Car Shipping to Melbourne, Australia
At the mouth of the Yarra River at the head of Port Phillip Bay, beside central Melbourne, Victoria. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Melbourne, 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 Melbourne
Australia's largest port for containerised and general cargo, handling 3.39 million TEU in the 2024-25 financial year. Its commercial operations were leased in 2016 to the Lonsdale Consortium for 50 years and are run by Port of Melbourne Operations.
Area served: Melbourne and Victoria.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Melbourne
Vehicles are handled at the automotive and RoRo terminal at Webb Dock West, developed by MIRRAT (Melbourne International RoRo and Automotive Terminal), a Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics subsidiary, and opened in April 2016 with a design throughput of one million units a year. The port handled 386,402 new motor vehicle units in the 2024-25 financial year. Containers are handled at Swanson Dock by DP World and Patrick, and at Webb Dock East by Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT).
- Operator
- Port of Melbourne Operations (50-year lease from 2016)
- Vehicle terminal
- MIRRAT, Webb Dock West
- New vehicles (2024-25)
- 386,402 units
- Containers (2024-25)
- 3.39 million TEU
- Container terminals
- DP World, Patrick (Swanson Dock); VICT (Webb Dock East)
Shipping a Car from the UK to Melbourne
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Melbourne: 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 5-11 weeks port to port, sailing from Southampton, London Gateway, Felixstowe, Liverpool, Bristol and Newcastle. Lines on the route include Höegh Autoliners, MSC and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
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 Australia, see our Australia shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Melbourne
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 30 Nov 2026 | Höegh Copenhagen | Höegh Autoliners |
| 12 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 8 Dec 2026 | MSC Sasha | MSC |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 8 Dec 2026 | MSC Sasha | MSC |
| 15 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 16 Dec 2026 | APL Savannah | MSC |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 16 Dec 2026 | APL Savannah | MSC |
| 16 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 16 Dec 2026 | APL Savannah | MSC |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 27 Nov 2026 | Traviata | Wallenius Wilhelmsen |
| 18 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 30 Nov 2026 | APL Vancouver | 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 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.