Destination · BJ
Ship a car toBenin 🇧🇯
Sourced in the UK, Europe or Asia. Delivered through Cotonou. Export paperwork, RO-RO or container booking, marine insurance and customs clearance handled to the point of delivery.
Port of entry
Cotonou
Drive side
Left-hand drive
Sea transit
24–30 days
Capital
Porto-Novo
Paperwork language
French
Local currency
XOF
Local guide
Exporting a car to Benin
Cars for Benin come in through Cotonou, with typical sea transit of 24–30 days from the UK and Europe. We book the sailing, prepare the export documents, clear the vehicle on arrival and take it on to the address you give us. Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou are the usual ones; anywhere else in the country is the same job with a longer drive at the end.
Porto-Novo is the official capital but Cotonou is the commercial centre and the port, so vehicles clear at Cotonou whatever the final address. Benin drives on the right, so left-hand drive is the standard specification and it is what we supply unless you ask otherwise; right-hand drive can be sourced from UK stock when you specifically want it. Destination paperwork is handled in French. We raise the export documents in the UK and align them with the French-language entry documents before the vessel arrives, rather than discovering a mismatch at the quay.
We buy the exact vehicle in the UK, Europe or Asia, inspect it before it moves, and take it from there: export declarations and the bill of lading, RO-RO or container, whichever suits the vehicle, marine insurance if you want the cover, customs clearance and final delivery. What comes back is one landed figure for Benin — vehicle, freight, insurance, duty and delivery in a single number, agreed in writing before anything is committed. Duty at destination turns on the vehicle's age, engine size and declared value, so we price your specific car rather than quote a rate that will not survive contact with the entry. Cotonou is also the way in for Niger, so if the car is really headed further inland, say so and we quote the corridor as part of the same job.
Transparent pricing
What goes into your landed price
One figure, agreed before you commit — nothing added at the port.
- 01
Vehicle purchase
Sourced at the right price from UK auctions, European dealer stock, US inventory or Asian OEMs.
- 02
Export documentation
Bill of lading, export declarations and compliance paperwork prepared for you.
- 03
Sea freight
RO-RO or container from Southampton, Antwerp, Bremerhaven or Shanghai to your port.
- 04
Marine insurance
Optional full-value cover so your vehicle arrives protected.
- 05
Customs & duty at destination
Clearance handled for you; the current duty for your vehicle is included in the quote.
- 06
Inland delivery
Delivered to your address after clearance — not just left at the port.
- 07
Our sourcing fee
Stated up front and included in the single landed figure.
Freight and duties change with the vehicle and destination, so we confirm the exact numbers in writing with your quote.
Questions
Shipping a car to Benin
How long does it take to ship a car to Benin?
- Typical sea transit from the UK and Europe to Cotonou is 24–30 days, depending on the sailing schedule and whether the car travels RO-RO or in a container. Clearance and inland delivery to Cotonou sit on top of that, and we give you the whole timeline in the quote.
Which port do you use for Benin?
- Cotonou. Porto-Novo is the official capital but Cotonou is the commercial centre and the port, so vehicles clear at Cotonou whatever the final address.
Does a car for Benin have to be left-hand drive?
- Benin drives on the right, so left-hand drive is the standard specification and what we supply unless you say otherwise. Right-hand drive can be sourced from UK stock — buyers moving back from Britain often want exactly that — and whichever you choose is stated in the quote so nothing is a surprise at registration.
What language is the paperwork in for Benin?
- French. We raise the export documents in English and reconcile them against the French-language entry documents before the vehicle reaches Cotonou — chassis number, declared value and consignee have to agree across both, and that is where delays usually start.
What does an all-in quote to Benin cover?
- The vehicle, export documentation, freight to Cotonou, optional marine insurance, destination duty and clearance, and delivery onward to Cotonou, Porto-Novo and Parakou or wherever else in Benin you need it. It is one figure, fixed in writing before you commit.
Vehicles we export to Benin
Not just cars
Other freight to Benin
The same chain that moves a car through Cotonou moves everything else: a container of goods, plant and machinery, an oversized piece, or a household on the move. If your cargo is not a car, start here.
Moving a household
Personal effects and removals
Household goods and personal belongings, packed, shipped and cleared, including alongside a vehicle.
Working equipment
Plant and machinery
Excavators, loaders, generators and production equipment, moved with the paperwork and the securing they need.
When the date is the point
Air freight
For cargo that cannot wait for a vessel. Priced on weight and size rather than on space in a hold.
Too big for a box
Breakbulk and project cargo
Oversized, overweight and awkward loads that will not go in a container and need to be planned rather than booked.