A step-by-step timeline from placing an order to the car clearing customs in your country.
2 min read
1. Stage 1: Sourcing and quote 2. Stage 2: Inspection and export documentation 3. Stage 3: Ocean freight 4. Stage 4: Customs clearance at destination
"How long will it take?" is one of the first questions every buyer asks. The honest answer is that it happens in stages, and each one has a fairly predictable window. Here is the realistic timeline from order to delivery.
Once you confirm a vehicle and get your price quote, the car is reserved and moves into inspection and documentation prep.
The vehicle is checked against its listed specs and paired with export paperwork — see our pre-export inspection guide and export documents FAQ for what happens during this stage.
This is usually the longest single stage. Transit time depends on your destination port and shipping line — full detail on how long does shipping take from China? Our container vs RoRo guide also affects loading and transit time depending on which method fits your shipment.
Whether we handle clearance on your end depends on your country — see do you handle customs clearance in my country? Clearance speed also depends on your local port and whether your paperwork is complete, which is why getting Stage 2 right matters.
For the full end-to-end process in one place, read our complete import guide.
