Car Shipping to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The port lies in a cove on the western shore of Guanabara Bay, beside central Rio de Janeiro. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Rio de Janeiro, 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 Rio de Janeiro
Opened in 1910, the Port of Rio de Janeiro is one of Brazil's busiest ports, with a 6.7 km quay front, managed by Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (PortosRio). In 2024 it handled a record 15.4 million tonnes, up 39.7%, and 1.2 million TEU of containers, up 70%.
Area served: It serves the city and state of Rio de Janeiro, with road links on the BR-040, BR-101 and BR-116 and rail access via MRS Logística.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Rio de Janeiro
Vehicles go through MultiCar, the port's vehicle terminal, run by the Multiterminais group next to its MultiRio container terminal. MultiCar has what the operator describes as the first multi-storey vehicle garage in a Latin American port terminal, and after an expansion costing nearly R$500 million, which added 560 m of quay, the two terminals share 1,160 m of continuous quay. MultiRio itself has 800 m of quay, 15.3 m of draft and a capacity of 1 million TEU a year.
- Port authority
- Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro (PortosRio)
- Vehicle terminal
- MultiCar (Multiterminais)
- Shared quay
- 1,160 m (MultiRio and MultiCar)
- Cargo (2024)
- 15.4 million tonnes
- Containers (2024)
- 1.2 million TEU
- Opened
- 1910
Shipping a Car from the UK to Rio de Janeiro
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Rio de Janeiro: 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 3-5 weeks port to port, sailing from Liverpool, London Gateway and Tilbury. 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 Brazil, see our Brazil shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Rio de Janeiro
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 22 Nov 2026 | MSC Migsan | MSC |
| 31 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 29 Nov 2026 | Laem Chabang Express | MSC |
| 1 Nov 2026 | Liverpool | 29 Nov 2026 | Laem Chabang Express | MSC |
| 7 Nov 2026 | Tilbury | 5 Dec 2026 | Grande Gabon | Grimaldi |
| 7 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 6 Dec 2026 | MSC Dakar X | MSC |
| 15 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 13 Dec 2026 | Espirito Santo Express | MSC |
| 21 Nov 2026 | Tilbury | 19 Dec 2026 | Grande Sierra Leone | Grimaldi |
| 21 Nov 2026 | London Gateway | 20 Dec 2026 | MSC Insa | 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.