By Alex Scilla, CIFFA Professional Freight Forwarder · Viamar Scilla Transport International
Ship your motorcycle overseas by sealed container — from $2,400 CAD all-in from Ontario to Europe.
Viamar handles international motorcycle shipping from Canada to Italy, Portugal, Germany, the UK, Greece, and other overseas destinations. Motorcycles travel crated or palletized inside a sealed ocean container — not exposed on a RoRo deck — for full protection during the voyage.
To ship a motorcycle internationally from Canada, the bike is picked up at your Ontario address, brought to the Viamar warehouse in Courtice, and crated or palletized for loading into a sealed 20′ or 40′ ocean container. You provide the original Title, proof of ownership, and ID; Viamar prepares the export documentation (bill of lading, commercial invoice, B13A export declaration) and books ocean freight from Halifax. Viamar is a CIFFA-certified freight forwarder operating since 1976.
Motorcycle shipping requires more careful planning than standard vehicle transport. Unlike cars, which can be driven onto a RoRo vessel and secured to the deck, motorcycles cannot be safely anchored on an open roll-on/roll-off ship without risk of tipping, salt spray damage, or theft during the voyage. Viamar ships motorcycles exclusively by ocean container, crated or mounted on a custom pallet inside a sealed 20′ or 40′ steel box. This is the internationally recognized best practice for motorbike shipping.
All-in pricing from Ontario starts at approximately $2,400–$4,800 CAD depending on destination, container type (shared LCL or dedicated), and whether you need custom crating at our Courtice warehouse. That price includes inland pickup from your Ontario location, export documentation, origin port handling, and ocean freight to the destination port. Destination duties, taxes, and local delivery are separate — see the import costs section below for a full breakdown by country.
Viamar is a CIFFA-certified freight forwarder, not a broker. We handle consolidation at our own Courtice warehouse in Durham Region and coordinate ocean freight through established liner services. We have been shipping vehicles and cargo internationally since 1976. For a comparison of the two main ocean methods, see RoRo vs container shipping.
RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) shipping works well for cars, trucks, and self-propelled equipment. Motorcycles are a different situation. On a RoRo vessel, vehicles are driven aboard and secured with wheel chocks and chains on an exposed deck. Motorcycles are inherently less stable than four-wheeled vehicles and are vulnerable to several problems in RoRo conditions:
For these reasons, Viamar recommends and books container shipping for all motorcycle transport overseas. The price difference between RoRo and container for a single motorcycle is typically under $500 CAD, and the protection difference is substantial — particularly for vintage or high-value bikes where condition on arrival matters most.
Tell us your motorcycle make and model, origin city, destination country, and preferred timing. We quote all-in with no surprises on the ocean side.
Drain fuel to under 1/4 tank, disconnect the battery, remove loose accessories. We provide a preparation checklist specific to your destination country’s customs requirements.
We pick up from your Ontario address and bring the motorcycle to our Courtice warehouse for crating, palletizing, and container loading alongside other outbound shipments.
Your container ships from Halifax (or Montreal for select routes) to the destination port. Ocean transit to Europe is typically 4–7 weeks depending on the port pair and vessel schedule.
A local agent clears customs, applies applicable duties and taxes, and arranges final delivery to your address or the nearest port depot. We coordinate the documentation from the Canadian side.
All-in from Ontario: includes inland pickup, export documentation, origin port handling, and ocean freight to the destination port. Excludes destination duties, taxes, and local delivery. Shared LCL container service where available.
| Origin → Destination | All-In Estimate (CAD) | Destination Port | Ocean Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto → Italy (Rome / Milan) | $2,800–$4,200 | Civitavecchia / Genova | 5–7 weeks |
| Toronto → Portugal (Lisbon / Porto) | $2,400–$3,800 | Leixões / Setúbal | 4–6 weeks |
| Toronto → Germany (Hamburg / Munich) | $2,600–$4,200 | Bremerhaven / Hamburg | 4–6 weeks |
| Toronto → United Kingdom | $2,500–$4,000 | Southampton / Tilbury | 4–6 weeks |
| Toronto → Greece (Athens) | $3,000–$4,800 | Piraeus | 6–8 weeks |
| Toronto → Australia | $4,500–$7,000 | Port Botany (Sydney) | 8–12 weeks |
Estimates only. Final pricing depends on motorcycle dimensions, weight, crating requirements, and current liner rates. Prices updated quarterly. Last updated: April 2026. See also: international car shipping from Canada.
Import costs at the destination are charged locally and are separate from the Viamar ocean shipping quote. The following applies to motorcycles shipped to the most common Viamar destinations.
EU import duty: 6% on declared value
IVA (VAT): 22% on value + duty
Returning resident (trasferimento di residenza): Duty + IVA waived if you were resident outside the EU for 12+ consecutive months. Motorcycle must have been owned and used for 6+ months before shipping.
EU import duty: 6% on declared value
IVA (VAT): 23% on value + duty
ISV (Imposto Sobre Veículos): Vehicle registration tax assessed on engine displacement and CO² emissions when you register in Portugal. Applies even when the returning resident duty exemption is granted.
Returning resident: Duty + VAT waived for EU nationals who lived outside the EU for 12+ consecutive months.
EU import duty: 6% on declared value
MwSt (VAT): 19% on value + duty
Returning resident (Rückkehr-Regelung): Duty + MwSt waived for qualifying returning residents. Requires Abmeldebescheinigung (deregistration certificate) and proof of 12+ months residence outside the EU before return.
UK import duty: 6.7% on declared value (motorcycles over 250cc)
VAT: 20% on value + duty
Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief: UK equivalent of the EU returning resident exemption. Duty + VAT waived for UK residents who were continuously resident outside the UK for 12+ months before returning.
Carriers and customs authorities have specific requirements for motorcycle shipments. Completing this list before pickup avoids delays at origin and at the destination port.
All-in ocean shipping from Ontario typically runs $2,400–$4,800 CAD for European destinations. This includes inland pickup, export documentation, crating or palletizing at our Courtice warehouse, and ocean freight to the destination port. The UK and Germany are at the lower end of that range; Italy and Greece are at the higher end due to Mediterranean routing. Australia runs $4,500–$7,000 CAD. Destination duties and taxes are charged locally and are not included in the Viamar quote.
Yes. Viamar offers shared LCL (less-than-container-load) motorcycle shipping for most European routes, which is the most cost-effective option for a single bike. Your motorcycle is crated or palletized and consolidated at our Courtice warehouse with other outbound shipments bound for the same destination port. For two or more bikes, or a motorcycle plus household goods, a dedicated 20′ container is often more economical and offers faster transit.
You provide the original vehicle Title, current registration, and government-issued photo ID. Viamar prepares the export-side paperwork: bill of lading, commercial invoice, and the B13A export declaration filed with the Canada Border Services Agency. If you are claiming a returning resident duty exemption at destination, also bring proof of 12+ months residence outside the EU or UK. Motorcycles must be cleared by the destination customs authority on arrival; we coordinate that with a local agent.
Door-to-door transit to Europe is typically 8–14 weeks: 1–2 weeks for pickup, crating, and container loading at our Courtice warehouse; 4–7 weeks ocean transit to the European port; and 1–3 weeks for customs clearance and local delivery at the destination. Australia typically runs 12–18 weeks door-to-door. Seasonal vessel schedules and port congestion can affect delivery windows at both ends.
Container shipping is the only method Viamar offers for motorcycles because it provides significantly better protection. Motorcycles are difficult to secure on RoRo decks, are exposed to salt spray and weather for weeks at sea, and are more vulnerable to theft on open car decks in port. A sealed container — with your motorcycle crated inside — is weather-protected, lockable, and handled as a discrete unit from Courtice to your destination port. The cost difference versus RoRo is usually under $500 CAD.
Yes. Classic and vintage motorcycles are an excellent fit for container shipping because they benefit most from the weather-sealed protection. We custom-crate vintage bikes with foam-lined wood crates, secure them on a wooden pallet, and document the condition with photographs before container loading. For Italian-Canadians shipping a classic motorbike to Italy, ask about the historic vehicle 7% IVA reduced rate — we can structure documentation to support that claim with Italian customs.
