Hong Kong Car Shipping

Shipping rates from the UK to Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong.

Service	Vehicle	Price
Shared container	Saloon / sedan, up to 1.6m high and 5.2m long	£1,040
Shared container	4×4 / SUV, up to 2m high and 5.2m long	£1,148
RoRo (roll on, roll off)	Per vehicle, from (approximate)	£590
20ft private container	One car	£1,300
40ft container	Two cars	£1,500
Other vehicles	Van, truck, bus, tractor, trailer and similar	POA
UK collection or delivery	From any UK address, each way	£1 per mile to the nearest UK port

Shared containers depart from Grays, Essex. Prices are per vehicle, from delivery to the Grays depot to arrival in Hong Kong. Space is confirmed at booking, and the shipping lines can add surcharges at short notice. Electric and hybrid vehicles are quoted case by case.

The RoRo, 20ft and 40ft figures are approximate, from our published rate table, and move with the market. A full export quote also covers the UK-side work listed below, so treat them as a guide rather than a final price.

What is included in our price above?

• 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

Our price above excludes

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

Apart from first registration tax, other taxes, port storage and demurrage in Hong Kong, 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.

Weekly car shipping direct from the UK to Hong Kong

With dedicated container services, shared container services and Roll on Roll Off car shipping we offer the most comprehensive way to ship your car to Hong Kong, with services and routes to suit your budget. We book space on weekly sailings from the UK to Hong Kong, through the ports of Southampton and London.

The three shipping systems

• Roll on Roll Off (Ro-Ro). Vehicles are driven on to the vessel and secured under deck. Sailings from Southampton, less often than the container services, with dates confirmed at booking.
• 20ft container. You have the whole container, so you can also load spares or personal effects. Sailings weekly from London and Southampton.
• Shared container. Using the RRak system, four cars load into one 40ft container, which brings the shipping cost per car down.

Please make sure you are aware of current Hong Kong car import legislation and requirements before shipping your car with us. For a firm price, ask us for a quote.

Guidelines for importation and registration of a motor vehicle

The Customs and Excise Department, the Environmental Protection Department and the Transport Department are each involved separately in importing and registering a vehicle in Hong Kong. The guidelines below explain the procedures. For a pure electric vehicle (PEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), see the Transport Department’s separate guidelines for those.

Step 1: Compliance with the exhaust and noise emissions standard

Get approval or exemption from the Environmental Protection Department before shipping your vehicle to Hong Kong.

You must prove the vehicle complies with the Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards)(Emission) Regulation and the Noise Control (Motor Vehicles) Regulation. Proof can be documents issued by the vehicle manufacturer, or an emission testing report from an approved test laboratory. Submit the application form to the Environmental Protection Department with all original supporting documents. Some categories of vehicle may be exempt from the exhaust emission standard if they meet the exemption criteria, and you can apply to the department for that exemption. Enquiries about approved test laboratories, emission standards and exemption criteria: (852) 2877 0448 for exhaust emission, (852) 2411 9689 for noise emission, or fax (852) 2824 9361.

Step 2: Importation

Vehicles imported into Hong Kong are not subject to customs tax, whatever their class, but an importer must generally lodge an accurate and complete declaration with the Customs and Excise Department within 14 days of importation.

Within 30 days of importation you must also submit an Import Return (Form CED336) enclosing a Declaration Form (Form CED336A) to the Customs and Excise Department, or through the Motor Vehicles First Registration Tax System website.

An importer who fails to file the import return within 30 days commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to a fine of HK$500,000 and 12 months’ imprisonment.

After you submit the Import Return you will receive a “Notification of Motor Vehicle Provisional Taxable Value” from the Customs and Excise Department. Produce it when you first register the vehicle with the Transport Department.

Step 3: Vehicle examination

Before importing, make sure the vehicle meets the requirements for registration in Hong Kong and that you have documentary evidence of compliance where it applies.

When the vehicle arrives, arrange examination at the Vehicle Examination Centre below. Bring the approval letter from the Environmental Protection Department showing the car complies with the exhaust and noise emission standards, and pay the examination fee.

Address	Telephone
2/F, Transport Department Vehicle Examination Complex, 18 Sai Tso Wan Road, Tsing Yi, New Territories	3961 0308

If you are exempt from the emission standard under Step 1, bring the exemption approval letter instead when booking the examination. All imported vehicles with an internal combustion engine, including new cars imported for personal use, may need an emission test during examination. A car that passes is issued a Certificate of Roadworthiness by the Examination Centre.

Step 4: Vehicle registration and licensing

To apply for first registration, submit a completed application form (Form TD22) to the Hong Kong Licensing Office of the Transport Department (tel (852) 2804 2637, fax 2804 2599) with the supporting documents the form prescribes. Once your documents are verified you pay the first registration tax and the registration fee, then the vehicle licence fee and the levy for the Traffic Accident Victim Assistance Fund.

Step 5: Calculation of first registration tax

First registration tax is the taxable value of the vehicle multiplied by the rate below.

Class of motor vehicle	Rate of tax
I. Private cars — on the first HK$150,000	46%
I. Private cars — on the next HK$150,000	86%
I. Private cars — on the next HK$200,000	115%
I. Private cars — on the remainder	132%
II. Motor cycles and motor tricycles	35%
III(a). Goods vehicles, other than van-type light goods vehicles (LGV)	15%
III(b). Van-type LGV not exceeding 1.9 tonnes — on the first HK$150,000	35%
III(b). Van-type LGV not exceeding 1.9 tonnes — on the next HK$150,000	65%
III(b). Van-type LGV not exceeding 1.9 tonnes — on the remainder	85%
III(c). Van-type LGV exceeding 1.9 tonnes permitted gross vehicle weight	17%
IV. Taxis, light buses, buses and special purpose vehicles	3.7%

An application to register and licence a left-hand-drive vehicle will not be accepted unless there are special circumstances. UK stock is right-hand drive, which is one reason the route works.

Notes for attention

• Applicants must produce proof of present address, both residential and correspondence. The Transport Department may suspend processing of a licensing application until address proof is produced.
• You can look up the current highest approved Published Retail Price (PRP) for a vehicle model using the search function in the Customs and Excise Department’s Motor Vehicles First Registration Tax System, reachable from the Transport Department or Customs and Excise Department websites.