Rolats moves cargo from Africa to the UK by air and sea: personal effects, commercial goods, documents and food, with collection arranged in-country and door delivery to any UK address from our Dagenham base. We handle UK import clearance (EORI, import VAT and duty) so your shipment isn't held. Car shipping is UK to Africa only and is not offered on the return leg.
How does shipping from Africa to the UK work?
Two routes, same all-in GBP pricing. Air freight is fastest for urgent, fragile or high-value goods and documents, typically days from departure. Sea freight is the economical choice for bags, barrels, boxes, furniture and commercial pallets when timing is flexible. We coordinate collection at the African origin, consolidate the cargo, and run it through to door delivery anywhere in the UK via our Dagenham depot, so you don't need to meet it at a port or airport.
What can you send from Africa to the UK?
Personal effects and household goods, commercial stock and trade cargo, business and legal documents, and food items (subject to UK import rules). Bags, barrels and boxes travel by sea; time-sensitive parcels go by air.
- Personal effects and household goods
- Commercial stock and trade cargo
- Business and legal documents
- Food items, subject to UK import rules
Car and automobile shipping is the one exception: Rolats ships vehicles UK to Africa only, so vehicles are not carried on the Africa to UK return.
How long does it take?
Air freight from major African hubs typically reaches the UK in a few working days. Sea freight runs longer, generally several weeks port-to-port plus UK inland delivery, and routings that transship through a regional hub can add time. We quote a realistic window per shipment once we know the origin city and cargo.
UK import customs: what you need
Inbound cargo clears UK customs (HMRC) on arrival. Commercial consignments generally need a GB EORI number, and import VAT and duty may apply depending on the goods and value. As an HMRC Customs Authorised forwarder with our own EORI, Rolats prepares the import paperwork so your goods aren't held, and advises on restricted items (notably certain foods) before you ship.
What does it cost?
Air freight £5.90/kg plus £20 handling; sea freight from £70/bag. Everything is quoted all-in, in GBP. Send your origin city, item list and UK delivery address for an exact quote.
Per-country reverse pages
We run dedicated pages for the busiest corridors back to the UK.
- Shipping from Nigeria to the UK
- Shipping from Ghana to the UK
Why ship from Africa to the UK with Rolats?
Pan-African freight specialists since 2007, with a Dagenham base, true door-to-door delivery (not port-to-port), all-in GBP pricing and HMRC-savvy import clearance. We serve UK families, students and businesses bringing goods home from across Africa. Rolats Services is rated 4.7/5 from 7 Google reviews.