Car Shipping to South Korea
from the United Kingdom
South Korea accepts vehicle imports with standard customs procedures. The Ship Cars provides container shipping to Busan and Incheon. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to South Korea from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to South Korea is priced per vehicle and route — request a free quote for a fixed price. 30–38 days to Busan from Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Busan, Incheon. 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 South Korea: 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 South Korea
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Busan, Incheon in about 30–38 days to Busan from 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 South Korea
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Busan, Incheon, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 30–38 days to Busan 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 South Korea 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 South Korea
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Busan, Incheon. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including South Korea, 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.
South Korea vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Import duty 8% plus 10% VAT.
- Vehicles must be left-hand drive (South Korea drives on the right).
- Must pass Korean Vehicle Safety Standards inspection.
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Korean safety compliance certificate
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official South Korea & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to South Korea?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for South Korea, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
30–38 days to Busan
Ports
Busan, Incheon
Starting From
£2,500
Overview
South Korea accepts vehicle imports with standard customs procedures. The Ship Cars provides container shipping to Busan and Incheon.
Shipping Methods
Container shipping to Busan (primary port). RORO services available on select routes.
Transit Time
30–38 days to Busan from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Import duty 8% plus 10% VAT. Vehicles must be left-hand drive (South Korea drives on the right). Must pass Korean Vehicle Safety Standards inspection.
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Korean safety compliance certificate
Costs & Fees
Container from £2,500–£4,000. Import duty 8%. VAT 10%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import a right-hand drive car to South Korea?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to South Korea?
Which UK ports do you ship from to South Korea?
What documents do I need to ship a car to South Korea?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to South Korea?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to South Korea?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to South Korea from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to South Korea every month. Asia is a highly regulated but premium-priced corridor for UK car exports, with strong demand from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan for right-hand-drive vehicles, and tightly controlled markets in India, China and Vietnam. Typical clients on this lane include Singapore and Hong Kong dealers, alongside private owners relocating to South Korea and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-South Korea corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with South Korea customs.
Vehicles depart from Southampton, Bristol (Portbury), Felixstowe and arrive at Busan, Incheon via direct Far East rotation via Colombo and Singapore. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 30–38 days to busan 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 South Korea car shipping works
Every shipment to South Korea 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 Busan (and onward feeder to Incheon 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 South Korea.
RORO to South Korea
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for South Korea. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Busan. RORO shipping to South Korea — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to South Korea
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Incheon. Dedicated container shipping to South Korea.
South Korea ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for South Korea are typically routed through Busan as the lead discharge port, with Incheon available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to South Korea and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Busan
- Port of Incheon
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
South Korea import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into South Korea is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest South Korea customs schedule before quoting.
- Strict homologation and emission standards (Euro 4–6)
- Carnet de Passage in selected markets
- Right-hand-drive advantage for South and East Asia
- Container shipping via Singapore, Port Klang and Hong Kong
Document checklist for South Korea
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- Korean safety compliance certificate
For full country-specific customs rules, see our South Korea import guides and articles, our UK and South Korea customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Busan.
Who ships to South Korea
- • Returning South Korea residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to South Korea
- • Asia car dealers and South Korea re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to South Korea
- • 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 South Korea
• Specialist UK-to-South Korea 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 South Korea pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Busan agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to South Korea
Shipping methods
Pricing & schedules
Guides & comparisons
Other Asia destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Asia countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as South Korea. Many customers shipping to South Korea also enquire about Japan, Singapore because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to South Korea
Request a free, no-obligation UK-to-South Korea shipping quote online. Most quotes are returned within one working hour.