UK Car Shipping to The Gambia

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to The Gambia (Banjul)

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 Gambia (Banjul).

Approximate — call for the latest rates. These are indicative shipping rates from our published rate table for Banjul. 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 Gambia

Cars for The Gambia are landed at Banjul, on the estuary of the River Gambia, where the Gambia Ports Authority runs the port. In July 2024 the Authority signed a 30-year concession with the Turkish Albayrak group to run the Banjul container terminal and build a new deep-sea port at Sanyang, further down the coast; the agreement took effect in February 2025, and in early 2026 the Sanyang timetable was being renegotiated. Every sailing on the current schedule is a container service, transhipped on the way, so the car travels in a container rather than on a car deck.

A used car also needs an import licence. The Gambia has no general import licence, as the Gambia Revenue Authority's own FAQ says, but used motor vehicles are on the restricted list in the Eighth Schedule to the Customs and Excise Act 2010, and the WTO's December 2025 review of The Gambia records that the licence requirement for them is still in force. The GRA requires importers to use a clearing agent, who lodges the declaration electronically on ASYCUDA with the invoice showing cost, insurance and freight, the bill of lading, a certificate of origin where one applies, a packing list and the importer's tax identification number; the full V5C travels with the car, less the permanent export section that goes to DVLA. Excise duty on a used car is banded by age, with steps at 20 and 30 years, and an environmental tax applies as well. The GRA's FAQ page also mentions an eight-year age limit, but it cites a Kenyan standard and the WTO's 2025 tax table runs to cars over 30 years old, so check the current position with the clearing agent before buying an older vehicle.

We handle the UK end: sourcing the vehicle, 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 London Gateway. We can also arrange the import licence, clearance at Banjul, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent 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 Gambia 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 Gambia 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 Gambia: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.