Car Shipping to Iceland
from the United Kingdom
Iceland is a niche but steady destination for UK vehicle exports, particularly 4x4s, campervans, and vehicles for expatriates relocating to Reykjavik. The Ship Cars ships via container from UK ports directly to the Port of Reykjavik. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Shipping a vehicle to Iceland?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Iceland, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
7–12 days from UK ports (often via Immingham or Scrabster) to Reykjavik
Ports
Reykjavik
Starting From
£1,200
Overview
Iceland is a niche but steady destination for UK vehicle exports, particularly 4x4s, campervans, and vehicles for expatriates relocating to Reykjavik. The Ship Cars ships via container from UK ports directly to the Port of Reykjavik.
Shipping Methods
Container shipping is the standard and most reliable method to Iceland given limited RORO service frequency on this route. Shared containers can reduce costs for smaller vehicles.
Shared Container Shipping to Iceland
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 Iceland 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 Iceland.
Explore shared container shippingTransit Time
7–12 days from UK ports (often via Immingham or Scrabster) to Reykjavik.
Import Regulations
Iceland, as an EEA member, follows broadly EU-aligned vehicle standards despite not being in the EU customs union, though UK vehicles are treated as third-country imports post-Brexit. Import VAT is 24%, and vehicle excise duty (vörugjald) is calculated on CO2 emissions, ranging from 0% for very low-emission vehicles up to 65% for high-emission cars. All vehicles must pass a Frumskoðun (first inspection) at Frumherji before registration, and studded tyre or winter equipment compliance is commonly checked given Iceland's climate.
Documents Required
- V5C registration document
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Icelandic customs declaration
- Frumherji first inspection booking confirmation
Costs & Fees
Container shipping from £1,200–£1,900. Import VAT 24%. CO2-based vehicle excise duty 0–65%. First inspection fee approximately ISK 20,000–25,000 (£115–£145).
Frequently Asked Questions
How is vehicle tax calculated in Iceland?
Can I ship a campervan to Iceland?
Is Iceland in the EU for vehicle import purposes?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Iceland?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Iceland?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Iceland?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Iceland?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Iceland?
Shared Container Shipping to Iceland — FAQs
Common questions about shared container shipping to Iceland from the United Kingdom.
Do you offer shared container shipping to Iceland?
How much cheaper is shared container shipping to Iceland than a dedicated container?
Can I put personal effects in the car when shipping to Iceland by shared container?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Iceland from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Iceland 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 Iceland and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Iceland corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Iceland customs.
Vehicles depart from Bristol (Portbury), Felixstowe, Southampton and arrive at Reykjavik via direct Atlantic and Mediterranean calls. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 7–12 days from uk ports (often via immingham or scrabster) to reykjavik, 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 Iceland car shipping works
Every shipment to Iceland follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Bristol (Portbury), bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Reykjavik (and onward feeder to Reykjavik 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 Iceland.
RORO to Iceland
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Iceland. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Reykjavik. RORO shipping to Iceland — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Iceland
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Reykjavik. Dedicated container shipping to Iceland.
Shared container to Iceland
Two to four UK vehicles consolidated into a sealed 40ft container — typically 25–35% cheaper than a sole-use container. Shared container shipping to Iceland — get a shared container cost estimate.
Iceland ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Iceland are typically routed through Reykjavik as the lead discharge port, with Reykjavik available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Iceland 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 Reykjavik
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Iceland import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Iceland is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Iceland 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 Iceland
- V5C registration document
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Icelandic customs declaration
- Frumherji first inspection booking confirmation
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Iceland import guides and articles, our UK and Iceland customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Reykjavik.
Who ships to Iceland
- • Returning Iceland residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Iceland
- • Europe car dealers and Iceland re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Iceland
- • 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 Iceland
• Specialist UK-to-Iceland 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 Iceland pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Reykjavik agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Iceland
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 Iceland. Many customers shipping to Iceland also enquire about Norway, Netherlands because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Iceland
Our Iceland corridor team responds through the online quote form with port pairing, container availability and indicative duty in a single reply.