Car Shipping to Tanzania
from the United Kingdom
Tanzania accepts UK vehicle imports through Dar es Salaam port. The Ship Cars provides container shipping with competitive rates. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Tanzania from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Tanzania costs from £1,340 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £1,495). 24–32 days to Dar es Salaam from Southampton. Both RORO and container shipping are available, with vehicles arriving at Dar es Salaam. 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 Tanzania: 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 Tanzania
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Dar es Salaam in about 24–32 days to Dar es Salaam 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 Tanzania
Quick answer: Trucks, lorries, vans and pickups usually ship by RORO to Dar es Salaam, priced by length, height and weight (per cubic metre). Transit is about 24–32 days to Dar es Salaam 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 Tanzania 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 Tanzania
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship as RORO or break-bulk cargo to Dar es Salaam. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Tanzania, 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.
Tanzania vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Maximum vehicle age 10 years.
- Import duty 25%.
- Excise duty 5–10%.
- VAT 18%.
- Vehicles must pass TBS (Tanzania Bureau of Standards) inspection.
- Right-hand drive required (Tanzania drives on the left).
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- TBS certificate
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Tanzania & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Tanzania?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Tanzania, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
RORO & Container
Transit Time
24–32 days to Dar es Salaam
Ports
Dar es Salaam
Starting From
£1,340
Overview
Tanzania accepts UK vehicle imports through Dar es Salaam port. The Ship Cars provides container shipping with competitive rates.
Shipping Methods
Container and RORO shipping to Dar es Salaam. The port also serves as a transit point for landlocked neighbours.
Transit Time
24–32 days to Dar es Salaam from Southampton.
Import Regulations
Maximum vehicle age 10 years. Import duty 25%. Excise duty 5–10%. VAT 18%. Vehicles must pass TBS (Tanzania Bureau of Standards) inspection. Right-hand drive required (Tanzania drives on the left).
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- TBS certificate
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 Tanzania (Dar-es-Salaam) is £1,340 port-to-port for a saloon and £1,495 for a 4x4 / SUV. Import duty 25%. Excise 5–10%. VAT 18%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age limit applies for importing cars to Tanzania?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Tanzania?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Tanzania?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Tanzania?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Tanzania?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Tanzania?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Tanzania from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Tanzania 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 Tanzania and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Tanzania corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Tanzania customs.
Vehicles depart from Felixstowe, Southampton, Bristol (Portbury) and arrive at Dar es Salaam via Cape routing via Walvis Bay and Durban. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 24–32 days to dar es salaam 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 Tanzania car shipping works
Every shipment to Tanzania follows the same six-step pipeline: free quotation, UK collection or self-drop at Felixstowe, bonded UK warehousing and pre-shipment photos, HMRC NOVA / C88 export clearance handled by our UK customs clearance team, ocean transit to Dar es Salaam (and onward feeder to Dar es Salaam 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 Tanzania.
RORO to Tanzania
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Tanzania. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Dar es Salaam. RORO shipping to Tanzania — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Tanzania
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Dar es Salaam. Dedicated container shipping to Tanzania.
Tanzania ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Tanzania are typically routed through Dar es Salaam as the lead discharge port, with Dar es Salaam available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Tanzania and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Dar es Salaam
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Tanzania import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Tanzania is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Tanzania 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 Tanzania
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- TBS certificate
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Tanzania import guides and articles, our UK and Tanzania customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Dar es Salaam.
Who ships to Tanzania
- • Returning Tanzania residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Tanzania
- • Africa car dealers and Tanzania re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Tanzania
- • 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 Tanzania
• Specialist UK-to-Tanzania 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 Tanzania pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Dar es Salaam agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Tanzania
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 Tanzania. Many customers shipping to Tanzania also enquire about Kenya, Uganda because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Tanzania
Use our online quote form for Tanzania sailing dates, indicative landed cost and document checks. Quotes are typically answered the same working day.