Car Shipping to Nigeria
from the United Kingdom
Nigeria is one of the largest markets for UK used vehicle exports in Africa. The Ship Cars provides bi-weekly container services to Lagos (Tin Can Island and Apapa ports). View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Nigeria from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Nigeria costs from £950 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £1,230). 18–24 days to Lagos from Tilbury/Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa), Onne. 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 Nigeria: 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 Nigeria
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa), Onne in about 18–24 days to Lagos from Tilbury/Southampton. RORO: £950. 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 Nigeria
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa), Onne, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 18–24 days to Lagos 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 Nigeria 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 Nigeria
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa), Onne. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Nigeria, 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.
Nigeria vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Nigeria imposes 35% import duty on vehicles plus 5% surcharge and 7.5% VAT.
- Vehicles older than 15 years are prohibited.
- Import vehicles must be right-hand drive.
- Nigerian Customs Service clearance required.
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Form M (import declaration)
- PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report)
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Nigeria & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Nigeria?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Nigeria, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
18–24 days to Lagos from Tilbury/Southampton
Ports
Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa) +1
Starting From
£950
Overview
Nigeria is one of the largest markets for UK used vehicle exports in Africa. The Ship Cars provides bi-weekly container services to Lagos (Tin Can Island and Apapa ports).
Shipping Methods
Container shipping is standard for Nigeria. RORO services limited. Shared containers available for cost savings.
Transit Time
18–24 days to Lagos from Tilbury/Southampton.
Import Regulations
Nigeria imposes 35% import duty on vehicles plus 5% surcharge and 7.5% VAT. Vehicles older than 15 years are prohibited. Import vehicles must be right-hand drive. Nigerian Customs Service clearance required.
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Form M (import declaration)
- PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report)
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £950 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | £1,230 |
| 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 Nigeria (Tin Can Island, Apapa) is £950 port-to-port for a saloon and £1,230 for a 4x4 / SUV. Import duty 35%. Surcharge 5%. VAT 7.5%. Customs clearance fees vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum age for car imports to Nigeria?
Does Nigeria accept right-hand drive vehicles?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Nigeria?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Nigeria?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Nigeria?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Nigeria?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Nigeria?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Nigeria from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Nigeria every month. African importers absorb more used UK vehicle volume than any other region, with West, East and Southern African ports each running their own weekly RORO calls and consolidated container schedules out of Tilbury, Southampton and Felixstowe. Typical clients on this lane include fleet operators and SACU buyers, alongside private owners relocating to Nigeria and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Nigeria corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Nigeria customs.
Vehicles depart from Tilbury, Immingham, Liverpool and arrive at Lagos (Tin Can Island), Lagos (Apapa), Onne via Cape routing via Walvis Bay and Durban. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 18–24 days to lagos 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 Nigeria car shipping works
Every shipment to Nigeria 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 Lagos (Tin Can Island) (and onward feeder to Lagos (Apapa) 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 Nigeria.
RORO to Nigeria
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Nigeria. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Lagos (Tin Can Island). RORO shipping to Nigeria — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Nigeria
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Lagos (Apapa). Dedicated container shipping to Nigeria.
Nigeria ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Nigeria are typically routed through Lagos (Tin Can Island) as the lead discharge port, with Lagos (Apapa), Onne available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Nigeria and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Lagos (Tin Can Island)
- Port of Lagos (Apapa)
- Port of Onne
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Nigeria import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Nigeria is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Nigeria 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 Nigeria
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Form M (import declaration)
- PAAR (Pre-Arrival Assessment Report)
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Nigeria import guides and articles, our UK and Nigeria customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Lagos (Tin Can Island).
Who ships to Nigeria
- • Returning Nigeria residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Nigeria
- • Africa car dealers and Nigeria re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Nigeria
- • 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 Nigeria
• Specialist UK-to-Nigeria 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 Nigeria pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Lagos (Tin Can Island) agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Nigeria
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 Nigeria. Many customers shipping to Nigeria also enquire about Ghana, South Africa because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Nigeria
Use our online quote form for Nigeria sailing dates, indicative landed cost and document checks. Quotes are typically answered the same working day.