Route rate sheet · Sea freight · Germany to Nigeria
Ship a car from Germany to Nigeria
Bremerhaven, Hamburg to Port of Lagos (Apapa) in a sealed container. One price covers ocean freight, export handling in Germany and marine insurance; destination port charges, duty and VAT are shown separately below.
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
5,260 km great circle · 14-24 days
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
At a glance
Germany to Nigeria car shipping: cost, time and rules
Shipping a car from Germany to Nigeria with IPAS Express costs from $5,412 port to port for one car in its own 20ft container, with live rates from our shipping desk. Duty and VAT in Nigeria are quoted separately in the landed-cost examples below.
- Ocean freight · 20ft
- $3,550–3,900
- Bremerhaven / Hamburg → Port of Lagos (Apapa)
- Ocean freight · 40ft
- $4,900–5,350
- Two cars, or one large SUV plus parts
- Port to port, 1 car
- from $5,412
- Ocean freight + export handling + insurance
- Sea transit
- 14-24 days
- Port to port
- Import Duty
- 10-20% of CIF
- 20% passenger cars (HS 8703), 10% commercial trucks (HS 8704)
- VAT/GST
- 7.5% VAT
- Applied to cumulative total; 0% for battery electric vehicles under 2025 Finance Act
- Steering
- LHD only
- Right-hand-drive vehicles cannot be registered for road use in Nigeria
- Age Limit
- ~10 years
- Policy trend from date of manufacture; ECOWAS-aligned, moving toward Euro 4+ compliance
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Rate sheet · AutoTerminal Bremerhaven → Port of Lagos (Apapa)
What it costs, line by line
Insurance is figured on a declared value of $48,600 (reference vehicle: 2026 Ford Bronco). Every line comes from the same tables the calculator reads, so the quote you get matches this sheet.
1 car · own 20ft container
Any car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available
$5,412per car $5,412- Ocean freight
- $3,900
- Export handling
- $1,404
- Insurance
- $108
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,740
2 cars · 40ft high-cube
Two cars you ship together, or a group booking
$7,613per car $3,807- Ocean freight
- $5,350
- Export handling
- $2,054
- Insurance
- $209
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,740
3–4 cars · racked 40ft HC
Compact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking
Quoteper car from ~$2,100- Ocean freight
- $5,350
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- per value
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
RoRo · per car
Oversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars
On requestper car —- Ocean freight
- on request
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- —
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
Scroll for line-by-line costs →
| Shipping option | Total · IPAS price | Per car | Ocean freight | Export handling (Germany) | Insurance 0.2% | Destination charges · est., payable at port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 car · own 20ft containerAny car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available | $5,412 | $5,412 | $3,900 | $1,404packaging $650 · THC $350 · clearance $150 | $108 | $1,740THC $240 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 2 cars · 40ft high-cubeTwo cars you ship together, or a group booking | $7,613 | $3,807 | $5,350 | $2,054packaging 2×$650 · THC $350 · clearance $150 | $209 | $1,740THC $240 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 3–4 cars · racked 40ft HCCompact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking | Quote | from ~$2,100 | $5,350 | on request | per value | — |
| RoRo · per carOversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars | On request | — | on request | on request | — | — |
Door pick-up within the port's standard radius adds about $660 per car. Insurance is 0.2% of the declared vehicle value, with a per-car minimum. Destination charges are paid at Port of Lagos (Apapa) on arrival and are not part of the total. Duty and VAT are not in this table either: see the landed-cost examples below or run CarImport.AI. Ocean figures are our current route rates and update when the rate table changes.
Included in the IPAS price
- Included: Export packaging, chocking and lashing inside the container
- Included: Export customs clearance in Germany
- Included: Terminal handling at AutoTerminal Bremerhaven
- Included: Ocean freight AutoTerminal Bremerhaven → Port of Lagos (Apapa)
- Included: Marine insurance at 0.2% of the declared value
- Included: Bill of Lading, packing list and tracking
Not included
- Not included: Destination port charges (shown per row; paid at Port of Lagos (Apapa) on arrival)
- Not included: Nigeria customs duty and VAT
- Not included: Conformity certification and registration inspection
- Not included: Inland collection unless door pick-up is selected
- Not included: Storage or demurrage after the port's free days
- Not included: Personal effects: the car ships empty
Ports & inland reach
Where your car leaves and arrives
Load ports · Germany
Germany
AutoTerminal Bremerhaven
Port of Hamburg
Discharge ports · Nigeria
Nigeria
Port of Lagos (Apapa)
Landed-cost examples · Nigeria
Cars worth importing to Nigeria
Landed-cost examples for Nigeria, from other origins.
Available now in Germany
Export-ready units from Germany
Importing to Nigeria
Registering a car from Germany in Nigeria
What buyers shipping from Germany need to know about Nigeria's import duties, steering rules and registration.
Importing a vehicle to Nigeria carries 35-57% total duties under the ECOWAS CET and NAC Levy regime. Nigeria accepts only LHD vehicles and enforces a ~10-year maximum age policy at the port of Apapa or Tin Can Island.
Import Process: Nigeria
- 1
Open Form M via Authorized Bank
Submit Form M with proforma invoice and insurance certificate through a Nigerian authorized dealer bank. This e-Form is mandatory before shipment and links to the NCS Single Window.
- 2
Obtain Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR)
After Form M approval, NCS issues the PAAR electronically using CIF value and HS classification. PAAR must be generated before the vessel arrives at Lagos.
- 3
Ship to Apapa or Tin Can Island Port
Cargo is consigned to Lagos ports. Apapa handles most RoRo vehicles while Tin Can Island processes both RoRo and container shipments; transit runs 25-40 days from most origins.
- 4
NCS Physical Inspection and Duty Payment
Clearing agent presents PAAR, Bill of Lading, and Form M at Customs. NCS verifies chassis number and engine capacity, then duties plus VAT are paid through designated banks in Naira.
- 5
VREG Registration and Number Plates
After port release, register the vehicle on the Vehicle Registration (VREG) portal and obtain Federal Road Safety Corps number plates from the state Motor Licensing Authority.
- 6
Road License, Insurance, and Roadworthiness
Secure third-party insurance, pay the road license, and complete the Computerized Vehicle Inspection (CVI) to obtain a roadworthiness certificate valid for road use.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Shipping vehicle before opening Form M with a Nigerian bank
Fix
Form M must be approved by an authorized dealer bank before the bill of lading is issued; otherwise NCS refuses PAAR and cargo incurs demurrage at Apapa.
Declaring wrong HS code or low CIF to reduce duty
Fix
NCS routinely applies valuation uplift using reference databases; misclassification triggers penalties of 25-100% of underpaid duty plus possible seizure under CEMA.
Importing a vehicle older than 10 years from manufacture
Fix
Nigeria enforces a ~10-year age policy aligned with ECOWAS; older vehicles face outright rejection or severe penalty duty. Check the manufacture year on the VIN plate before purchase.
FAQ
Germany to Nigeria shipping questions
With IPAS Express, shipping one car from Germany to Nigeria costs from $5,412 port to port in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 14-24 days. Import duty and VAT in Nigeria are quoted separately in the landed-cost examples on this page.
Nigeria prohibits import of vehicles older than 15 years. Import duties are approximately 35% plus 7.5% VAT and various levies. Lagos port clearance can take 7-14 days due to congestion.
Form M is a mandatory e-declaration opened through a Nigerian authorized dealer bank before any vehicle is shipped. It links the importer, CIF value, and HS code to the Nigeria Customs Service Single Window and triggers PAAR issuance.
After Form M approval, NCS electronically issues the PAAR, which states the assessed duty, NAC Levy, VAT, and other charges. The PAAR must be generated before vessel arrival and is presented at Apapa or Tin Can Island for duty payment.
Nigeria enforces a ~10-year age limit from date of manufacture, aligned with ECOWAS policy. Vehicles older than this face rejection, penalty duties, or seizure; policy is trending toward Euro 4+ emission compliance.
No. Nigeria registers only left-hand-drive vehicles. RHD cars cannot be issued a VREG registration or number plates and cannot be legally used on Nigerian roads; source only LHD units.
Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos handle virtually all vehicle imports. Apapa specializes in RoRo while Tin Can handles both RoRo and container cargo; clearance typically takes 10-14 days after vessel berthing.
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