Car Shipping to Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena is on Colombia's Caribbean coast, with terminals spread around the sheltered Bay of Cartagena. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Cartagena, handling the whole UK side for you: car sourcing, tax-free supply where the car qualifies, buying on your behalf, inspections, collection and delivery to the UK port, UK customs clearance and loading onto the ship.
About Port of Cartagena
Cartagena is Colombia's largest port and a major Caribbean transhipment hub. The Puerto de Cartagena group runs the SPRC and Contecar container terminals, and several private terminals operate around the bay.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Cartagena
Much of the RoRo traffic goes to Puerto Bahía, on the road to Barú, which has 30 hectares for vehicles, 15,000 standard storage spaces and capacity for more than 140,000 vehicles a year; it handled 38,067 RoRo units in the first quarter of 2026. The Puerto de Cartagena group also handles vehicle imports, exports and transhipment at SPRC and Contecar, with Contecar acting as a hub for RoRo lines.
- Vehicle terminal
- Puerto Bahía (Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Bahía)
- Puerto Bahía owner
- Frontera Energy (99.97%)
- Puerto Bahía vehicle capacity
- Over 140,000 a year
- Other terminals
- SPRC and Contecar (Puerto de Cartagena group)
Shipping a Car from the UK to Cartagena
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Cartagena: sourcing the vehicle, tax-free supply where the car qualifies, collection from any UK address, UK customs clearance and export documentation, and loading onto the ship by RoRo or container. Current carrier schedules show 2-5 weeks port to port, sailing from London Gateway and Southampton. Lines on the route include MSC, NYK RoRo and Höegh Autoliners.
Any import duty and taxes are paid by the importer, whoever clears the car. We can arrange customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent of your choice. For costs, the full sailing schedule and everything else about exporting to Colombia, see our Colombia shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Cartagena
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 25 Nov 2026 | MSC Emilia | MSC |
| 5 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 2 Dec 2026 | MSC Muge | MSC |
| 12 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 9 Dec 2026 | MSC Zlata R. | MSC |
| 15 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 12 Dec 2026 | Navarino | MSC |
| 26 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 23 Dec 2026 | MSC Zivana | MSC |
| 2 Dec 2026 | Southampton | 16 Dec 2026 | Glorious Leader | NYK RoRo |
| 2 Dec 2026 | Southampton | 3 Jan 2027 | Höegh Oslo | Höegh Autoliners |
| 3 Dec 2026 | London Gateway | 30 Dec 2026 | MSC Serena | MSC |
Our Other Services
UK Car Sourcing & Supply
We source any new or used vehicle from any manufacturer in the UK, through our network of franchised dealers, car auctions, classified listings and private sellers, then inspect, purchase and export it to your country.
Buy a Car in the UK on Your Behalf
We check, view and buy the UK car you've found, from a dealer or a private seller, then ship it to you, protecting you from the pitfalls of paying an unknown seller from overseas.
Tax-Free & VAT-Free Vehicle Supply
We find new and VAT-qualifying used cars, buy them from UK dealers and sell them to you free of UK VAT for export when the conditions HMRC sets are met, which takes a sixth off a VAT-inclusive price. We handle the export and keep the proof of export.
New / Used Car Export
We export new and used cars from the UK every week, sourced from our dealer, auction and trade network or supplied by you, given a multi-point inspection before shipment and shipped worldwide by RoRo or container.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
Before you commit to a car, we check its DVLA, MOT and recall records and run a paid UK history check, then view it, compare it with its logbook and send you photos and a video. A full mechanical inspection by an independent inspector can be added, quoted separately.
Government Pre-Shipping Inspection
Where the destination country requires a pre-export roadworthiness inspection, we arrange it with the approved inspection agency before the sailing so the vehicle is not held up on arrival. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Collection & Delivery
We collect any vehicle from any UK address and deliver it to the departure port at £1 per mile, driven on DVLA plates or moved on a carrier, timed to meet the booked sailing.
Secure Vehicle Storage
Vehicles wait with us in a secure compound between purchase and sailing, so there is no rush to move a car the day you buy it and nothing accumulating in storage charges at the port. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
Paintwork Reconditioning
Where a car would arrive the better for it, we can recondition the paintwork before it ships — worth doing while the vehicle is with us rather than paying to sort it out after it lands. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Customs Clearance
We make export declarations directly on the UK customs system and prepare every document needed at the UK port of exit, including the Bill of Lading, export certificate and DVLA export documentation.