SHIPPING TO NIGERIA

🚢 Ro/Ro & Container Shipping Options
Choose the best method for your shipment — whether it’s vehicles, boats, machinery, or personal goods — with flexible Ro/Ro and container shipping services from the USA to Nigeria.

📅 Weekly Sailings from Major U.S. Ports
We offer regular weekly departures to the Ports of Lagos (Apapa & Tin Can Island), ensuring fast, reliable, and efficient delivery every time.

🛡️ Fully Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Your cargo is handled by a trusted, fully accredited international carrier, providing complete protection and peace of mind throughout the shipping process.

🧾 Comprehensive Customs Documentation Assistance
Our experienced logistics team manages all export and import paperwork, ensuring smooth customs clearance in Nigeria and compliance with all port regulations.

📍 Real-Time Shipment Tracking
Stay informed with live shipment tracking and real-time updates from pickup in the USA to arrival at your destination in Nigeria.

🚚 Door-to-Port Pickup Across the USA
We provide nationwide cargo pickup, transporting your shipment safely from your location to the nearest U.S. port for convenient, worry-free service.

💰 Affordable, Transparent Pricing
Enjoy competitive shipping rates with no hidden fees — just reliable, professional service from start to finish.

Whether you’re relocating, importing vehicles, or shipping heavy machinery, Royal Shipping Lines makes shipping to Nigeria simple, secure, and stress-free.

Royal Shipping Lines is:

✅ FMC Licensed & Bonded
✅ U.S.-based and fully accredited
✅ Experienced with Copart, IAAI, Adesa & Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB Auctions)
✅ Compliant with Nigerian Customs regulations

Let our expert team guide you every step of the way — from pickup in the USA to customs clearance at the Ports of Lagos (Apapa & Tin Can Island), Port Harcourt, or Onne.

🚗 Ro/Ro (Roll-On/Roll-Off)
Your vehicle or equipment is driven directly onto the vessel and securely fastened inside a protected cargo deck. This method is ideal for operable cars, SUVs, trucks, buses, motorhomes, and heavy machinery, offering a cost-effective and reliable way to ship from the USA to the Ports of Lagos (Apapa & Tin Can Island).

📦 Container Shipping
Perfect for non-running vehicles, luxury cars, motorcycles, boats on trailers, or multiple units. We offer both 20ft and 40ft containers, with shared container (LCL) options available to lower costs. Container shipping provides maximum protection and security for your cargo during transit to Nigeria.

⚙️ Agricultural & Construction Machinery
We provide Ro/Ro, container, and flat rack shipping solutions for tractors, excavators, bulldozers, harvesters, and other heavy-duty machinery. Our experienced logistics team ensures safe loading, secure stowage, and on-time delivery to Nigeria, fully compliant with local customs and port regulations.

At Royal Shipping Lines, we provide international shipping services directly to Nigeria’s major ports, ensuring smooth customs clearance, secure handling, and efficient distribution of vehicles, containers, and heavy machinery across the country.

📍 Onne Port – A major West African logistics hub specializing in oil, gas, and heavy equipment shipping, with advanced infrastructure for containerized and Ro/Ro shipments.

📍 Port Harcourt Port – A key port in southern Nigeria, ideal for industrial equipment, machinery, and general cargo, supporting the country’s energy and oil industries.

📍 Port of Lagos (Apapa Port) – Nigeria’s principal deep-water port, handling Ro/Ro vessels, containerized shipments, bulk cargo, and general freight. Located in the commercial capital, it serves as the nation’s primary gateway for international trade and logistics.

📍 Tin Can Island Port – A modern facility in Lagos designed for containerized and Ro/Ro cargo, offering fast handling, improved efficiency, and strong connectivity to inland destinations.

🏢 Bonded Warehouses in Nigeria

📍 Lagos Free Trade Zone – A central logistics hub offering bonded storage, customs processing, and distribution for vehicles, machinery, and commercial cargo throughout Nigeria and neighboring West African markets.

🛳️ East Coast USA (Miami, New York, Savannah, Charleston → Ports of Lagos, Nigeria): 25–30 days 🚀 Fastest Route
🛳️ Gulf Coast USA (Houston, New Orleans → Ports of Lagos, Nigeria): 30–35 days
🛳️ West Coast USA (Los Angeles, Long Beach → Ports of Lagos, Nigeria): 40–45 days, typically via transshipment through major European or West African ports.

⚠️ Note: Transit times are approximate and may vary depending on shipping line, route, seasonal demand, and service type (Ro/Ro, container, or flat rack).

👉 Fastest Route: Shipments departing from the U.S. East Coast, particularly Miami, New York, or Savannah, generally offer the quickest and most direct service to Nigeria — ideal for time-sensitive vehicle, machinery, or commercial cargo shipments.

✅ Original Vehicle Title (must be clear of any liens)
✅ Bill of Sale or Purchase Invoice
✅ Valid Passport or Driver’s License
✅ Consignee’s Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Company Registration Details for customs clearance

Ensure all documents are accurate and complete before shipment — this helps speed up customs processing and ensures a smooth, hassle-free vehicle import into Nigeria.

Importing goods into Nigeria requires strict compliance with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulations. Failure to follow these rules can lead to cargo seizure, fines, or denial of entry. Below is the updated guide to prohibited and restricted imports in Nigeria as of June 6, 2023.

❌ Absolutely Prohibited Imports (No Exceptions)

These goods are banned from importation into Nigeria under any circumstances:

• Firearms, Ammunition & Explosives – Including disguised weapons and noxious substance devices

• Live or Dead Birds (including frozen poultry)

• Pork & Beef Products

• Pornographic Material & Indecent Publications

• Counterfeit Currency & Pirated Goods

• Nuclear & Toxic Waste

• Second-hand Clothing

• Meat, Vegetables, or Provisions Declared Unfit for Human Consumption

• Spirits Above 48.5% Alcohol by Volume (unless approved under specific exemptions)

• Matches Made with White Phosphorus

• Textiles, Clothing, or Crockery Bearing Inscriptions from the Koran

• Animal Fur Products from Restricted Species (e.g., Ivory, Furs)

Age Limit for Imported Vehicles

• Import only vehicles manufactured in 2015 or later (as of May 2025)—this reflects the 10-year age limit now strictly enforced by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

• This policy marks a progression from previous thresholds of 15 years, then 12 years, now finally settled at 10 years to modernize the vehicle fleet and enhance safety

These goods may be imported only with government permits or under specific conditions:

• Refined Vegetable Oils & Fats (excluding linseed, castor, and olive oil; crude vegetable oil allowed)

• Bagged Cement

• Certain Pharmaceutical Products (including paracetamol, chloroquine, aspirin – with some exceptions)

• Used Pneumatic Tires (retreading restrictions apply)

• Footwear, Bags, and Suitcases (some exemptions for safety or industrial use)

• Used Compressors, Fridges, and Freezers

• Used Motor Vehicles Over 15 Years Old

• Tomato Paste or Concentrates in Retail Packs

• Carpets & Textile Floor Coverings

💱 CBN Foreign Exchange Restrictions

The Central Bank of Nigeria restricts access to official foreign exchange for certain imports. These goods must be funded through parallel market forex, which is typically more expensive:

• Rice

• Cement

• Palm Oil & Vegetable Oils

• Poultry Products (chicken, turkey, eggs)

• Tinned Fish (Geisha, Sardines)

• Steel Products (sheets, rods, nails, pipes)

• Wood Products (plywood, particle boards, doors)

• Furniture & Household Items (kitchenware, tiles, glassware)

• Toothpicks

• Textiles & Fabrics

• Plastic & Rubber Products

• Tomatoes & Tomato Paste

• Dairy Products – Importation limited to approved companies:

  • Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Ltd.

  • Chi Ltd.

  • TG Arla Dairy Products Ltd.

  • Promasidor Nigeria Ltd.

  • Nestle Nigeria Plc. (MSK only)

  • Integrated Dairies Ltd.

• Sugar – Only BUA Sugar Refinery Ltd., Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc., and Golden Sugar Company can import via official forex sources