Vehicle shipping · May 23, 2026 · 9 min read

How to Ship a Car from Canada to Ghana — 2026 Cost & Tema Port Guide

What it costs to ship a vehicle from Oakville, Toronto, or anywhere in Canada to Tema or Takoradi — plus the GRA duty math, the 10-year age limit (and what happens if your car is older), the G-CAP inspection step, and the common mistakes that hold cargo at port.

Quick answer — you can ship a typical sedan from Oakville to Tema via shared container or RoRo — request a quote for current freight pricing. Transit is 20–30 days port-to-port. GRA charges 20% import duty, 20% VAT, and 12.5% NHIL+GETFund on most used cars, plus an age-based penalty if the vehicle is older than 10 model years.

What you'll pay

Ghana is one of the closer transatlantic destinations from Canada, so freight is competitive with Nigeria. The table below shows the shipping methods available for a Montreal departure to Tema, before GRA duty/VAT:

Vehicle type	Method
Sedan (Camry, Accord, Civic)	RoRo
Sedan	Shared container
SUV (RAV4, CR-V, Highlander)	RoRo
SUV	Shared container
Pickup truck (F-150, Silverado)	RoRo
Luxury SUV (Range Rover, X5, GLE)	Sole 20ft
Two cars together	40ft container

Carrier capacity to West Africa is competitive (Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, PIL all serve Tema), so weekly rate fluctuations are smaller than longer routes. For a firm quote, use our quote form.

GRA duty & the 10-year age rule

Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) collects roughly 50%+ of CIF in duties and levies on used cars:

Import Duty: 20% of CIF
VAT: 15% (on CIF + duty)
NHIL + GETFund + COVID levy: 6% combined
ECOWAS levy + EXIM levy: ~1.25%
ICUMS processing fees: small fixed amounts

Effective rate on a typical sedan: 42–50% of CIF in duties and taxes combined. ICUMS (Integrated Customs Management System) calculates the exact figure based on a GRA-maintained reference value, not your declared invoice — so undervaluing rarely works.

⚠ Age-based penalty: Vehicles older than 10 model years face an additional overage penalty on top of normal duties. Indicative bands:

10–12 years: ~5–12.5% extra of CIF
12–15 years: ~20% extra of CIF
15+ years: substantially higher, often case-by-case

A 2014 vehicle arriving in 2026 (12 years old) is right at the penalty cliff — confirm the exact figure with your clearing agent before shipping older cars.

G-CAP inspection — required before the vessel sails

Ghana Conformity Assessment Programme (G-CAP) requires every imported vehicle to pass a pre-shipment inspection by an approved agency: Bureau Veritas, SGS, or Intertek. The inspection verifies VIN, condition, mileage, and emissions compliance, and issues a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) that must accompany the cargo.

We coordinate the G-CAP inspection at our Oakville warehouse, typically within 3–5 business days of drop-off. Without a valid CoC, the cargo won't be released at Tema — and daily storage fees start ticking from day one.

RoRo vs container — what fits Ghana best

RoRo

Cheapest option, ~20–24 days transit. Vehicle drives onto a car-carrier vessel at Montreal, drives off at Tema. Right for standard daily-drivers up to ~10 years old. No personal items allowed inside.

Container (shared or sole)

Slightly longer at 22–30 days. Best for: luxury vehicles, classics, anything non-running, or two vehicles sharing a 40ft container. Container shipping also lets you include personal effects (carefully declared and itemized) alongside the vehicle.

Transit timeline (Montreal → Tema)

Day 0 — Pickup from anywhere in Canada to our Oakville warehouse
Day 1–5 — G-CAP inspection, photo documentation, loading
Day 5–8 — Drayage to Port of Montreal, B13A filed, vessel cutoff
Day 8–12 — Vessel loading and departure
Day 12–30 — Transatlantic crossing to Tema (18–22 days at sea, sometimes routed via Algeciras)
Day 30–40 — Tema port clearance via ICUMS, duty calculation, consignee release (5–10 working days with complete documentation)

Door-to-door total: typically 35–45 days with no paperwork hiccups.

Required paperwork (Canada side)

Vehicle title — original Ontario or other provincial title in your name; lien-release letter if previously financed
Bill of sale — original purchase receipt
Government photo ID — driver's licence or passport
CBSA B13A export declaration — we file this once an export exceeds the CBSA B13A export-declaration threshold
G-CAP CoC — we coordinate the pre-shipment inspection at our warehouse
Vehicle photos — 8–12 condition photos plus odometer close-up
House Bill of Lading (HBL) — we issue this after loading

Required paperwork (Ghana side)

Your consignee at Tema (or a licensed clearing agent acting for them) will need:

Original Bill of Lading — we courier to them
Original commercial invoice showing CIF value
G-CAP Certificate of Conformity
Ghana TIN (Tax Identification Number) for the importer
Ghana Card (national ID) or passport for non-residents
DVLA registration request — for first-time Ghana plates once cleared

Most consignees engage a Ghanaian customs broker for the clearance side — we can refer you to ones we've worked with if you don't already have one.

5 mistakes that cost first-time shippers thousands

1. Underestimating GRA's reference value

GRA doesn't always accept your invoice price. They maintain a reference value database for common makes/models — if your declared value is significantly below the reference, they'll re-value at the higher number and recalculate duty. Always quote landed cost assuming GRA's reference, not your bargain purchase price.

2. Skipping G-CAP inspection

Without a valid CoC from Bureau Veritas / SGS / Intertek, the vehicle doesn't clear. Period. Some forwarders try to ship and "deal with it on arrival" — the vehicle sits at Tema accruing storage while everyone scrambles for an emergency inspection that costs 3–4× the pre-shipment rate.

3. Shipping a 12+ year old car without budgeting the penalty

The age-based penalty on top of normal duties can add 12–20% of CIF on older vehicles. A "deal" on a 2012 model can disappear once you factor the overage hit. We always quote landed cost with the correct age band so there are no surprises.

4. Personal items inside a RoRo car

Carriers do not permit personal effects inside the vehicle on RoRo sailings. Items found at port inspection result in fines and delays. If you need to ship household goods with the car, use a container — it costs slightly more but allows declared personal effects.

5. Not picking a clearing agent before arrival

Tema port doesn't release cargo to individuals — you need a licensed Ghanaian clearing agent who accesses ICUMS on your consignee's behalf. Choose this agent (and prepay them) before the vessel arrives, or you'll lose 3–5 days finding one while the vehicle accrues storage.

Ready to ship to Ghana?

We move vehicles to Tema and Takoradi regularly, with G-CAP inspection coordinated at our Oakville warehouse. Fill out our 3-minute quote form — tell us the vehicle and destination — and we'll come back with a firm all-in price plus a clear projection of what your consignee will pay in GRA duties on arrival.

Get a Vehicle Quote →

Questions we didn't cover? Reach out — we typically reply same business day.