Shipping Cars to Africa

If you know, what is important and needed, shipping cars to Africa can be very easy. In the following article, we offer you the opportunity to inform yourself fast and effectively about how to export cars from Germany to Africa and vice versa. Note that with our configurator, you can ship your vehicle via ship, airplane, train and truck.
Freightfinders.com designed a check list for a quick overview for you.

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Check List:

Attention: Every country in Africa has its own special restrictions for imports and exports, that is why our partner forwarder will offer you help with your car transportation.

Car Export from Germany to Africa:

• Vehicle Insurance
• Export Licence Plate
• Export Declaration
• International Automobile Registration Certificate
• Poss. Carnet de Passage

Import from Africa to Germany:

• Vehicle Registration Certificate/Certificate of Origin and Certificate of Conformity
• 19% VAT and 10% duty (not mandatory if relocation)
• Additionally, please collect all the documents that are needed for the export

Mandatory in General:

• MOT test (German TÜV)
• Vehicle Tax

• Now, choose a forwarder
• Decide, what container size and type you need
• Bring your vehicle to the port or let it be brought by a forwarding agency
• Cover a container insurance (not mandatory, but strongly recommended)

If you wish further information about how to ship your car, please read the following article.

Shipping Cars in a Container or on a Roro ship from and to Africa

Advantages & Disadvantages of Car Containers

In a car container, your vehicle is shielded from all external circumstances. The car is protected from the weather, which can cause damage to your vehicle. Additionally, it is also protected from theft. Not only does a car container save your car from these contingencies, but their sizes can match the needs of your transport. The transport in a container, however, takes more time, as for example a Roro transport.

Types and Costs of Car Containers

There are various ways of car shipping in a container. Depending on your needs and wishes, you can decide, which fits best. If you want to ship a valuable car and want it to be protected during the transport, it is best do use a FCL container. That way, your car is separated from everything that can cause any damage to your vehicle. You have also the possibility of using a LCL container. This kind of container is filled with goods by more than one customer. This means that the container is shared and that your car will be put into it with other vehicles. A LCL shipment saves you costs for your transport. Now, you can decide what matches your needs the most.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Roro Ships

When transporting with a Roro Ship, the vehicles are driven over a ramp onto the deck of the ship. This handling is particularly gentle to your car. Moreover, it shortens the handling time and, thereby, the overall transport time, as the vehicles can be loaded and unloaded quickly. There is also the possibility of transporting any kind and size of car with a “roll on roll off” ship, as the deck can be adjusted in height that even agricultural vehicles have enough space. Furthermore, the low prices are just another advantage of this kind of transport.
However, the cars are on the loading space without any protection from outside influences, which increases the risk of damages. Also, there are fewer Roro Ship routes and the frequency of their transports is lower, as well.

Car Export: Shipping from Germany to Africa

Before exporting a car to Africa, you have to collect several documents. A vehicle insurance is mandatory. In Germany, you will get a green insurance card. When shipping a car from Germany to Africa, you will need other insurance cards. In Arabic countries, you will get an orange card, in southern and eastern Africa, there is a yellow one and in western Africa, a brown one is used. If your destination country is not covered with one of these cards, you will have to cover a third-party insurance. What you will also need, for shipping a car from Germany to Africa, is an export licence plate. If you have all of the things named above, you can apply for an export declaration at the customs. When exporting a car to Africa,  an International Automobile Registration Certificate is also mandatory. If you are planning on shipping the car from Germany to Africa and back again, you will have to apply for a “Carnet de Passage”. This document is valid for one year and enables a duty-free import.

Car Import: Shipping from Africa to Germany

The documents needed for shipping a vehicle to Germany correspond with the documents needed for exporting a car to Africa. However, there are some more necessary. You will need a Vehicle Registration Certificate/ Certificate of Origin when shipping a vehicle from Africa to Germany. This document will prove your ownership of the car. The Certificate of Conformity is mandatory for shipping a car to Germany, as it shows that the car conforms the norms of the EU.
It might be that you will need further documents for the export from Africa. Please make sure to clarify these questions with the responsible consulate.
When shipping a car to Germany, you are asked to pay 19% VAT and 10% (of the vehicle’s value) duty. This, however, does not apply, if the reason for the import to Germany is a relocation.

Costs of a Car Transport to Africa

The costs for shipping cars from Germany to Africa and vice versa depend on various facts. This means that it depends, for example, on the distance of the route, which containers are used, etc. The prices that are the most constant, are the charges for customs and administration, as well as the vehicle tax. As the MOT test (TÜV) is mandatory during the car transports to Germany and in Germany itself, these costs have also to be covered. The most crucial point, where you are able to save costs, is if the shipping is a matter of relocation, as VAT and duty do not have to be paid. What matters also, is the size of the container. The bigger the car container, the advanced the prices. If the container is smaller, or if you want to share it (LCL shipment), the costs can be reduced.

Insurance for Car Containers

We highly recommended to cover insurance for your car container. During the transport, there are damages that can occur. These are mostly not covered by the freight forwarders, as they have limited liability. To avoid unnecessary costs, you might consider covering a car container insurance. On this platform, you can find the right insurance offer for your route.

Car shipping Germany: To and from every country in Africa

Car shipping: Northern Africa - Germany

Car shipping: Southern Africa - Germany

Car shipping: Western Africa - Germany

car shipping Eastern Africa - Germany

Car shipping: Central Africa - Germany