Car Shipping from UK to Ghana — Tema & Takoradi

Almost all vehicles into Ghana arrive at Tema Port, 25 km east of Accra. Tema has dedicated RoRo terminals operated by Grimaldi, Sallaum and other West-Africa specialists, with weekly direct calls from Southampton. Takoradi is the secondary gateway in the Western Region and is better suited to importers in Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi or further west — though sailings are less frequent.

Containers route via Felixstowe and Southampton, transhipped or direct, into Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3 in Tema. MPS is a modern deep-water terminal and one of the fastest container release operations in West Africa, which makes Ghana an attractive option versus regional alternatives.

RoRo is the everyday choice for a single running vehicle: cheapest freight, fastest sailing and a smooth offload at Tema's RoRo ramp. Expect 18–25 days port-to-port from Southampton. Container shipping suits high-value vehicles, classics, non-runners and any shipment containing personal effects.

Shared (consolidated) container is increasingly popular for Ghana because it gives the security of an enclosed container at a price only marginally higher than RoRo. With our R-Rak service we fit four to six cars into a single 40ft, dropping the per-car freight bill significantly.

Ghana operates a paperless customs system through the ICUMS platform. Your clearing agent submits the declaration, valuation and duty calculation electronically against the bill of lading. You will need the V5C, passport, bill of lading and a proforma invoice, plus the importer's Ghana TIN.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA Ghana) requires the V5C and bill of lading to register the vehicle on local plates after clearance. We recommend you nominate your clearing agent before the vessel sails, so the declaration is pre-lodged and the car can be released within 5–7 days of arrival.

Ghana levies import duty of 5%–20% depending on engine capacity, plus VAT (15%), NHIL (2.5%), GETFund (2.5%) and a vehicle-age penalty for cars over 10 years old. The penalty steps up sharply for cars over 12 years, which is the main reason most UK-to-Ghana shippers focus on vehicles less than 10 years old.

Realistic destination clearance in Tema for a mid-size saloon runs between GHS 35,000–GHS 70,000 depending on assessed value and age. Always model the duty before you ship — for older cars the duty can exceed the car's value, which makes the shipment uneconomic.

Direct Southampton → Tema is the gold standard at 18–22 days. Sheerness routings sometimes add a transhipment in Antwerp or Hamburg, adding 4–7 days. Container schedules are 25–32 days door-to-port. Add 5–10 days for clearance and delivery to your address in Accra or Kumasi.

Tema rarely suffers serious congestion, but always allow a buffer around Ghana's main holidays (6 March Independence, Easter, Eid, Founders' Day 4 August, Christmas). Demurrage at MPS starts after 7 free days, so a slow clearance can quickly eat into the savings of a cheap freight quote.

If you are buying a car specifically to export to Ghana, prioritise vehicles 5–9 years old: the import duty penalty hits at 10 years and steepens at 12. Diesel SUVs in popular configurations (Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V) sell quickly and tend to clear without dispute on valuation.

Always pre-pay marine insurance — Tema port handling is generally good, but RoRo cars do occasionally suffer minor cosmetic damage in transit, and insurance is the only realistic route to compensation.