rollship
Ship your car anywhere.
Without the guesswork.
Tell us about your car and where it's going. Vetted UK specialists send clear, itemised quotes. Pick one, and it ships.
Where people are shipping right now.
Don't see your destination? We cover far more than this. Start a quote and tell us where.
One form. The specialists come to you.
International car shipping is a maze of forwarders, port codes and jargon. We flatten it into three steps.
Tell us your route & vehicle
Where the car is, where it's going, and what it is. It takes about two minutes. No account needed, and no ringing around.
Quotes within 24 hours
Specialists who actually run your route price the job properly, RoRo or container, with everything included spelled out. The quotes land in your inbox.
Book — we handle the handover
Pick the quote you like, then choose your handover. An insured transporter collects from your door, or you drop the car at the port depot and save.
We collect it — or you drop it off.
Every quote covers one or both. There's no wrong answer. One is easier, the other is cheaper.
Door collection
Easiest- Home, work, a dealer or an auction site. Anywhere in the UK
- Usually collected within 3–7 working days of booking
- A condition report is done at pickup, and you keep a copy
- Works even if the vehicle doesn't run
Depot drop-off
Cheapest- Skips the transporter cost entirely
- You get a booked drop-off window before the sailing
- Vehicle is checked in and inspected at the depot
- Just bring the V5C, photo ID and both keys
Roll it on, or seal it in a box.
Two ways to put a vehicle on a ship. The right one depends on your car, your budget and your destination.
RoRo
Most popular- Usually the cheapest way to ship a running vehicle
- Frequent sailings from Southampton, Bristol, Tilbury & Sheerness
- Simple: drop at port (or we collect), drive off at destination
- The car needs to run (or roll), and it travels empty
Container
Max protection- Protected from weather, salt spray and handling
- The only option for non-runners; spares can travel with the car
- Shared containers split the cost between 2–4 vehicles
- Typically 30–100% more than RoRo on the same route
Every line visible. One payment. We handle the rest.
Other sites show the ocean crossing and add the rest later. We show everything up front. You pay once. We handle the rest.
How long it takes, honestly.
Port to port, plus a week or two either side for collection and customs.
| Route | Main port | Sailing time | Sailings |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK → Cyprus | Limassol | 10–15 days | Weekly |
| UK → USA East Coast | New York / Baltimore | 12–18 days | Weekly |
| UK → UAE | Jebel Ali | 18–28 days | ~Fortnightly |
| UK → Kenya | Mombasa | 26–40 days | Monthly+ |
| UK → South Africa | Durban | 45–49 days | Weekly |
| UK → Australia | Sydney / Melbourne / Fremantle | ~8 weeks | Weekly |
| UK → New Zealand | Auckland | ~8 weeks | Weekly |
| Japan → UK | Yokohama → Southampton | 4–5 weeks | Regular |
From published 2026 schedules. Your quote gives the door-to-door picture for your dates.
Get your quotes within 24 hours
Two minutes now. Quotes by tomorrow. Free, no obligation.
Done — your quotes are on their way.
Your enquiry is with shipping specialists who run your route. Here's what happens next:
This industry runs on trust. We put ours in writing.
Some shipping sites make claims you can't check. Ours you can. This is what stands behind every quote.
Every partner passes six checks
- 1Companies House verifiedReal company. Real history. Clean filings.
- 2Industry-body membersEstablished forwarders on the industry's Standard Trading Conditions.
- 3Marine cargo insuranceProper transit cover, quoted openly on every shipment.
- 4Insured collectionsEveryone who moves your car carries the right cover.
- 5Customs-registeredEORI-registered, with real HMRC export experience.
- 6Reputation cross-checkedReviews verified on independent platforms.
Our promises to you
- Quotes in 24 hours, or we tell you why
- One payment. We pay the specialists and stay with you to delivery
- One fixed fee, always visible: £99 now, normally £199
- Destination rules flagged before you pay anything
- Your details stay between us and your specialists. Never sold
Questions everyone asks.
I've never shipped a car before. How does this actually work?
It's simpler than it looks.
- Tell us once. One short form: your route, your car, your details.
- Quotes within 24 hours. UK specialists who run your route send real prices, side by side.
- Hand the car over. We collect it, or you drop it at the port depot.
- It sails. Customs is handled at both ends, and the car is collected at the destination port a few weeks later.
How much does it cost to ship a car overseas?
Honest answer: it depends. That's why we do quotes rather than a price list.
Five things move the number:
- The route, and how often ships sail it
- Your car's size (a 4x4 costs more than a hatchback)
- RoRo or container
- Door collection or depot drop-off
- Your car's value, which sets the insurance
Every quote is itemised, so you can see exactly what you're paying for. And finding out costs nothing.
How fast will I hear back?
We share quotes within 24 hours of your enquiry.
If your route or car needs something unusual, say an oversize 4x4 or a rarely served port, we'll still reply within 24 hours and tell you exactly what we're checking and when you'll have numbers.
Do I drop my car off, or do you collect it?
Both work, and you choose in the form.
- We collect. An insured transporter picks the car up from any UK address, usually within 3 to 7 working days of booking.
- You drop off. Drive it to the port depot yourself and skip that cost entirely.
Not sure? Pick “show me both” and your quotes will cover the two options.
Do I pay RollShip? How does payment work?
Getting quotes is free. When you book, you pay RollShip: usually a deposit to secure the sailing, then the balance before departure, by card or bank transfer to our business account. We pay the specialists and manage the booking, so you have one payment, one receipt and one point of contact.
Our service fee is a fixed, visible line on your quote: £99 on our launch offer, normally £199. It's never buried inside the other lines.
One warning worth reading twice: never pay anyone in this industry into a personal account, and only ever use the payment details on your RollShip booking confirmation. That protection is a big part of why we exist.
My car is on finance. Can I still ship it?
Not until it's settled. If there's outstanding finance on the car (HP or PCP), the finance company legally owns it. Exporting it without settling up is treated as fraud in the UK.
Get a settlement figure, clear it, then ship. Specialists run history checks, so it's far better to sort this before you book than to have it surface at the port.
What if my car gets damaged on the way?
There's a paper trail protecting you from start to finish.
- A condition report with photos is completed when the car is handed over.
- At the destination, you or whoever collects it checks the car against that report before signing.
- Anything new gets noted on the delivery paperwork. That note is what makes an insurance claim straightforward.
Damage is uncommon. Cars travel secured below deck on RoRo, or sealed inside a container.
Is my car insured during the voyage?
The carrier's automatic liability is minimal, so proper marine insurance is strongly recommended. It typically costs a small percentage of the car's value, which is why the form asks for a value range.
There are two levels: total loss only, which is cheaper, and all risks, which covers damage too. Every quote states insurance separately so you can compare like for like.
Can I pack my belongings inside the car?
On RoRo, no. The car must travel empty, and anything left inside isn't insured.
Want to send belongings with the car? A sole-use container is the right way to do it. They're packed alongside the vehicle and properly declared. Mention it in the form and your quotes will reflect it.
Do I need to prepare the car before handover?
A little, and none of it is hard:
- A quarter tank of fuel or less
- All personal items out
- Alarms and trackers off, or instructions provided
- One set of keys to hand over
Shipping to Australia or New Zealand? The car needs to be seriously clean, inside and out. Their biosecurity checks are strict, and dirty vehicles get held and cleaned at your cost. Your specialist will give you the full checklist when you book.
What documents do I need?
Less than you'd think:
- Your V5C logbook
- Photo ID
- The keys
You post the V5C's permanent export section to DVLA when the car leaves, and any remaining road tax is refunded. The specialist handles the HMRC export declaration, the port paperwork and the bill of lading, which is the document used to release the car at the other end.
Can someone else collect the car at the destination?
Yes, and it's completely normal. When you book, you name a consignee: a family member, an agent, or a buyer. They collect the car at the destination port with their ID and the shipping documents.
Shipping a car home to family is one of the most common things people use us for.
Are there age limits or rules at the destination?
Often, yes, and they change. Kenya only registers cars up to 8 years old. Several countries require a pre-shipment inspection certificate. Australia has special schemes for classics.
When you enquire, we flag the rules for your destination before anyone quotes. So you never pay to ship a car that can't be registered when it arrives.
How long does door-to-door actually take?
A realistic rule of thumb: sailing time, plus one to two weeks either side.
- A few days in the UK for handover and export clearance
- The sailing itself
- From 2 days to 2+ weeks for customs at the destination
Europe can be under 3 weeks door to door. East Africa is usually 5 to 7 weeks. Australia is typically 8 to 11 weeks all in.
What does RollShip charge?
Quotes are free and no obligation, always.
If you go ahead and book, our service fee is £199 — currently £99 as a launch offer. It appears as its own line on your quote, so you can see exactly what you're paying us for: vetted specialists, a managed booking, and one point of contact from enquiry to delivery.
The freight, handover and destination lines come from our specialist rates for your route, itemised so you can compare like for like.