UK Car Shipping to the Bahamas

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to the Bahamas (Nassau)

The total cost of shipping depends on the vehicle make, model and most importantly size. We work directly with all shipping lines in the UK to arrange regular and reliable vehicle exports from the UK to the Bahamas (Nassau).

Approximate — call for the latest rates. These are indicative shipping rates from our published rate table for Nassau. They move with the market and with the vehicle, and a full export quote covers the UK-side work listed below as well, so treat them as a guide rather than a final price. See the full rate table or ask us for an itemised quote.

What a full export quote covers

• Loading and lashing vehicle into ship
• UK customs export and clearance
• UK port handling charges
• DVLA documentation and export certification
• Export documentation (e.g. Bill of Lading)
• Posting of the Export Documents from UK by UPS/DHL
• Shipping of the vehicle from the UK to Destination Port

Not covered

• Pre-Export Inspection (if required)
• Marine Insurance (container only)
• Collection and/or delivery of the vehicle
• All destination country's import fees

Apart from import duty, taxes, port storage and demurrage at the destination, which the importer always pays, we can add any of these to your quotation, priced separately, along with customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent.

Shipping to the Bahamas

Cars for the Bahamas come ashore at Nassau Container Port on Arawak Cay, the port that Arawak Port Development opened in July 2011 to take all of Nassau's container, general and bulk cargo, and where Bahamas Customs examines what lands. Container sailings on the current schedule are transhipped on the way, at present at Freeport on Grand Bahama, Hutchison Ports' transhipment hub 65 miles off Florida. Höegh Autoliners lists Nassau among the ports its Caribbean short-sea service reaches from Kingston, Jamaica, so a RoRo car changes ship there.

The Bahamas drives on the left, so a right-hand-drive UK car sits on the side the road expects, even though most cars on the islands are left-hand-drive imports from the USA. What Customs looks at is the car's age and its title.

Clearance goes through Click2Clear, the Customs Department's electronic single window, on a home consumption entry, form C-13, lodged by a customs broker or the importer, so keep the bill of lading, the purchase invoice and the car's registration document to hand; the full V5C travels with the car, less the permanent export section that goes to DVLA. Customs then issues an import vehicle information slip, and that slip is what the Road Traffic Department asks for when the car is licensed for the first time, together with the car itself for inspection, a valid insurance certificate or cover note, the bill of sale and the owner's driving licence.

We handle the UK end: sourcing the car, tax-free supply from the selling dealer where it qualifies, collection, UK export clearance and the DVLA paperwork, and loading. Sailings leave from Felixstowe, Liverpool and Southampton. We can also arrange clearance at Nassau, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with a broker of your choice.

Documentation Required for Booking

• Car Registration Document (V5 or Logbook) and Vehicle Invoice (or value).
• ID (one government-issued photo ID and one utility bill showing address).

Payment Terms / Modes

• A £1,000 deposit secures a vehicle we source or buy for you. It is part of the price, not an extra fee. If you cancel, our terms and conditions say what is refunded.
• The balance is due in full, in cleared funds, before the vehicle is loaded, unless your quotation sets out different terms.
• Bank transfer preferred. Card payments up to £5,000, with no fee on personal debit or credit cards.
• Letters of credit, cheques, money orders and cash are not accepted.

Our Other Services

Car Sourcing and Buying on your behalf

Buying and exporting a car to the Bahamas doesn't need to be stressful. UK Vehicle Exporters specialises in sourcing and exporting vehicles from the UK, with trusted shipping partners and support at every stage, from choosing the vehicle through to loading it onto the ship.

Tax-Free Vehicle Supply and UK VAT

UK Preferential Origin (Reduced Import Duty)

Some UK-built vehicles may qualify for reduced or zero import duty. That depends on the UK having a trade agreement with the destination country and on the car meeting that agreement's rules of origin. During your quote, we'll confirm whether the vehicle you're interested in qualifies.

VAT-free Supply of VAT-Qualifying (VATQ) Cars

A VAT-registered dealer can sell a new car, or a used car that carries VAT on its full price, free of UK VAT when it is exported and HMRC's conditions are met. Used cars of that kind are known in the trade as VAT-qualifying: typically ex-rental or ex-lease cars, where the hire or leasing company reclaimed the VAT when it bought them. On a VAT-inclusive price, the VAT is one-sixth. A used car sold under the second-hand margin scheme is different: VAT is due only on the dealer's margin, and HMRC does not let a dealer zero-rate it as an ordinary export. We are not VAT registered, so the saving comes off the dealer's price, not as a refund from us. We arrange the export to the Bahamas and give the dealer the proof of export it needs.

HMRC's Personal Export Scheme (PES)

The Personal Export Scheme lets overseas visitors and UK residents who are leaving the UK, and will stay outside it with the car for at least six months, buy a car free of VAT and use it here before it is exported. Only VAT-registered businesses can operate the scheme, so you buy from a dealer that runs it. The car must leave within 12 months of delivery for an overseas visitor, or 6 months for a UK resident, or the VAT becomes payable. It can suit anyone relocating to the Bahamas: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.