicles bound for DR Congo into a single sealed 40ft high-cube container. Typically 25–35% cheaper than a dedicated container, with marine all-risks insurance, professional racking and personal-effects allowance included. See the full shared container shipping page for routes, prices and sailing schedules to DR Congo.
Explore shared container shippingTransit Time
22–30 days to Matadi from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Import duty 10–20%. VAT 16%. No strict age restrictions but vehicles over 10 years may face higher duties. Both left and right-hand drive accepted.
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- BIVAC inspection certificate
Costs & Fees
Container from £1,800–£3,000. Import duty 10–20%. VAT 16%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which port is best for shipping to DR Congo?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to DR Congo?
Which UK ports do you ship from to DR Congo?
What documents do I need to ship a car to DR Congo?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to DR Congo?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to DR Congo?
Shared Container Shipping to DR Congo — FAQs
Common questions about shared container shipping to DR Congo from the United Kingdom.
Do you offer shared container shipping to DR Congo?
How much cheaper is shared container shipping to DR Congo than a dedicated container?
Can I put personal effects in the car when shipping to DR Congo by shared container?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to DR Congo from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to DR Congo every month. Africa is the largest destination region by volume for second-hand UK vehicles, with strong demand for diesel SUVs, pickups, family saloons and commercial vans. Tema, Apapa, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Durban and Walvis Bay anchor the trade lanes from Tilbury, Southampton and Felixstowe. Typical clients on this lane include auction-buying African dealers, alongside private owners relocating to DR Congo and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-DR Congo corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with DR Congo customs.
Vehicles depart from Southampton, Bristol (Portbury), Felixstowe and arrive at Matadi via East African feeder routing via Salalah or Jeddah. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 22–30 days to matadi 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 DR Congo car shipping works
Every shipment to DR Congo follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Southampton, bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Matadi (and onward feeder to Matadi 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 DR Congo.
RORO to DR Congo
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for DR Congo. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Matadi. RORO shipping to DR Congo — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to DR Congo
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Matadi. Dedicated container shipping to DR Congo.
Shared container to DR Congo
Two to four UK vehicles consolidated into a sealed 40ft container — typically 25–35% cheaper than a sole-use container. Shared container shipping to DR Congo — get a shared container cost estimate.
DR Congo ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for DR Congo are typically routed through Matadi as the lead discharge port, with Matadi available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to DR Congo and consolidated shared container departures from the UK. For sole-use loads we book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Matadi
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
DR Congo import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into DR Congo is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest DR Congo 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 shared container handling at Tema, Apapa, Mombasa and Durban
- Right-hand-drive compatibility in most markets
Document checklist for DR Congo
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- BIVAC inspection certificate
For full country-specific customs rules, see our DR Congo import guides and articles, our UK and DR Congo customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Matadi.
Who ships to DR Congo
- • Returning DR Congo residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to DR Congo
- • Africa car dealers and DR Congo re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to DR Congo
- • 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 DR Congo
• Specialist UK-to-DR Congo 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 DR Congo pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Matadi agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to DR Congo
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 DR Congo. Many customers shipping to DR Congo also enquire about Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to DR Congo
Request a free no-obligation quote online for your UK-to-DR Congo shipment. Most quotes are returned within one working hour.