Shipping a Car from Dubai to Ghana: Costs, Timelines and Paperwork

Ghana is one of the busiest destinations we ship to from the UAE. The route is well established — but the difference between a smooth clearance at Tema and a vehicle sitting in demurrage usually comes down to paperwork prepared before the vessel sails.

Here's the full picture: what you pay, how long it takes, and what Ghana Customs will ask for.

How long does it take?#

From Jebel Ali to Tema, plan for 21 to 30 days of ocean transit. Add the time it takes to get your vehicle export-cleared and loaded, and the realistic door-to-port window is four to six weeks.

Sailing frequency is the variable most people underestimate. RoRo vessels on this route run roughly every two weeks, so missing a cut-off by a day can add significant time to the total. We book the sailing before the vehicle is purchased wherever possible.

What does it cost?#

Three separate costs make up the landed price, and it's worth keeping them apart in your head:

1. The vehicle — what you pay for the car itself in the UAE.
2. Freight and export handling — moving it from Dubai to Tema.
3. Ghana import duty and port charges — paid on arrival, to the state.

Freight from Jebel Ali to Tema is generally quoted per unit for RoRo and per container for containerised shipments:

Ghana import duty: how it's calculated#

This is where most first-time importers get caught out. Ghana Customs does not calculate duty on your invoice price. It uses the Home Delivery Value (HDV) — its own assessed value for that make, model and year — which is why a cheap purchase price doesn't reduce your duty bill.

On top of the assessed value you'll typically face:

• Import duty (rate depends on engine capacity and vehicle category)
• VAT, NHIL and GETFund levies
• ECOWAS levy and inspection fees
• Overage penalty on vehicles over ten years old

That last one matters enormously. Ghana applies a rising penalty to older vehicles, and beyond a certain age the penalty can exceed the value of the car itself. As a rule of thumb, the economics stop working on most passenger vehicles older than ten years.

The documents you actually need#

Have these ready before the vessel arrives. Missing paperwork is the single most common cause of demurrage charges at Tema.

• Bill of Lading — the shipping document, and your title to collect the car
• Commercial invoice — the purchase price and description of the vehicle
• Certificate of Origin — issued in the UAE, confirming where the car ships from
• UAE export certificate — proof the vehicle was legally de-registered for export
• Passport or TIN of the importer
• Bill of Entry — filed by your clearing agent at Tema

We prepare the UAE-side documents as standard. You'll want a clearing agent at Tema for the Ghana side; if you don't have one, we can introduce you to partners we work with regularly.

Tracking the shipment#

Once the vehicle is loaded you can follow it by VIN or Bill of Lading number. We update the status at each milestone — export cleared, loaded, sailed, arrived — so you know when to send your agent to the port rather than guessing.

Track a shipment by VIN at any time.

Practical advice before you buy#

• Confirm the destination duty first. Work backwards from the landed cost, not forwards from the purchase price.
• Buy vehicles that suit the roads. Higher ground clearance and common service parts matter more in the long run than a bargain on an unusual model.
• Insure the transit. Marine cover is a small fraction of the vehicle value and the only protection you have between the two ports.
• Don't ship a non-runner on RoRo. It has to drive on and off the vessel; a non-running vehicle needs a container.