UK Car Shipping to the Marshall Islands

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to the Marshall Islands (Busan, Long Beach)

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 Marshall Islands (Busan, Long Beach).

What is included in our price?

• 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 Busan (South Korea) or Long Beach (USA)

Our price excludes

• Pre-Export Inspection (if required)
• Marine Insurance (container only)
• Collection and/or delivery of the vehicle
• The onward leg from Busan (South Korea) or Long Beach (USA) to the Marshall Islands
• 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 Marshall Islands

Cars for the Marshall Islands come ashore at Delap Dock in Majuro or at Ebeye in Kwajalein Atoll, 442 km away. Delap is a 308-metre general cargo wharf with no RoRo berth and no shore cranes, so ships unload with their own gear. The port guides to Majuro and Ebeye have the details.

No ship sails there from the UK, so the car changes ship at Busan or Long Beach. Kyowa Shipping's Micronesia Service runs from Busan via Japan to Majuro, Kwajalein and Ebeye on multi-purpose ships with a ramp for vehicles. Matson, whose West Coast terminals include Long Beach, also ships cars to the Marshall Islands, and Swire Shipping links the Marshall Islands with South Korea.

Mileage matters too. In its duty entry for cars valued from Kelly's Blue Book, the Import Duties Act sets a limit of 100,000 miles (160,934 km), and it has every buyer of an imported used car obtain a certificate confirming the mileage before import. The importer, or an agent, makes entry with a non-negotiable copy of the bill of lading, the vendor's invoice and a signed entry certificate. Before the car is driven, the Motor Traffic Act requires registration with the Commissioner of Public Safety, who heads the police, backed by proof of ownership and a certificate of insurance, and a safety inspection. Traffic keeps to the right.

The UK end is ours: sourcing the car, tax-free supply from the selling dealer where it qualifies, collection from any UK address, UK customs clearance and export documents, and loading. Sailings leave from Southampton, London Gateway, Liverpool and Felixstowe. We can arrange the onward leg from Busan or Long Beach, clearance into the Marshall Islands and registration 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 Marshall Islands 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 Marshall Islands 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 Marshall Islands: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.