We provide 20ft and 40ft container shipping from the UK to Bahrain on both a full container load (FCL) and shared groupage (LCL) basis. We sail weekly from Felixstowe, London Gateway, Southampton and Tilbury with direct and transhipment services into Khalifa Bin Salman Port, and an indicative port-to-port transit of 22 days.
Container Shipping Rates to Bahrain
Port to port · Khalifa Bin Salman Port · transit approx. 22 days
| 20ft FCL (up to 28 cbm / 21 t)Port to port, all-in ocean freight | from £1,824 |
| 40ft FCL (up to 58 cbm)Standard dry box | from £2,645 |
| 40ft High Cube (67 cbm)Extra 30 cm internal height | from £2,882 |
| LCL groupage (per cbm)Minimum 2 cbm chargeable | from £201 per cbm |
| Flat rack / open topOut-of-gauge project cargo | from £3,466 |
| UK loading at our depotLabour, dunnage and lashing | £220 – £420 |
| Haulage to UK portLive load or drop trailer | from £320 |
| Export customs & documentationIncludes bill of lading release | £65 per shipment |
| Destination clearance (guide)Local duties and taxes payable by consignee | quoted on request |
Indicative rates only, excluding VAT where applicable. Final pricing depends on dimensions, weight, sailing schedule and destination charges.
A full container load gives you exclusive use of the box from the moment it is packed until it is stripped in Bahrain. It is the right choice for household removals, commercial export cargo, machinery and any consignment above roughly 12 cubic metres. We can deliver an empty container to your address for self-loading, collect on a live load basis, or receive your goods into our East Tilbury warehouse and pack them professionally with dunnage, strapping and a full loading manifest.
LCL groupage is priced per cubic metre and is ideal for part loads, first-time exporters and personal effects. Your cargo is consolidated with other shipments bound for Khalifa Bin Salman Port, so transit is slightly longer than FCL but the cost is proportional to the space you actually use. We advise a minimum of two cubic metres for groupage to remain economical against a shared 20ft box.
Out-of-gauge and project cargo bound for Bahrain travels on flat racks, open tops or as breakbulk. Our operations team produces a stowage plan, arranges lifting studies and abnormal load haulage in the UK, and coordinates with the terminal on crane capacity at the discharge port. Refrigerated containers are available for foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals with continuous temperature reporting.
We complete the UK export declaration, issue the bill of lading and — where you require it — arrange destination customs clearance and inland trucking within Bahrain. Marine insurance is offered at 1.5% of the declared CIF value with all-risk cover, and every shipment is tracked from gate-in to discharge with proactive updates from our desk rather than a portal you have to chase.
Choosing the right equipment saves money. A 20ft standard box takes about 28 cubic metres and 21 tonnes of payload; a 40ft standard takes about 58 cubic metres; a 40ft high cube adds a further 30 cm of internal height for roughly 67 cubic metres. Dense cargo such as tiles, machinery or spares usually weighs out in a 20ft before it fills the space, while furniture and household goods almost always cube out in a 40ft first.
Free time at Khalifa Bin Salman Port — the days allowed to unpack and return the empty container before demurrage and detention start — is typically between three and fourteen days depending on the carrier. We tell you the exact allowance at the time of booking and can negotiate extended free time on request, which is worth doing if your consignee needs time to arrange clearance funds or inland transport.
Every shipment leaves the UK with a full commodity-coded packing list, a valued inventory where personal effects are involved, and the certificates your destination requires — certificate of origin, fumigation certificate or pre-shipment inspection among them. Getting that paperwork right before the box is gated in is the single biggest factor in avoiding storage charges at the far end.
Ports of discharge in Bahrain
Ports we sail to in Bahrain
Average port-to-port transit 22 days · weekly departures
UK loading ports
- Tilbury
- London Gateway
- Southampton
- Felixstowe
- Liverpool
Bahrain discharge ports
- Khalifa Bin Salman PortRoRo ramp, container terminal and inland haulage available
Our loading berths for the Bahrain lane are Tilbury, London Gateway, Southampton, Felixstowe. Where a direct service is not available we route via a transhipment hub, which adds a few days but often reduces cost significantly on lower-volume lanes.
Shipping a container to Bahrain
Quote & booking
Rates, sailing or flight options confirmed in writing.
UK collection
Nationwide collection or delivery into our Tilbury depot.
Loading & packing
Lashing, crating, palletising and photographic record.
Customs & export
Export entry, NES clearance and documentation released.
Transit & delivery
Tracking updates until the cargo lands with your consignee.
Cargo we ship in containers to Bahrain
Packed, braced and manifested at our East Tilbury warehouse.
- Household removals and personal effects
- Commercial export and trade cargo
- Vehicles loaded and braced inside containers
- Machinery, plant and spare parts
- Building materials and hardware
- Foodstuffs in reefer containers
- Out-of-gauge cargo on flat racks and open tops
- Breakbulk and project shipments
Customs and import charges in Bahrain
Import duty, VAT or GST and terminal handling at Khalifa Bin Salman Port are payable locally by the consignee unless you instruct us otherwise. We provide a full documentation pack — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin where required — so your agent in Bahrain can lodge the entry without delay. Demurrage and detention clocks start on discharge, so we always advise clearing promptly.
Why ship containers with ShipCars UK
- Weekly FCL and LCL space to Khalifa Bin Salman Port
- Professional loading and lashing at our own facility
- Export customs entry and bill of lading issued in-house
- Flat rack and out-of-gauge solutions for project cargo
- Proactive tracking updates from gate-in to discharge