UK Car Shipping to Sierra Leone

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to Sierra Leone (Freetown)

The total cost of shipping depends on the vehicle make, model and most importantly size. We work directly with all shipping lines in the UK to arrange regular and reliable vehicle exports from the UK to Sierra Leone (Freetown).

Approximate — call for the latest rates. These are indicative shipping rates from our published rate table for Freetown. They move with the market and with the vehicle, and a full export quote covers the UK-side work listed below as well, so treat them as a guide rather than a final price. The table does not publish a RoRo rate for Sierra Leone, so that one is quoted per booking — we do sail it, and the schedule below shows the departures. See the full rate table or ask us for an itemised quote.

What a full export quote covers

• Loading and lashing vehicle into ship
• UK customs export and clearance
• UK port handling charges
• DVLA documentation and export certification
• Export documentation (e.g. Bill of Lading)
• Posting of the Export Documents from UK by UPS/DHL
• Shipping of the vehicle from the UK to Destination Port

Not covered

• Pre-Export Inspection (if required)
• Marine Insurance (container only)
• Collection and/or delivery of the vehicle
• All destination country's import fees

Apart from import duty, taxes, port storage and demurrage at the destination, which the importer always pays, we can add any of these to your quotation, priced separately, along with customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent.

Shipping to Sierra Leone

Our Sierra Leone sailings discharge at Freetown. Freetown's Queen Elizabeth II Quay is the country's main gateway for trade. The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority is the landlord, and the quay is worked by two concession holders: Freetown Terminal Ltd, part of Africa Global Logistics, runs berths 3 to 6 with the container yard, the RoRo berths and break-bulk under a concession that began in March 2011, and Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal has berths 1 and 2. Parliament ratified updated agreements with both operators in August 2025. The current schedule has RoRo sailings with Grimaldi and container sailings with MSC. On the schedule as we write, the RoRo ships call at Antwerp on the way out and the containers are transhipped at Lomé or Tema.

Clearance runs through ASYCUDA World, the National Revenue Authority's customs system. The shipping line registers the manifest 48 hours before the ship arrives. The importer appoints a clearing and forwarding agent, who lodges the customs declaration with the bill of lading, the invoice and the other transaction documents; the system then routes it to a green, blue, yellow or red lane, and red means a documentary check followed by a physical inspection of the car before release. Keep the purchase invoice and the car's registration document together, because the agent will need both.

On the UK side we source the car, arrange tax-free supply from the selling dealer where it qualifies, collect it, complete UK export clearance and the DVLA paperwork, and see it loaded. Sailings leave from Felixstowe, London Gateway, Liverpool and Tilbury. At the Freetown end we can arrange clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent of your choice.

Documentation Required for Booking

• Car Registration Document (V5 or Logbook) and Vehicle Invoice (or value).
• ID (one government-issued photo ID and one utility bill showing address).

Payment Terms / Modes

• A £1,000 deposit secures a vehicle we source or buy for you. It is part of the price, not an extra fee. If you cancel, our terms and conditions say what is refunded.
• The balance is due in full, in cleared funds, before the vehicle is loaded, unless your quotation sets out different terms.
• Bank transfer preferred. Card payments up to £5,000, with no fee on personal debit or credit cards.
• Letters of credit, cheques, money orders and cash are not accepted.

Our Other Services

Car Sourcing and Buying on your behalf

Buying and exporting a car to Sierra Leone doesn't need to be stressful. UK Vehicle Exporters specialises in sourcing and exporting vehicles from the UK, with trusted shipping partners and support at every stage, from choosing the vehicle through to loading it onto the ship.

Tax-Free Vehicle Supply and UK VAT

UK Preferential Origin (Reduced Import Duty)

Some UK-built vehicles may qualify for reduced or zero import duty. That depends on the UK having a trade agreement with the destination country and on the car meeting that agreement's rules of origin. During your quote, we'll confirm whether the vehicle you're interested in qualifies.

VAT-free Supply of VAT-Qualifying (VATQ) Cars

A VAT-registered dealer can sell a new car, or a used car that carries VAT on its full price, free of UK VAT when it is exported and HMRC's conditions are met. Used cars of that kind are known in the trade as VAT-qualifying: typically ex-rental or ex-lease cars, where the hire or leasing company reclaimed the VAT when it bought them. On a VAT-inclusive price, the VAT is one-sixth. A used car sold under the second-hand margin scheme is different: VAT is due only on the dealer's margin, and HMRC does not let a dealer zero-rate it as an ordinary export. We are not VAT registered, so the saving comes off the dealer's price, not as a refund from us. We arrange the export to Sierra Leone and give the dealer the proof of export it needs.

HMRC's Personal Export Scheme (PES)

The Personal Export Scheme lets overseas visitors and UK residents who are leaving the UK, and will stay outside it with the car for at least six months, buy a car free of VAT and use it here before it is exported. Only VAT-registered businesses can operate the scheme, so you buy from a dealer that runs it. The car must leave within 12 months of delivery for an overseas visitor, or 6 months for a UK resident, or the VAT becomes payable. It can suit anyone relocating to Sierra Leone: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.