Car Shipping to Lagos, Nigeria
On Lagos Harbour in Nigeria's largest city, with the Lagos Port Complex at Apapa and the Tin Can Island Port Complex a short distance to the north-west. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Lagos, 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 Lagos (Apapa and Tin Can Island)
Lagos is Nigeria's main gateway, made up of two port complexes run on a landlord model by the Nigerian Ports Authority. The Lagos Port Complex at Apapa, established in 1913, is the country's busiest and hosts APM Terminals' container terminal, while Tin Can Island, commissioned in 1977, is the second busiest.
Area served: The ports serve Lagos and south-western Nigeria, with road links north through Ibadan to the rest of the country.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Lagos
Vehicles are handled mainly at Tin Can Island, where Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) operates a dedicated ro-ro terminal at berths 1 and 2 for vehicles and containers, built under a build-operate-transfer deal and in use since 2009. Other Tin Can terminals, including Five Star Logistics, handle containers and general cargo, and Apapa handles containers, bulk and break-bulk through APM Terminals, ENL Consortium and others.
- Port authority
- Nigerian Ports Authority
- Ro-ro terminal
- PTML, Tin Can Island (berths 1 and 2)
- Main container terminal
- APM Terminals Apapa
- Other codes
- Apapa NGAPP, Tin Can Island NGTIN
- Opened
- Apapa 1913, Tin Can Island 1977
Shipping a Car from the UK to Lagos
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Lagos: 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 Liverpool, Tilbury and London Gateway. Lines on the route include MSC and Grimaldi.
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 Nigeria, see our Nigeria shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Lagos
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 28 Nov 2026 | MSC Katyayni VI | MSC |
| 1 Nov 2026 | Liverpool | 28 Nov 2026 | MSC Katyayni VI | MSC |
| 8 Nov 2026 | Tilbury | 25 Nov 2026 | Grande Gabon | Grimaldi |
| 8 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 28 Nov 2026 | MSC Katyayni VI | MSC |
| 12 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 3 Dec 2026 | MSC Ghana | MSC |
| 17 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 8 Dec 2026 | MSC Marta | MSC |
| 27 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 18 Dec 2026 | MSC Coruna | MSC |
| 28 Nov 2026 | Tilbury | 15 Dec 2026 | Grande Luanda | Grimaldi |
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.