Car Shipping to Kenya
from the United Kingdom
Kenya is a popular destination for UK used vehicle exports. The Ship Cars provides container and RORO services to Mombasa. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Kenya from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Kenya costs from £1,340 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £1,495). 22–30 days to Mombasa from Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Mombasa. 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 Kenya: 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 Kenya
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Mombasa in about 22–30 days to Mombasa from Southampton. RORO: £1,340. 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 Kenya
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Mombasa, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 22–30 days to Mombasa 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 Kenya 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 Kenya
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Mombasa. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Kenya, 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.
Kenya vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Maximum vehicle age 8 years from year of manufacture.
- Import duty 25%.
- Excise duty 20%.
- VAT 16%.
- Vehicles must pass KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards) inspection before shipping.
- Right-hand drive required (Kenya drives on the left).
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- KEBS certificate
- KRA import declaration
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Kenya & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Kenya?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Kenya, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
22–30 days to Mombasa
Ports
Mombasa
Starting From
£1,340
Overview
Kenya is a popular destination for UK used vehicle exports. The Ship Cars provides container and RORO services to Mombasa.
Shipping Methods
RORO and container to Mombasa. The port serves as a gateway for East Africa.
Transit Time
22–30 days to Mombasa from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Maximum vehicle age 8 years from year of manufacture. Import duty 25%. Excise duty 20%. VAT 16%. Vehicles must pass KEBS (Kenya Bureau of Standards) inspection before shipping. Right-hand drive required (Kenya drives on the left).
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- KEBS certificate
- KRA import declaration
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £1,340 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | £1,495 |
| 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 Kenya (Mombasa) is £1,340 port-to-port for a saloon and £1,495 for a 4x4 / SUV. Import duty 25%. Excise 20%. VAT 16%. Total taxes ~60–70% of CIF value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the age limit for car imports to Kenya?
Do I need pre-shipment inspection for Kenya?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Kenya?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Kenya?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Kenya?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Kenya?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Kenya?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Kenya from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Kenya 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 Kenya and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Kenya corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Kenya customs.
Vehicles depart from Bristol (Portbury), Felixstowe, Southampton and arrive at Mombasa via West African RORO rotation calling Antwerp and Dakar. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 22–30 days to mombasa 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 Kenya car shipping works
Every shipment to Kenya 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 Mombasa (and onward feeder to Mombasa 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 Kenya.
RORO to Kenya
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Kenya. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Mombasa. RORO shipping to Kenya — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Kenya
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Mombasa. Dedicated container shipping to Kenya.
Kenya ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Kenya are typically routed through Mombasa as the lead discharge port, with Mombasa available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Kenya and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Mombasa
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Kenya import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Kenya is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Kenya 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 Kenya
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- KEBS certificate
- KRA import declaration
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Kenya import guides and articles, our UK and Kenya customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Mombasa.
Who ships to Kenya
- • Returning Kenya residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Kenya
- • Africa car dealers and Kenya re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Kenya
- • 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 Kenya
• Specialist UK-to-Kenya 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 Kenya pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Mombasa agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Kenya
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 Kenya. Many customers shipping to Kenya also enquire about Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Kenya
Our Kenya corridor team responds through the online quote form with port pairing, container availability and indicative duty in a single reply.