Cost of Shipping A Car From USA To Nigeria

This is a detailed guide on the cost of shipping a car from USA to Nigeria.

Most of the cars we drive in Nigeria are shipped from the USA, both brand new and fairly used.

Shipping a car from the USA to Nigeria is a practice that has been in existence for a long time and you too can ship your car from the USA to Nigeria if you want.

Moreover, shipping a car from the USA to Nigeria requires money and patience, if you have these two things, then you are good to go.

However, everything you need to know about the cost of shipping a car from USA to Nigeria is embedded in this article.

What You Need To Know Before Shipping A Car To Nigeria

Below are the things you need to know before shipping a car to Nigeria.

1. Vehicles longer than 15 years are refused into Nigeria, so, when choosing your vehicle, go for cars that are not more than 15 years.

2. Right-hand drive vehicles are not accepted in Nigeria, before buying your dream car, ensure the car is left-hand drive.

3. Know your total shipping cost, import duty, and other charges you have to pay. Ensure you have enough money in your account.

4. Engine and chassis, an entry certificate, purchase receipt, ID card, or passport would be requested before your car is registered and issues a license plate.

5. Know that all new vehicles need a FORM M obtained by the consignee in Nigeria prior to shipping.

6. Have a clear Title of Ownership with no Liens on the Title.

7. If your car is new, then your name must be documented on the front of the Title as the registered owner.

8. If the vehicle is not new, then both the seller and buyer have to sign the back of the Title in the spaces provided for that.

9. For safety reasons, know that the vehicle cannot have more than a ¼ tank of gas.

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How to Ship a Car from the USA To Nigeria

Before you ship your car to Nigeria from the USA, you need to have adequate on how to go about it so you do not get defrauded. Below is the step-by-step guide on how to ship a car from the USA to Nigeria.

1. Search for car shipping companies in the United States that offer shipping services to Nigeria

2. Get full information about the shipping rate from the United States to Nigeria

3. Choose the best shipping method to ship your vehicle from the USA to Nigeria. You can use the Roll on Roll method, exclusive container shipping method, shared container shipping method, or Air Cargo to Nigeria.

4. Provide the required documents to the shipping company for booking to ship your vehicle to Nigeria.

5. Take the vehicle to the port or to the export warehouse as required.

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6. Make the agreed payment to the shipping company.

7. Forward the release or bill of landing to your clearing agent, customs broker, or forwarder company in Nigeria.

Documents Required to Ship A Car to Nigeria From The USA

Below are the documents needed to ship a car to Nigeria from the USA.

1. Original vehicle title with the buyer and seller information on it. if there is a lienholder it should be stamped and signed. However, if it is not stamped and signed by the financial company you will need to request an original lien release letter from the Bank guaranteeing the car is fully paid for.

2. Commercial invoice and bill of sale which is used to trace the seller and buyer transaction, and value of the vehicle.

3. Vehicle information – the year of purchase, model, shipping weight, dimensions of the car, etc.

4. Consignee full name and contact information or company address.

5. ID

The Nigerian Customs will request the following documents before you are allowed to import a car to Nigeria

1. Nigerian Driver’s License or passport

2. A filled-out plate number for Proof of insurance

3. Nigerian ID documents

4. Proof of address

5. Original invoice

6. Packing list

7. Combined Certificate of Value and Origin (CCVO)

8. Adequate description of the imported goods

9. Shipped / Clean on Bill of Landing / Railway Bill / Air Bill

10. Port fees document for Lagos terminal

Departure Ports For Shipping Cars From The USA To Nigeria

Below are the departure ports for shipping cars from the USA to Nigeria.

Newark, New Jersey.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Savannah, GA
Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Houston, Texas.

Arrival Ports of shipped Cars To Nigeria

There is only one arrival port in Nigeria which is the Port of Lagos also known as the Premiere Port (Apapa Quays) located in Apapa, Lagos State. It is the moneymaking center of the country, established in 1913.

Method Of Shipping Cars To Nigeria From The USA

There are two methods of shipping cars from the USA to Nigeria and the methods are RoRo Shipping (Roll-On/Roll-Off) and Container Shipping.

1. RoRo Shipping (Roll-On/Roll-Off) Method

RoRo shipping method is the cheapest means to ship cars to Nigeria, but your car has to be in a good condition for it to be successfully shipped through this method.

Through the RoRo method, your car will be moved into a ship and tied to the deck for security and to prevent direct exposure to the sea.

This method offers fast transit time to Tin Can Island in Lagos, Nigeria with only 17 days of transit port to port.

The good thing about this method is that the local export charges and destination Charges in Nigeria are cheaper than a container shipment with cars to Nigeria.

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Ports that offer RoRo shipping from the USA to Nigeria include Galveston, Texas, Jacksonville, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, Portsmouth, Virginia, Bayonne, New Jersey, Baltimore, and Maryland.

2. Container Shipping Method

Container shipping is another method of shipping cars from the USA to Nigeria.

Using this method, you can ship faulty vehicles and accident vehicles from American auto auctions such as Copart or IAAI.

However, you can pack up to 4 cars into a 40ft container to Nigeria, and you can include your personal belongings too.

There are two container shipping options which are share container shipping and exclusive container shipping.

Shared Container Shipping

Shared container shipping is the cheapest option to ship accidents and faulty cars to Nigeria, but not all the ports in the USA transport non-runner or accident vehicles.

However, with this option, your car is shipped with other vehicles in a closed container.

Although it’s one of the safest methods of shipping cars from the USA to Nigeria, some people do not like it because the departure and the landing date is not guaranteed as you will have to wait until the whole container is filled with other vehicles before the ship will sail.

However, this method does not require your vehicle to be in good condition before it can be loaded, you can ship faulty classic cars.

Exclusive Container Shipping

Exclusive container shipping is a very good option for people who do not want their car to be packed with other cars

However, exotic cars like Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins, etc are always shipped this way, and it is the most expensive method of shipping a car from the USA to Nigeria.

Ports that offer exclusive container shipping include Oakland and Long Beach in California, Houston, Texas, Miami, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, and Newark, New Jersey.

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