Ghana

Shipping a Car to Ghana

You may have a lot of questions when preparing for international car shipping from the United States to Ghana. You’ll need to know how much shipping services cost, what different options you have for shipping your car overseas, and what happens once your car arrives in Ghana. You’ll also need to have a full understanding […]

You may have a lot of questions when preparing for international car shipping from the United States to Ghana. You’ll need to know how much shipping services cost, what different options you have for shipping your car overseas, and what happens once your car arrives in Ghana. You’ll also need to have a full understanding of the different laws Ghana has for importing cars and taxing new cars coming into the country. This article will provide you with a full overview of what you’ll need to do to get your car safely transported from the United States to Ghana.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car to Ghana

The first question you’ll most likely ask yourself when preparing to ship a car from the US to Ghana is how much is it going to cost. The answer to your question depends on several factors.

You’ll need to consider what season you are going to ship your car during. If you try to ship your car during either summer or winter, you will be made to pay higher shipping prices. The summer is the most popular time to ship a car and the seas are often congested. The winter is the quietest time during the shipping season, so carriers often have to raise their prices to make up the difference.

The cost of shipping your car will also relate to the size and weight of your vehicle and the distance your car needs to travel. The larger and heavier the vehicle the more you will be charged, The farther your vehicle has to travel by sea, the more resources the carrier will need to use. The price you pay will reflect these factors as well as whether or not you’ve chosen to ship your car using a small business or a commercial business. Commercial businesses will typically be able to charge lower prices and will be able to provide more services and resources than small businesses.

Another factor you’ll need to consider is how quickly you need to ship your car. Carriers have timetables they use to determining their shipping rates. However, if you need to ship your car faster than the standard shipping time, the carrier may be able to meet your needs, but at an additional cost.

Your shipping cost may also be higher than average if you are shipping a luxury vehicle or classic car. Both luxury vehicles and classic cars typically require additional shipping costs to protect them from being damaged during transport.

Take a look at the table below to get a general sense of what it costs to ship a car from the United States to Ghana.

To/FromGroundOceanDays
Los Angeles to (California port) to Tema$350$1,4005+50
Boston, MA to (New York port) to Tema$400$1,2005+40
Las Vegas, NV to (California port) to Tema$450$1,4005+50
Phoenix, AZ to (California port) to Tema$550$1,4006+50
Dallas, TX to (California port) to Tema$1,025$1,4007+50
Detroit, MI to (New York port) to Tema$575$1,2006+40
Chicago, IL to (New York port) to Tema$675$1,2006+40
Denver, CO to (California port) to Tema$775$1,4007+50
Columbus, OH to (New York port) to Tema$550$1,2005+40
Dallas, TX to (New York port) to Tema$1,025$1,2007+40
Data provided by A1 Auto Transport

How to Choose a Carrier when Shipping a Car from the US to Ghana

You may wonder what approach you should use to choose a carrier for shipping a vehicle. The best way to answer your question is to plan within your budget and within your needs. You can use a local company if you’d like to. However, they may not be able to offer you as many features and services as a commercial company. You may also have to wait longer for your car to be transported from the shipping port to the destination port.

Commercial carriers transport cars more regularly and typically offer insurance and real-time tracking of your cargo. Commercial carriers also are able to offer more resources such as assistance with completing your customs forms and answering any questions you may have about the shipping process.

Commercial carriers will offer both similar and different services. By doing your research, you’ll be able to determine which company will work best for you.

How Long Does it Take to Ship a Car to Ghana from the US?

It’ll take roughly anywhere from 45 to 57 days for your car to travel from the United States to Ghana. The amount of time it takes is dependent on the port you are shipping from, the services you use, and the carrier’s schedule.

Depending on where you are located, you may use a door to port shipping service. This service involves an agent from the carrier traveling to your home to collect your vehicle and taking it to the shipping port. Depending on the carrier’s schedule and how far you live from the port, this service can add several days onto your shipping time. However, for those who are living in a rural area and can’t travel to and from the port, door to port may be the best service to use.

Door to Door car shipping is the most expensive way to ship a car. It involves having your car picked up from your home, transferred to the shipping port, and then driven from the destination port to your new home. This service is not always offered by every carrier, but if you choose to use it, it will cut out the hassle of you needing to pick up and transport your car to its new location. An agent of the carrier will do all the work for you.

You’ll also need to take into consideration the shipping schedule and times for the carrier. Your car may be able to ship quickly after it is brought to the port, but there’s a chance you may also have to wait up to a week (or longer) before your vehicle begins its overseas journey.

As mentioned earlier, it’s important to consider how the season you ship during will effect how long it will take for your car to reach Ghana. Keep in mind that you may expect delays if you try to ship your car during summer or winter months.

What Services Can I Use to Ship a Car from the United States to Ghana?

The majority of carriers are going to offer two primary methods of shipping your car from the United States to Ghana. You’ll be offered to use either Roll on Roll off (RoRo) shipping or Container shipping.

Roll on Roll off Shipping | Container Shipping

Roll on Roll of shipping is the least expensive way for you to transport your car to Ghana. The shipping method involves your car being driven onto the transport ship, and given a designated spot. The car will remain on the ship for the entirety of the journey, and then will be driven off once it arrives at the destination port. RoRo shipping is the most commonly used method of shipping a car overseas, but comes with a higher risk of your vehicle facing potential damage. However, RoRo shipping may leave your car vulnerable to being damaged if the ship is traveling during inclement weather.

Luckily, if you do not feel comfortable using RoRo shipping when sending your car from the United States to Ghana, you can also container shipping. Container shipping, like its name implies, is when your car is placed inside a container during transport. Having your car in a container helps prevent the car from being damaged the same way it could be if you were using RoRo shippng.

Container shipping is more expensive than RoRo shipping, but you may find using container shipping will help you feel more comfortable about the safety of your car. The increase in cost when using container shipping will vary depending on whether you want your car in a container by itself, share your container with other vehicles, and the size of the vessel used to ship your car.

You may want to use container shipping if you are sending a luxury vehicle or classic car across seas. Doing so will keep you feeling confident that your car will not be damaged as it makes its way to Ghana. Another advantage of container shipping is that you can also transport your personal belongings in the container along with your car.

What Locations in Ghana Can I Ship my Car to?

The locations in Ghana you can ship to depend on the carrier you are using to ship your car. Some carriers may only ship to and from certain ports, whereas some commercial carriers ship globally and will allow you to ship to any of the open ports in Ghana.

There are six primary ports in Ghana. You’ll find each of them listed below.

  • Port of Tema
  • Port of Saltpond
  • Port of Takoradi
  • Port of Accra
  • Port of Sekondi
  • Port of Elmina

Before planning to ship your car with a carrier, be certain they ship to the port you are relocating your car to. Otherwise, you’ll need to create a plan for retrieving your car and transporting it to its final destination in Ghana.

Documents You’ll Need to Ship a Car to Ghana

There are several things you’ll need to do before you ship your car from the United States to Ghana. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the country’s laws for importing cars as well as what taxes you’ll need to pay upon your car’s arrival in the country.

It’ll also be important for you to know what vehicles are, and aren’t allowed to enter the country. Every country has its own laws for what vehicles. It’s suggested that you reach out to a Ghana Customs’ Agent to make sure you have everything you need when preparing to ship your car.

Some of the general documents you’ll need to ship a car to Ghana are as follows

  • Passport
  • The make, model, and serial number for the car
  • The title and registration for the car
  • Insurance papers
  • Certificate of value and origin
  • Original purchase value

In addition to these items, the car must also meet the country’s basic guidelines for importing a car. The car must not include any more than 1/4 a tank of gas and the vehicle must be between five to ten years old.

Cars that are older than five to ten years may be made to pay additional taxes and duties when entering the country.

NOTE: Another reason you should contact a Ghana Customs’ Agent before shipping your car is because the customs’ agent will be able to tell you what cars are, and aren’t allowed into the country. A recent article published by Business Insider Africa indicates that the Ghanaian government has recently banned the importation of salvaged cars.

What Happens When my Car Arrives in Ghana?

There are several different things that will occur when your car reaches its destination port in Ghana. First, you’ll be made to pay the different duties and taxes your car is subjected to because of its age, make, and model. Once your payments have been made, your car will be inspected to make sure your car is up to code.

NOTE: You may want to consider reviewing the different rules provided by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to understand how the country’s rules and regulations for vehicle importation.

Ghana customs use a very particular system to calculate the costs for what you are asked to pay when importing your car into the country. The system is called the Cost, Insurance, and Freight, or CIF for short. They use a strict mathematical approach to determine the import duty, health insurance levy, import VAT, examination fee, and other such charges the country imposes on new cars entering the country.

After you pay all of the country’s duties, taxes, and examination fees, you are allowed to leave the port and drive your car through the streets of Ghana.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you’ve learned about how you can approach the process of shipping a car to Ghana. You’ve learned about the general costs of shipping, what documents you’ll need, the different taxes and duties you’ll need to pay upon arrival, and the length of time it’ll take for the car to ship from the United States to Ghana. You’ve learned the differences between the shipping services offered to you, how the seasons will affect the price of your shipment, and the six most common ports in Ghana you’ll be able to ship your car to.

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