Car Shipping to Cotonou, Benin
In Cotonou, Benin's largest city and economic capital, on the Atlantic coast of the Bight of Benin. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Cotonou, 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 Autonomous Port of Cotonou
Cotonou is Benin's only deep-sea port, opened in 1964, and has been managed under contract by Port of Antwerp-Bruges International since 2018. It handled 9.6 million tonnes in 2024 and 14.7 million tonnes in 2025, with 841 ship calls in 2025. The main container terminal is Benin Terminal, a subsidiary of AGL (Africa Global Logistics, owned by MSC), which is doubling its quays under a €165 million plan announced in 2024.
Area served: Cotonou is a transit port for Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, and a long-standing entry point for used cars bound for Nigeria. Nigerian vehicle importers switched heavily to Cotonou in 2016, and more than 10,000 transit vehicles were discharged there in June 2017.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Cotonou
Vehicles are handled by Roro Terminal Bénin, the port's licensed ro-ro terminal operator, and Grimaldi, whose group owns terminal and car park operations at Cotonou, runs frequent ro-ro calls; its Great Cotonou, a 250 metre ro-ro and container ship, first called in May 2025 and the line makes about 100 calls a year. Used vehicles are stored in licensed vehicle parks run by a dozen private operators approved by the port authority.
- Port authority
- Port Autonome de Cotonou (managed by Port of Antwerp-Bruges International since 2018)
- Ro-ro terminal
- Roro Terminal Bénin
- Container terminals
- Benin Terminal (AGL) and SMTC
- Annual throughput
- 14.7 million tonnes (2025)
- Ship calls
- 841 (2025)
- Opened
- 1964
Shipping a Car from the UK to Cotonou
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Cotonou: sourcing the vehicle, tax-free supply from the selling dealer 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 1-5 weeks port to port, sailing from Felixstowe, London Gateway, Liverpool, Tilbury and Southampton. Lines on the route include MSC, Grimaldi and Sallaum Lines.
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 Benin, see our Benin shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Cotonou
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 9 Nov 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 9 Nov 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 9 Nov 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 14 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 2 Nov 2026 | MSC Marta | MSC |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 9 Nov 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 16 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 9 Nov 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Tilbury | 2 Nov 2026 | Grande Luanda | Grimaldi |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 3 Nov 2026 | Siem Edison | Sallaum Lines |
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 from VAT-registered dealers who will sell them free of UK VAT for export, which takes a sixth off a VAT-inclusive price. The saving comes from the dealer, not as a refund from us: we are not VAT registered. We arrange the export and give the dealer the proof it needs.
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.