Average Cost of Shipping a Car From the USA to the UK

The idea of moving from the USA to the UK is an exciting prospect. Whether you're already making plans to move overseas to the UK or mulling over the idea, the UK has a rich history, substantial educational opportunities, and iconic cities like London, which draw people from all over the world.

If you're evaluating a move from the USA to the UK and owning a car, you're probably wondering how much it'll cost to ship your vehicle overseas to the UK.

We're here to give you the ins and outs regarding the costs of shipping a car from the USA to the UK by covering:

• Average costs
• What goes into a vehicle moving quote
• Additional fees
• Insurance
• Shipping and delivery methods
• Delivery time estimates

—and more!

Let's cut to the chase and discuss average costs along with how your quote will be calculated.

What Is the Average Cost of Shipping a Car From the USA to the UK?

While there is no clear-cut answer to how much money it'll cost to ship an automobile from the USA to the UK, we can provide you with average baseline costs. It will cost you at least $650 to send your motorcar from the USA to the UK. The exact cost of sending your car from the USA to the UK will be based on your vehicle's make and model, the hauling and delivery method you select, where your auto is coming from, and the port you're it's going to. Chances are you're going to pay over $650 to send your car overseas to the UK from the USA.

We recommend contacting A-1 Auto Transport to request a quote for sending your motorcar to the UK. A-1 Auto Transport's staff can examine your specific needs and provide you with a quote that reflects the cost of meeting those needs.

One advantage of working with a professional vehicle shipping service is the insight into what additional fees will be associated with sending your car to the UK from the USA.

What Additional Fees Will I Be Subject to When Dispatching My Car From the USA to the UK?

UK taxes and duties, storage fees, cleaning costs, and vendor fees primarily make up the add-on fees you'll be subject to when shipping a car into the UK from the USA. People importing cars in the UK pay a 10% import duty, 20% value-added tax, or a 5% import duty on collector edition vehicles with no value-added tax. It's essential to know that not all cars coming into the UK will be subject to value-added and motorcar taxes.

You'll have to pay motorcar and value-added tax if:

• Your car is relatively new, and you've been operating it for less than six months
• You're moving from outside of the UK and plan to stay in the UK for over one year
• You paid no duties or taxes on the car
• You received a refund on value-added tax or sales tax with the vehicle

Below are instances where value-added tax and automobile tax aren't required:

• You already live in the UK and only need the automobile temporarily
• You're relocating to the UK and are legally allowed to transfer your residency
• You're currently living outside of the UK and need the vehicle temporarily

The amount you pay in import duties and taxes when shipping your car to the UK will depend on your shipment details.

How Much Is Vehicle Insurance When Dispatching My Vehicle From one country to another?

Typical costs for marine transport insurance will be 1.1-2.5% of your total hauling costs. You'll be able to get marine carrier insurance covering any damage to your auto while traveling overseas. When setting up your insurance plan, you can select All-Risk or Total-Loss-Only insurance. All-risk insurance is more expensive and involves you insuring for your vehicle's total value. In contrast, Total-Loss-Only insurance is less expensive but only covers your car if it disappears during its journey.

Maritime insurance is worth the extra cost, as you'll have peace of mind while your motorcar is in transit. You can purchase an additional insurance policy from your provider to ensure your motorcar safety.

The shipping method you select when planning to ship your car or motorcycle from the USA to the UK will significantly impact the final price tag you receive from an auto-hauling company.

What Methods Are Available for Sending an Automobile?

When it comes to selecting a method to ship your vehicle from the USA to the UK, it's all about selecting the service that's right for you. Airfreight and sea freight shipping are the main services people use to ship a car from the USA to the UK. Most people select sea freight moving for overseas moves due to the lower cost. If you can afford to pay the steep price tag to ship a motorcar from the USA to the UK, your automobile will arrive much faster than sea freight hauling.

People who select air freight transport typically haul high-value motorcars, such as modern exotic sports cars or rare vintage collectible vehicles. Airport security is generally a bit higher than at seaports, so the extra sense of safety is helpful to owners of high-value cars.

That's not to say that sea freight shipping will result in your car being lost or totaled. The people who haul cars overseas via cargo ships are trained professionals with the experience needed to take care of your automobile. If you select sea freight hauling, roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) and lift-on/lift-off (LoLo) will be your options for loading an automobile onto a sea freight ship. Motorcar platforms allow cars to drive up onto sea freight ships using their power during RoRo. LoLo involves a ship using onboard cranes to lift a motorcar onboard during loading and lower a motorcaroff the ship during unloading.

LoLo will be more expensive than RoRo loading and unloading due to the eco-friendliness and protection that the service provides for your car.

A major element that will influence how much it costs to transport your vehicle overseas is which delivery service you select. Your car needs a way to get to its origin port and its destination from the port it arrives in.

What delivery services are available to move a vehicle?

Like choosing a delivery method for shipping your automobile from the USA to the UK, transport companies offer two primary options for getting it to its destination: door-to-door delivery or port-to-port delivery. Door-to-door delivery involves a moving company arriving at your home in the USA, loading your automobile, hauling it to the origin port, and delivering it to the door of your new home in the UK upon arrival. Port-to-port delivery involves bringing your automobile to the port of origin and picking it up at the arrival port in the UK to drive it to your new home.

While door-to-door delivery is more expensive than port-to-port delivery, the convenience is worth the cost if your budget accommodates the service. Port-to-port delivery can be especially stressful if your UK destination is further inland than the port in which it's arriving.

How Much Money Can I Get My Vehicle Imported Fast From One Country To Another?

Earlier, we mentioned that air freight shipping is the service for you if you want your vehicle to be delivered from the USA to the UK as fast as possible. We also didn't fail to mention that air freight hauling is linked with a hefty price tag. So, how hefty is this price tag? As a general estimate, Bloomberg reports that importing a car from the East Coast of the United States to Europe by air can cost between $15,000-$20,000 compared to the $4,000-$5,000 average costs for sea freight container moving.

It's easy to see why people usually reserve air freight shipping for rare, exotic vehicles. Sea freight hauling will take longer to complete, but you can work around the lengthier delivery time by booking your reservation far in advance to ensure your vehicle arrives in the UK at the same time you do.

Let's wrap up by discussing how the time of year you ship your car will affect your final price.

What Is the Least Expensive Time of Year to Send My Auto?

Summer and the holidays are two of the busiest times of the year for auto transport companies. If an auto carrier company is busy, you'll have fewer times available to book a shipping appointment for your vehicle and end up paying more. We recommend booking your appointment in the fall after the back-to-school rush in September as the weather is fairer than Winter, and there won't be as much market demand for moving services.