How Long Does It Take to Ship a Car from the UK to Malaysia? | GVE London – Blog

If you’re thinking about exporting cars from the UK to Malaysia, you’re probably wondering how long it takes to get your vehicle from one side of the world to the other. Understanding the timeline makes it easier to manage your expectations and contain the excitement of getting a new toy for your personal garage. In this article, we’ll break the process down for a better understanding.

Shipping Methods & Transit Times

Arguably, what takes the most time is physically getting the car from the UK to Malaysia. That isn’t the end of it—shipping times vary based on the method you choose. Here are the options available to us:

Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) Shipping

Straight out of the bat, when a trade showroom is exporting a car from the UK to Malaysia, they do not use RoRo shipping. Here, a car is driven directly onto a specialised ship. It is secured in place on deck and transported to the destination country alongside several other vehicles. It is cost-effective, fairly quick (with a transit time of around 18-20 days to Port Klang), and widely available, but it leaves your car exposed to the mercy of the elements.

Container Shipping

This is the go-to shipping method for luxury car export as it provides protection to the car. The vehicle is placed securely within a massive container, which can even be climate-controlled if you pay extra, greatly reducing the risk of any damage. It takes around 10 weeks, including customs, but as you’d expect, it is more expensive and takes longer than RoRo.

Air Freight – The Fastest Option

The fastest, safest, and most expensive option is Air Freight. Here, your car literally boards a plane and gets delivered within 3-7 days. The downside? Extremely expensive and not so easily available. It is usually reserved for ultra-rare or high-value cars.

Read Also: Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Malaysia Luxury Car Exporting

What Affects the Shipping Timeline?

Shipping timelines look fairly straightforward, but a few factors determine the speed of things, such as:

• Customs Clearance: Both the UK and Malaysia have strict laws regarding imports and exports. Where the laws are strict, clearance doesn’t come easy. Paperwork is often delayed, inspections and approvals take time, and there is no leniency for mistakes—everything must be perfect. Make sure, from your end, that all documents are sorted before shipping to avoid unnecessary waiting.
• Ship Schedules: Shipping schedules also need to be considered as ships aren’t leaving the UK daily. Missing a scheduled shipment from the UK to Malaysia can result in waiting for a couple of weeks.
• Destination Ports: Most vehicles arrive at Port Klang, Malaysia’s busiest seaport. Processing times vary, especially if multiple shipments arrive simultaneously. Delays at the port can add another few days to a week to the total time.

What Paperwork Do You Need?

When exporting luxury cars to Malaysia, the right paperwork is everything. Missing a document? Expect delays. Here’s what you need:

• Original purchase invoice
• Vehicle registration documents
• Insurance papers
• Bill of Lading (shipping document)
• Proof of ownership
• Emissions and safety compliance certificates (Malaysia has strict environmental rules)

Final Thoughts

Imports and exports aren’t easy by any means—there’s no sugar-coating that. Dealing with shipping companies and ensuring all the paperwork is legally correct is a herculean task. However, if you do your research and get everything right, it shouldn’t take more than 10 weeks in total. A supercar showroom like GVE London can help private buyers make the process extremely easy and avoid delays. Furthermore, being enthusiasts, we not only perform the usual repairs and service but can work on customisation, modifications and detailing as well. To know more, hop on a call with us today!