A Complete Guide To Shipping Cars From The UK To Zambia

Zambia Regulations On Imported Cars

When shipping cars to Zambia from the UK,  consider the following Zambian rules and regulations:

1. Age restrictions: Zambia has no age restrictions on imported vehicles. However, the vehicle needs to pass its pre-shipment roadworthiness inspection.
2. Pre-shipment Roadworthiness inspection: This is usually conducted prior to shipping to ensure that the vehicle complies with Zambian rules and regulations. We can assist in arranging for this inspection on your behalf.
3. Left-hand or Right-hand drive vehicles: Zambia has no restrictions on left-hand or right-hand vehicles.

Roadworthiness Inspection

The Zambia Bureau of standards has contracted three companies to conduct the roadworthiness inspection. They are:

1. Auto Terminal Japan Limited,
2. EAA Limited and
3. JEVIC Limited.

These three companies provide roadworthiness inspection in the United Kingdom. We can arrange to do the inspection on your behalf to make your shipping experience as hassle-free as possible.

The roadworthiness inspection is done to minimize the entry of substandard and unsafe vehicles from being shipped to Zambia.

The roadworthiness test encompasses:

1. A safety and mechanical inspection. This is to check whether all parts and components of the vehicle operate as manufactured.
2. A test to see if the vehicle is free of CFC (R12) gas
3. Checking whether the odometer reading has no discrepancy between the actual and regulatory/supporting documentation.
4. A visual inspection on the vehicle’s general appearance to ensure it has no cosmetic erosion exceeding 15cm in length or width, no repair that detracts from the general appearance of the car (such as taping), no damage that exceeds an area greater than the 1/4 of a panel in size, no sharp or dangerous projections or any missing/loose parts.

 The following documents are required during the pre-shipment inspection:

1. An original DVLA Registration Certificate (V5C)
2. An MOT Test Certificate (VT20) with at least 4 months’ validity for passenger vehicles and 1-month validity for trucks.

Choosing The Right Shipping Method

Simba Shipping currently offers a wide variety of shipping methods available and among them are:

Roll On Roll Off (or as it is more popularly called RoRo): Picture an underground parking building except it floats. The main advantage of RoRo shipping is that it is the relatively cheaper option of the three options. This method is commonly used by car exporters when shipping vehicles from the UK to Zambia in large volumes.

Container Shipping: With container shipping, you get a dedicated container for shipping your car. The general rule of thumb is a single car in a 20 ft container and two in a shared 40 ft container.

Air Freight: This is the most efficient of all shipping methods; however, is quite expensive.

How much does shipping a car from the UK to Zambia cost? Prices vary depending on the shipping method, port of loading, the make and model of the vehicle (for Saloon cars and 4by4’s) or the size of the vehicle(for heavy commercial vehicles). Contact us for a quote today.

Ports And Border Posts Used To Import Vehicles To Zambia

Zambia is a landlocked country. To send your vehicle to Zambia from the UK you will need to use Walvis Bay port in Namibia.

Once at the ports we can arrange for on-carriage to Kazungula.

 

Documents Required For Customs Clearance

The following are the documents required for vehicle clearance in Zambia:

1. 1. Invoice or letter of sale indicating the price paid
   2. Bill of Lading (for overseas imports) and/or road/rail consignment note/manifest (for overland transportation)
   3. Freight Statement (including overland costs from the port)
   4. Insurance Certificate
   5. Any other documents that are relevant to the purchase, acquisition, shipment or importation of the vehicle.

All motor vehicles are final cleared at the entry ports, except for those on which permission is granted to be final cleared at inland ports. Payment of assessed taxes for importation of motor vehicles may be made at any Zambia Revenue Authority office countrywide where Asycuda exists.

Motor vehicles allowed to be cleared at inland ports are removed in bond from the entry ports and should be taken/driven straight to the appointed customs area where they should be kept until they are finally cleared.

Taxes And Customs Duty In Zambia

To learn how to calculate customs duty in Zambia you can look at our Guide To Taxes And Customs Duty In Zambia. Understanding taxes can help you understand the total cost of shipping a car from the UK to Zambia.

If you would like to make a quick lookup the specific duty rates laid out by ZRA you can look them up in the document linked here.

If you have any concerns feels free to contact us.

Returning Residents

To qualify for any tax incentives set for returning residents, the following documents are to be submitted through a customs clearing agent:

1. Work or residence permit or letter of employment offer or contract, in the case of persons that are coming to take up new residence in Zambia.
2. Work or residence permit or letter of employment or termination or copy of expired employment contract
3. Proof of motor vehicle ownership.
4. Copy of passport
5. Original bill of lading
6. Proof of income i.e Stamped 3 months bank statement

Kindly note that to qualify for a tax rebate you will have had to have stayed outside Zambia for a minimum of 4 years.

This is usually handled by the Ministry of Finance.

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Note: This article means only to serve as a guide and should be used as such. It is important that you verify the facts based on your vehicle and confirm with your clearing agent before shipping your vehicle.

Sources

Pre-shipment Roadworthiness inspection:

https://www.jevic.com/services/vehicle-maritime-inspections/roadworthiness-zambia/index.html

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2017/03/08/know-import-used-cars-zambia/

https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/05/20/car-inspections-increase-prior-to-importation-into-zambia/

Vehicle clearance and customs duty: https://www.darcorridor.org/images/CustomsRegulationFiles/Zambia/ZM_Docs.pdf

Returning residents tax rebates:

https://www.pwc.com/zm/en/assets/pdf/zambia-budget-2019.pdf Page 20