Costa Rica is not one of our busiest routes, and that alone worries some people. They wonder whether anyone ships cars from there at all. We do. The car leaves from the Caribbean coast, crosses the Atlantic and arrives as a fairly ordinary left-hand drive import, which is work our team does all the time.
Here is how it goes, in the order it happens, and what to expect on cost and tax.
- Port
- Limón
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,575
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Steering
- Left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Getting the car to Limón
We collect from your address or dealer in Costa Rica and truck the car to the port. Depending on its value, we quote for open or enclosed transport. If you want enclosed, just say so on the quote form.
Our route runs from Limón, on the Caribbean coast. The state's Caribbean ports authority, JAPDEVA, runs the terminals at Limón and nearby Moín, which take container and RoRo ships, and large container ships use the Moín Container Terminal, run by APM Terminals since 2019. Sailing from the Caribbean side means the car heads straight out into the Atlantic, with no canal to pass through. There is more on our Port of Limón page.
How it travels
Cars from Costa Rica go in a shared container, a dedicated container or by RoRo. A shared container splits the cost with other customers' cars. A dedicated container is yours alone. RoRo means the car is driven onto the ship, so it has to run.
A container keeps the car sealed and out of the weather, and it comes to our yard in Castle Donington to be unloaded by our own team rather than sitting in a busy port warehouse. Our guide to container, RoRo or air compares the options in more depth.
Transit between continents is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing. Your normal car insurance will not cover it at sea, so we recommend our marine insurance, which covers the car up to its full value if it is damaged or lost in transit.
Leaving Costa Rica
Before the car sails it has to be cleared for export, and its Costa Rican registration needs dealing with. The steps vary with the car and whether you are selling, moving or shipping a car you have just bought, so we confirm what applies when we quote.
The useful thing to do now is get the ownership documents together and check they match the person shipping the car. A loan or lien on the car is worth mentioning early, too. Our guide to shipping a car with finance outstanding explains why.
Your Costa Rica paperwork
0 of 5 done
From Limón to your drive
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Before it sails
Collection and export
We collect the car, take it to Limón and get it loaded, by container or RoRo.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car crosses the Caribbean and the North Atlantic.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Our team makes the left-hand drive changes and tests the car on our own IVA or MOT lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your UK plates.
Left-hand drive changes
Costa Rica drives on the right, and its border authorities may even refuse entry to right-hand drive vehicles, so the cars there are left-hand drive. The usual changes for the UK are:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced so they dip for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph, on cars under 10 years old
- A rear fog light, where the car does not have a suitable one
If your car was built to North American specification, it may also need amber rear indicators and other lighting changes, which our guide to converting an American car for UK roads covers. We check the specification when we quote.
Testing and registration
A car under 10 years old takes an IVA test. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, with similar changes made first. Over 40 years old, no MOT is needed, and the car can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. The IVA test explained guide walks through the test.
Import tax from Costa Rica
Costa Rica is outside the EU, so a car bought there pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty, both worked out on the price of the car plus the transport. VAT is charged on top of the duty. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can make the import tax and duty free, with HMRC approval before the car arrives. A car first registered in the UK may also come home tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C. Our worked tax examples turn the rates into pounds.
Moving home after time in Costa Rica? Apply for Transfer of Residence before the car sails, not after it lands. Our guide to moving to the UK with your car covers the rest of the move.
What it costs
Costa Rica falls under our rest-of-world guide. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping starts from around £3,575. That is shipping only, and it excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work. Your quote prices your actual car and route.
Our shipping costs page explains how the figures are built, and the Costa Rica country page has the short version.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Costa Rica to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing. Customs, changes and testing follow, and registration is within 10 working days once the car has passed.
Which port do cars ship from in Costa Rica?
Our route runs from Limón on the Caribbean coast, where JAPDEVA runs the terminals at Limón and Moín.
Does a car from Costa Rica need changes for the UK?
Yes, because it is left-hand drive. Usually the headlights, an mph speedometer on cars under 10 years old and a rear fog light. A North American specification car may need more lighting work.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Costa Rica to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the rest of the world starts from around £3,575. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Can I bring my car from Costa Rica tax free?
Yes, if you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad and have owned the car for more than 6. You apply to HMRC for Transfer of Residence before the car arrives.
Tell us about the car on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Costa Rica to your drive.
