Route rate sheet · Sea freight · India to UK
Ship a car from India to the UK
Mumbai, Chennai to Port of Southampton in a sealed container. One price covers ocean freight, export handling in India and marine insurance; destination port charges, duty and VAT are shown separately below.
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
7,300 km great circle · 16-30 days
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
At a glance
India to UK car shipping: cost, time and rules
Shipping a car from India to the UK with IPAS Express costs from $4,570 port to port for one car in its own 20ft container, with live rates from our shipping desk. Duty and VAT in the UK are quoted separately in the landed-cost examples below.
- Ocean freight · 20ft
- $3,200–3,900
- Mumbai / Chennai → Port of Southampton
- Ocean freight · 40ft
- $5,050–6,100
- Two cars, or one large SUV plus parts
- Port to port, 1 car
- from $4,570
- Ocean freight + export handling + insurance
- Sea transit
- 16-30 days
- Port to port
- Import Duty
- 10% of CIF
- Flat rate across all HS 8703 and 8704 codes per UK Global Tariff
- VAT/GST
- 20% VAT
- Applied to CIF + Customs Duty (compounds on duty)
- Steering
- RHD required
- LHD legal but requires IVA; RHD conversion ~£22,000 for USA vehicles
- Age Limit
- No age limit
- Vehicles over 10 years old qualify as classics with reduced VAT (5%)
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Rate sheet · JNPT Port Mumbai → Port of Southampton
What it costs, line by line
Insurance is figured on a declared value of $37,100 (reference vehicle: 2026 Xiaomi YU7). 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
$4,570per car $4,570- Ocean freight
- $3,500
- Export handling
- $970
- Insurance
- $100
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,920
2 cars · 40ft high-cube
Two cars you ship together, or a group booking
$6,992per car $3,496- Ocean freight
- $5,400
- Export handling
- $1,392
- Insurance
- $200
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,920
3–4 cars · racked 40ft HC
Compact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking
Quoteper car from ~$1,800- Ocean freight
- $5,400
- 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)
- —
Air freight
Fastest option, 3–7 days; quoted per aircraft load
Quoteper car —- Ocean freight
- on request
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- per value
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
Scroll for line-by-line costs →
| Shipping option | Total · IPAS price | Per car | Ocean freight | Export handling (India) | 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 | $4,570 | $4,570 | $3,500 | $970packaging $243 · THC $539 · clearance $104 | $100 | $1,920THC $420 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 2 cars · 40ft high-cubeTwo cars you ship together, or a group booking | $6,992 | $3,496 | $5,400 | $1,392packaging 2×$289 · THC $603 · clearance $127 | $200 | $1,920THC $420 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 3–4 cars · racked 40ft HCCompact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking | Quote | from ~$1,800 | $5,400 | on request | per value | — |
| RoRo · per carOversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars | On request | — | on request | on request | — | — |
| Air freightFastest option, 3–7 days; quoted per aircraft load | Quote | — | on request | on request | per value | — |
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 Southampton 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 India
- Included: Terminal handling at JNPT Port Mumbai
- Included: Ocean freight JNPT Port Mumbai → Port of Southampton
- 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 Southampton on arrival)
- Not included: UK 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 · India
India
JNPT Port Mumbai
Chennai Port
Discharge ports · UK
UK
Port of Southampton
Landed-cost examples · the UK
Cars worth importing to the UK
Landed-cost examples for the UK, from other origins.
Importing to UK
Registering a car from India in the UK
What buyers shipping from India need to know about the UK's import duties, steering rules and registration.
Importing a car to the United Kingdom costs approximately 32% of CIF value — 10% customs duty plus 20% VAT compounded on duty-inclusive value. The UK drives on the left and requires RHD configuration; LHD imports are legal but require Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) and are harder to register.
Import Process: UK
- 1
File NOVA Within 14 Days
Submit Notification of Vehicle Arrival to HMRC via the online portal within 14 days of the vehicle arriving in the UK to avoid penalties.
- 2
Pay Customs Duty and VAT
Pay 10% customs duty on CIF value and 20% VAT on the duty-inclusive assessable value through the Customs Declaration Service (CDS).
- 3
Complete Individual Vehicle Approval
Pass the IVA test at a DVSA-approved centre to verify the vehicle meets UK safety, emissions, and construction standards — mandatory for non-EU type-approved cars.
- 4
Register With DVLA
Submit form V55/5 (new) or V55/4 (used) with IVA certificate, insurance proof, and £55 fee to obtain a UK registration number.
- 5
Obtain MOT Certificate
Book an MOT test if the vehicle is over three years old; this is required before the DVLA will issue road-legal plates.
- 6
Display Plates and Pay VED
Fit UK-format number plates and pay Vehicle Excise Duty based on CO2 emissions — zero-rated for EVs, up to £2,605 first-year for high-emission cars.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Importing an LHD vehicle without budgeting for IVA derogation or RHD conversion
Fix
Confirm LHD is acceptable for your use case or factor £15,000–£25,000 for professional RHD conversion before purchase.
Missing the 14-day NOVA filing window with HMRC
Fix
File NOVA online immediately upon vehicle arrival at the UK port to avoid late-filing penalties and delayed DVLA registration.
Letting the IVA certificate expire before DVLA registration
Fix
Complete DVLA V55/5 registration within six months of passing IVA, as the certificate has a limited validity window.
FAQ
India to UK shipping questions
With IPAS Express, shipping one car from India to the UK costs from $4,570 port to port in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 16-30 days. Import duty and VAT in the UK are quoted separately in the landed-cost examples on this page.
NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrival) is a mandatory HMRC filing declaring a vehicle imported from outside the UK. You must submit it online within 14 days of arrival to trigger customs duty and VAT payment, and to unlock DVLA registration.
Yes — any vehicle without EU type-approval (including all USA, Japanese domestic, and post-Brexit EU imports) requires an Individual Vehicle Approval test at a DVSA centre. The test verifies emissions, safety, lighting, and construction standards before DVLA will issue UK plates.
No — EVs pay the same 10% customs duty and 20% VAT as petrol and diesel vehicles (32% effective tax on CIF). However, EVs qualify for £0 first-year Vehicle Excise Duty and are exempt from London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone fees until 2026.
Yes, LHD cars are legal to register in the UK, but they must pass the IVA test and fit UK-compliant headlights, wing mirrors, and speedometer (mph). Insurance is 15–25% higher for LHD vehicles, and resale value drops significantly versus equivalent RHD models.
Since January 2021, EU vehicle imports are treated identically to non-EU imports — 10% customs duty, 20% VAT, and full NOVA filing apply. EU type-approval is no longer automatically accepted, so most EU vehicles now require IVA testing at a DVSA centre before DVLA registration.
Keep exploring
Related routes and guides
Other origins → UK
India → other destinations
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