VerifiedGet matched with vetted international mover We match you with only accredited partner for your route: fewer calls, less stress, and a clearer quote.
Shipping a car to Jamaica from the UK is straightforward once you know the rules, but there are a few you can't skip. You need an import licence from the Trade Board before the car sails, the vehicle has to be within an age limit, and a car is never duty-free, so budget for the duty. Cars go by RoRo or in a container, and clear at Kingston. Tell us about your vehicle and we'll connect you with one vetted shipper. Asking is free.
✅ The quick answer — Get a Trade Board licence first, then ship by RoRo or container. A vetted shipper handles it. Free to enquire.
🚚 RoRo or container — RoRo is cheaper for a running car; a container gives more protection and suits non-runners and EVs.
📅 Age limit — Cars must be within 6 years to import, or up to 10 years for returning residents who've owned the car 6 months.
📋 The licence — You need a Trade Board import licence, applied for on JSWIFT, before you ship the car.
💵 Duty — A car is never duty-free. Full duty is payable, based on the value, and a licensed broker clears it.
⏱️ How long it takes — Around 15 to 20 days at sea from UK ports, plus clearance at Kingston.
You can ship your car one of two ways. RoRo, short for roll-on roll-off, is the cheaper option: the car is driven on and off the vessel and travels on a dedicated car deck. It suits a running, drivable car. A container is dearer but protects the car from the weather and lets you ship a non-running vehicle, an electric car (which may carry a battery surcharge), or a car with some spare parts packed alongside.
You can use a sole-use container for one car, or share the space. Your shipper will steer you to whichever fits your vehicle and budget. The shipping container guide explains the sizes.
This is the part to get right before anything else. You need an import licence from the Trade Board, applied for through JSWIFT (the Jamaica Single Window for Trade), and you must have it before you ship the car. A used vehicle also needs a pre-shipment inspection in the UK.
Age limits apply, and they depend on who's importing:
One firm rule: damaged or salvaged vehicles can't be imported at all.
A car is never duty-free, not even for returning residents. Full duty is payable, worked out on the value of the vehicle along with its engine size and type, so it can be a sizeable sum. A licensed customs broker must clear a vehicle; you can't do it yourself. The car clears at Kingston.
You'll need the title (your V5 logbook in the UK), the supplier's invoice, two forms of ID, the bill of lading, your Taxpayer Registration Number and your import licence. The broker prepares the import entry and submits it to customs on your behalf. The returning residents guide explains why the vehicle concession doesn't apply.
RoRo is the cheaper way to move a running car, with a container costing more for the added protection. The freight is only part of the bill, though: the duty is usually the bigger number, so budget for both. Add the Trade Board licence, the inspection, insurance and the broker's fee, and you have the full picture. Your shipper sets out every cost before you commit, and the cost guide covers the wider move.
By sea, the car takes around 15 to 20 days from UK ports, then clears at Kingston. We cover the whole island, from Kingston and Montego Bay to Mandeville, with every town on the Jamaica hub.
A move to Jamaica usually means changing money somewhere along the line, from a deposit to settling-in costs. We've long pointed customers to trusted partners who deal in any currency, so that side is taken care of.
Start at the Jamaica hub for every destination and service, or carry on with a related guide or town below.
Tell us what you're sending, and we connect you with a single partner suited to your shipment and the route. No call centre, and no wading through ten quotes.
For a household container, partners carry FIDI FAIM accreditation, the global standard for international removers, backed by an independent Ernst and Young audit, with BAR Overseas as the UK marker. For barrels and part loads, partners are Caribbean shippers who work Kingston and Montego Bay regularly.
For clarity, we're the connector, not the carrier. International Removals Companies passes your enquiry to one vetted partner who does the shipping, free, as it has since November 2010. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743, Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Send us the details and a rough date. One vetted shipper replies with a price, a timeline and the customs steps. It's free, with no obligation.
Get my free quoteYour shipper confirms every price, transit time, insurance and customs point before you book.
International Removals Companies is the official enquiry service for three FIDI FAIM and BAR Overseas certified international moving companies in AGM Group, members of IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC. It's a free route-matching service, not a removal company, a man with a van or a house clearance service.
Use this page to send your Jamaica removal enquiry, then speak directly with the partner mover we connect you with before booking.