Car Shipping to Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
On Great Bay at Philipsburg, on the south coast of the Dutch side of St Martin. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Philipsburg, 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 St. Maarten
Port St. Maarten at Philipsburg is the island's only deep-water port and one of the Caribbean's busiest cruise ports. Its cargo terminal is a 24-hour multipurpose facility for containers and break-bulk, and it acts as a first port of call and feeder hub for cargo to the surrounding islands. Sint Maarten's container traffic, all of which passes through this port, was 105,200 TEU in 2019, the latest year published by the World Bank.
Area served: Serves St Martin and acts as a feeder hub for Anguilla, Montserrat, St Barths, St Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Philipsburg
Cars arrive through the multipurpose cargo terminal rather than a dedicated ro-ro facility. The Captain David Cargo Quay is 540 m long with 10.5 m alongside and is worked by Gottwald HMK 260E mobile harbour cranes rated at 100 tonnes, with 3,000 TEU of container storage. Höegh Autoliners' Caribbean ro-ro feeder service lists Philipsburg as a destination.
- Port operator
- Port St. Maarten Group
- Cargo quay
- Captain David Cargo Quay, 540 m, 10.5 m alongside
- Cranes
- Gottwald HMK 260E mobile harbour cranes (100 t)
- Container storage
- 3,000 TEU
- Container traffic
- 105,200 TEU (2019)
Shipping a Car from the UK to Philipsburg
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Philipsburg: 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 1-9 weeks port to port, sailing from Liverpool, Felixstowe, Portsmouth, London Gateway and Southampton. Lines on the route include MSC, Geest Line 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 Sint Maarten, see our Sint Maarten shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Philipsburg
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 13 Nov 2026 | MSC Alanya | MSC |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 13 Nov 2026 | MSC Alanya | MSC |
| 16 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 13 Nov 2026 | MSC Alanya | MSC |
| 18 Oct 2026 | Portsmouth | 30 Oct 2026 | CS Service | Geest Line |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 13 Nov 2026 | MSC Alanya | MSC |
| 20 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 13 Nov 2026 | MSC Alanya | MSC |
| 23 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 20 Nov 2026 | MSC Floriana VI | MSC |
| 24 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 27 Nov 2026 | MSC Floriana VI | 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.