Car Shipping to Germany
from the United Kingdom
Germany, Europe's largest automotive market, is a popular destination for importing and exporting vehicles. The Ship Cars provides reliable shipping to Bremerhaven and Hamburg from UK ports. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Germany from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Germany is priced per vehicle and route — request a free quote for a fixed price. 3–6 days to Bremerhaven/Hamburg from Tilbury/Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Bremerhaven, Hamburg. 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 Germany: 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 Germany
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Bremerhaven, Hamburg in about 3–6 days to Bremerhaven/Hamburg from Tilbury/Southampton. Prices depend on vehicle size and method — see our car shipping costs.
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 Germany
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Bremerhaven, Hamburg, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 3–6 days to Bremerhaven/Hamburg from Tilbury/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 Germany 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 Germany
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Bremerhaven, Hamburg. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Germany, 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.
Germany vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- EU import requirements apply post-Brexit.
- Import duty 10% plus 19% MwSt (German VAT).
- TÜV inspection required for road registration.
- Vehicles must meet EU emissions standards.
- Re-registration with German plates mandatory.
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Conformity
- TÜV inspection certificate
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Germany & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Germany?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Germany, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
3–6 days to Bremerhaven/Hamburg from Tilbury/Southampton
Ports
Bremerhaven, Hamburg
Starting From
£500
Overview
Germany, Europe's largest automotive market, is a popular destination for importing and exporting vehicles. The Ship Cars provides reliable shipping to Bremerhaven and Hamburg from UK ports.
Shipping Methods
RORO and container services to Bremerhaven and Hamburg. Bremerhaven is one of Europe's largest vehicle handling ports with excellent facilities.
Transit Time
3–6 days to Bremerhaven/Hamburg from Tilbury/Southampton.
Import Regulations
EU import requirements apply post-Brexit. Import duty 10% plus 19% MwSt (German VAT). TÜV inspection required for road registration. Vehicles must meet EU emissions standards. Re-registration with German plates mandatory.
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Conformity
- TÜV inspection certificate
Costs & Fees
RORO from £500–£900. Container from £1,000–£1,600. Import duty 10%. MwSt 19%. TÜV inspection ~€100–€150.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TÜV inspection for German car imports?
Is it worth importing a car from UK to Germany?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Germany?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Germany?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Germany?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Germany?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Germany?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Germany from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Germany every month. Post-Brexit Europe is still the lowest-friction export market for British-registered vehicles, with weekly RORO frequency, mature customs brokerage and predictable inland trucking once the vehicle clears the destination port. Typical clients on this lane include EU-based dealers sourcing British stock, alongside private owners relocating to Germany and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Germany corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Germany customs.
Vehicles depart from Liverpool, Tilbury, Immingham and arrive at Bremerhaven, Hamburg via short-sea Channel and North Sea routings. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 3–6 days to bremerhaven/hamburg from tilbury/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 Germany car shipping works
Every shipment to Germany 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 Bremerhaven (and onward feeder to Hamburg 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 Germany.
RORO to Germany
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Germany. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Bremerhaven. RORO shipping to Germany — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Germany
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Hamburg. Dedicated container shipping to Germany.
Germany ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Germany are typically routed through Bremerhaven as the lead discharge port, with Hamburg available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Germany and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Bremerhaven
- Port of Hamburg
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Germany import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Germany is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Germany customs schedule before quoting.
- EU type approval and Certificate of Conformity (CoC)
- Post-Brexit 10% import duty and country-specific VAT (TVA, IVA, MwSt, BTW)
- National roadworthiness inspections (ITV, contrôle technique, TÜV, APK, IPO)
- Re-registration with local plates and CO2-based road tax
Document checklist for Germany
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Conformity
- TÜV inspection certificate
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Germany import guides and articles, our UK and Germany customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Bremerhaven.
Who ships to Germany
- • Returning Germany residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Germany
- • Europe car dealers and Germany re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Germany
- • 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 Germany
• Specialist UK-to-Germany 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 Germany pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Bremerhaven agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Germany
Shipping methods
Pricing & schedules
Guides & comparisons
Other Europe destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Europe countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as Germany. Many customers shipping to Germany also enquire about France, Netherlands, Belgium because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Germany
Our Germany corridor team responds through the online quote form with port pairing, container availability and indicative duty in a single reply.