Car Shipping to Zambia
from the United Kingdom
Zambia, a landlocked southern African country, receives vehicle imports via Dar es Salaam or Durban. The Ship Cars arranges complete shipping and inland logistics to Lusaka. View our shipping services or request a quote.
Quick answer: car shipping to Zambia from the UK
Shipping a car from the UK to Zambia costs from £2,200 port-to-port for a standard saloon (4x4/SUV from £2,245). 24–35 days including inland transport to Lusaka. Vehicles are shipped by container to Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban. 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 Zambia: 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 Zambia
Quick answer: Cars ship from UK ports to Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban in about 24–35 days including inland transport to Lusaka. RORO: £2,200. Container: Enquire (20ft container).
This route is served mainly by 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 Zambia
Quick answer: Trucks usually ship on flat-rack or open-top containers to Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban, priced by dimensions and weight. Transit is about 24–35 days including inland transport to Lusaka.
- 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 Zambia 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 Zambia
Quick answer: Excavators, tractors, forklifts and agricultural equipment ship on flat-rack containers or as break-bulk to Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban. Machinery must be clean and free of soil — most countries, including Zambia, 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.
Zambia vehicle import rules (September 2026)
- Import duty 25%.
- Excise duty 20–30% for engines over 2500cc.
- VAT 16%.
- Maximum age 10 years.
- Right-hand drive accepted (Zambia drives on the left).
Documents required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ZRA customs declaration
UK side: notify the DVLA with the V5C export notification, and see documents required and vehicle age restrictions by country.
Official Zambia & UK government resources
Always confirm current customs, duty and vehicle registration rules with the official authorities before you ship.
Shipping a vehicle to Zambia?
Tell us your vehicle and collection address and we'll send a fixed all-in price for Zambia, usually within one working day.
- No obligation
- UK-wide collection
- RORO & container options
Methods
Container
Transit Time
24–35 days including inland transport to Lusaka
Ports
Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban
Starting From
£2,200
Overview
Zambia, a landlocked southern African country, receives vehicle imports via Dar es Salaam or Durban. The Ship Cars arranges complete shipping and inland logistics to Lusaka.
Shipping Methods
Container shipping to Dar es Salaam or Durban with overland transport to Lusaka.
Transit Time
24–35 days including inland transport to Lusaka.
Import Regulations
Import duty 25%. Excise duty 20–30% for engines over 2500cc. VAT 16%. Maximum age 10 years. Right-hand drive accepted (Zambia drives on the left).
Documents Required
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ZRA customs declaration
Costs & Fees
| Saloon vehicle — RORO | £2,200 |
| 4x4 / SUV — RORO | £2,245 |
| 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 Zambia (Lusaka, Kazungula border) is £2,200 port-to-port for a saloon and £2,245 for a 4x4 / SUV. Import duty 25%. VAT 16%.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are vehicles transported to Zambia?
How long does it take to ship a car from the UK to Zambia?
Which UK ports do you ship from to Zambia?
What documents do I need to ship a car to Zambia?
What shipping methods are available from the UK to Zambia?
How much does it cost to ship a car from the UK to Zambia?
Available Ports
Why ship a car to Zambia from the UK
The Ship Cars is a specialist UK vehicle export company moving cars, SUVs, classics, motorbikes and light commercials to Zambia 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 Zambia and returning residents importing a personal vehicle. Our UK-to-Zambia corridor is engineered around predictable transit, transparent pricing and full compliance with Zambia customs.
Vehicles depart from Felixstowe, Southampton, Bristol (Portbury) and arrive at Via Dar es Salaam, Via Durban via Cape routing via Walvis Bay and Durban. Typical door-to-port turnaround is 24–35 days including inland transport to lusaka, 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 Zambia car shipping works
Every shipment to Zambia 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 Via Dar es Salaam (and onward feeder to Via Durban 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 Zambia.
RORO to Zambia
Roll-on/Roll-off is the lowest-cost method for running, road-legal vehicles bound for Zambia. Drive-on at the UK port, drive-off at Via Dar es Salaam. RORO shipping to Zambia — check the weekly RORO schedule.
Container to Zambia
20ft sole-use or 40ft dedicated containers give classic, high-value, modified or non-running vehicles fully enclosed protection on the route to Via Durban. Dedicated container shipping to Zambia.
Zambia ports, routing and transit
Vehicles bound for Zambia are typically routed through Via Dar es Salaam as the lead discharge port, with Via Durban available as alternatives depending on sailing schedule and onward inland transport. We schedule loads to match weekly RORO sailing schedules to Zambia and book 20ft and 40ft container slots on the same rotation.
- Port of Via Dar es Salaam
- Port of Via Durban
- UK departure: Southampton
- UK departure: Tilbury
- UK departure: Bristol (Portbury)
Zambia import duty, VAT and customs in 2026
Importing a vehicle into Zambia is regulated and document-driven. The headline framework is summarised below; our team verifies every figure against the latest Zambia 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 Zambia
- V5C registration
- Passport
- Commercial invoice
- Bill of Lading
- ZRA customs declaration
For full country-specific customs rules, see our Zambia import guides and articles, our UK and Zambia customs clearance service, or use the duty-inclusive cost calculator for a landed estimate to Via Dar es Salaam.
Who ships to Zambia
- • Returning Zambia residents and dual nationals
- • UK expats relocating to Zambia
- • Africa car dealers and Zambia re-exporters
- • Private collectors and classic-car enthusiasts
- • Diplomatic missions and corporate fleets
- • Online auction buyers (Copart, BCA, Manheim)
Vehicles we ship to Zambia
- • 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 Zambia
• Specialist UK-to-Zambia 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 Zambia pricing with no hidden destination fees
• Direct relationships with Via Dar es Salaam agents
• Dedicated account manager from booking to delivery
Related services and tools for shipping to Zambia
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Other Africa destinations from the UK
We ship to 8+ other Africa countries from the UK on the same trade lanes as Zambia. Many customers shipping to Zambia also enquire about South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe because routing, customs documentation and transit windows overlap.
Get an instant quote for car shipping to Zambia
Use our online quote form for Zambia sailing dates, indicative landed cost and document checks. Quotes are typically answered the same working day.