--- title: "Shipping a car from the United Arab Emirates to the UK" url: https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/united-arab-emirates/ description: "Ship your car from the United Arab Emirates to the UK with My Car Import. Collection, shipping, customs, testing and UK registration, quoted by a person." --- - [Home](https://shippingacar.co.uk/) - [Countries](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destinations/) - United Arab Emirates # Shipping a car from the United Arab Emirates to the UK Whether you are moving back to the UK or you have found the car you want in the United Arab Emirates, we handle the whole journey: collection, shipping, customs, then testing and UK registration with My Car Import. [Photo: A container ship crossing open blue sea] Typical journey **About 4 to 6 weeks at sea** How it travels **Shared container** Arrives at **Castle Donington, Derby** ## How it works from the United Arab Emirates It starts with a quote. There is no instant calculator here: a person writes yours with current prices and the best way to ship your car. - ### Collection We collect from your address or dealer anywhere in the United Arab Emirates and truck it to the port. Depending on its value, we will quote for open or enclosed transport to the port. If you want enclosed, just say so on the quote form. - ### Shipping Unless you pay for a container of your own, your car shares one with other customers’ cars, which keeps the price down. We keep you updated from the day it sails. - ### Customs We handle the customs paperwork at both ends. In the UK we are HMRC CDS authorised agents, so we clear the car ourselves and make sure you pay the right amount, with no unnecessary add-ons. - ### Arrival The car comes to our site in Castle Donington, where our team unloads it. No waiting around at a port warehouse. - ### Testing and registration My Car Import tests and registers the car on the same site, so it never has to be moved for an appointment. Then you collect it on UK plates, or we deliver it anywhere in the UK. By sea Road to our yard Indicative route. The shipping line chooses the actual lanes and ports. ## From the United Arab Emirates: the details Cars ship from Jebel Ali, the largest port in the Middle East, in shared containers. We can also arrange the trucking to the port. ### Ports - [Jebel Ali](https://shippingacar.co.uk/port/jebel-ali/) ### Paperwork - The original registration card (Mulkiya) - RTA export certificate - Passport copy Our agents handle the RTA deregistration and export plates. ### Usually needs changing - Speedometer conversion to mph - Headlight changes - A rear fog light on older cars ## Tax and duty A car from the United Arab Emirates usually pays 20% import VAT plus 10% duty. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. And if you are moving here after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for over 6 months, Transfer of Residence makes it tax and duty free. We work out what applies to your car when we quote, so the number you see is the number you pay. Want a rough idea now? Try the [import tax calculator](https://shippingacar.co.uk/import-tax-calculator/). Moving here? Read [how to bring your car tax free](https://shippingacar.co.uk/transfer-of-residence/). Bringing a UK car home? See [what you need](https://shippingacar.co.uk/bringing-a-uk-car-back-home/). ## Getting it on UK roads Getting the car here is half the job. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so once it is unloaded it goes straight into testing and registration on the same site. Which test it needs depends mostly on its age: Under 10 years old IVA test, on our own lane, plus any changes it needs 10 to 40 years old MOT, usually with a rear fog light added Over 40 years old No MOT needed We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. [Importing a car from the United Arab Emirates, the full guide](https://mycarimport.co.uk/importing-your-vehicle/location/uae/) ## Questions people ask About 4 to 6 weeks at sea, as a guide. Sailing dates, customs checks and how busy the route is all play a part, so your quote will give you a firmer estimate. Our guide price is from £2,150 for a car, built from a year of real jobs. It covers shipping only: registration, other services, import tax and remedial fees are extra. Motorbikes start from £1,250. A car from the United Arab Emirates usually pays 20% import VAT plus 10% duty. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. And if you are moving here after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for over 6 months, Transfer of Residence makes it tax and duty free. Usually: the original registration card (mulkiya), rta export certificate, passport copy. Our agents handle the RTA deregistration and export plates. Yes. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so testing and registration happen on the same site. Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. ## Guide price to the UK from £2,150 UAE / Middle East, car by sea Motorbikes from £1,250 Guide prices for shipping only. Registration, other services, import tax and remedial fees are not included. Built from a year of real jobs. [How prices work](https://shippingacar.co.uk/shipping-costs/) ## Then on to UK plates My Car Import tests and registers the car on the same site it is unloaded at, within 10 working days through our dealer-level DVLA account. [Registration at My Car Import](https://mycarimport.co.uk/importing-your-vehicle/location/uae/) ## Guides - [How to ship a car from Dubai to the UK](https://shippingacar.co.uk/ship-a-car-from-dubai-to-the-uk/) - [Moving to the UK from Dubai with your car](https://shippingacar.co.uk/moving-to-the-uk-from-dubai-with-your-car/) - [How much does it cost to ship a car from Dubai?](https://shippingacar.co.uk/cost-to-ship-a-car-from-dubai/) - [Left-hand drive cars in the UK: what you need to know](https://shippingacar.co.uk/left-hand-drive-cars-in-the-uk/) - [Toyota Land Cruiser import guide](https://shippingacar.co.uk/toyota-land-cruiser-import-guide/) ## Also in Middle East - [Dubai](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/dubai/) - [Abu Dhabi](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/abu-dhabi/) - [Bahrain](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/bahrain/) - [Kuwait](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/kuwait/) - [Oman](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/oman/) - [Qatar](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/qatar/) - [Saudi Arabia](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destination/saudi-arabia/) [All countries](https://shippingacar.co.uk/destinations/) ## Shipping from the United Arab Emirates? Where it is, what it is and when you need it here. We will price the whole import, from collection abroad to UK registration with My Car Import, not just the boat. Rather talk it through? Call 01332 810442