UK Car Shipping to Jamaica

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to Jamaica (Kingston)

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 Jamaica (Kingston).

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

Cars for Jamaica are discharged at Kingston, where Kingston Wharves handles vehicles both for the Jamaican market and for transhipment; its chief executive put the total at just over 170,000 a year in 2025. A RoRo car is collected from the Kingston Wharves terminal or its Global Auto Logistics Centre at Tinson Pen, and the shipping agent contacts you when it arrives. If the car is in a container, the freight forwarder contacts you once the container has been unpacked. Some container sailings in the schedule above are transhipped on the way, which adds time, so compare arrival dates rather than departure dates alone.

Jamaica's rules start on this side of the Atlantic. The Trade Board limits motor cars, station wagons and SUVs to six years old at importation, so it is recent UK stock that qualifies. A used car shipped from the UK also needs a pre-shipment inspection, including sanitisation, by Autoterminal Japan (ATJ), the inspection company the Trade Board names. The buyer then applies for an import permit on JSWIFT, the government trade portal, with the inspection certificate attached. Jamaica Customs says to apply for the permit before the car is shipped, and every vehicle has to be cleared by a licensed customs broker.

We work directly with the shipping lines serving Jamaica, delivering to Kingston, and handle the whole UK side for you: sourcing the vehicle, tax-free supply from the selling dealer where the car qualifies, collection, UK customs clearance and export documentation, and loading onto the ship. Sailings leave from Liverpool, Felixstowe, London Gateway and Southampton. The inspection, the permit, duty and registration in Jamaica are not in our price; duty and registration fees are paid by the importer. We can book the inspection, and arrange customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, each quoted separately, or work with a customs 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 Jamaica 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 Jamaica 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 Jamaica: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.