Plenty of people moving back from Dubai want to bring their car with them, and plenty more find one there they want here. The worry is usually the paperwork at the UAE end: export certificates, RTA deregistration and export plates, in a system you may never have dealt with. The good news is that our agents in Dubai handle that side, and the shipping itself is one of the simpler long-haul routes we run.
- Time at sea
- 4 to 6 weeks
- Usual method
- Shared container
- Port
- Jebel Ali
- Guide shipping price
- From £2,150
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
The UAE paperwork
In the UAE a car has to have an export certificate before it can leave the country. That comes from the RTA, the Roads and Transport Authority, and the car is deregistered there before it goes.
Our agents in Dubai handle the RTA deregistration and the export plates for you. RTA export plates carry an additional fee. What we need from you is short.
Your Dubai paperwork
0 of 5 done
Shipping from Jebel Ali
Cars leave from Jebel Ali, the largest port in the Middle East. We can arrange the trucking from you to the port, so you do not need to deliver it yourself.
Most cars travel in a shared container with other customers' cars, which keeps the price down. RoRo is available too, but from the UAE it tends to cost more. The sea journey takes around 4 to 6 weeks, and the container comes to our site in Castle Donington to be unloaded by our own team.
For a high-value car, we usually recommend enclosed transport for the UK leg as well. Ask for it on the quote form and we will price it in. The differences between methods are covered in container, RoRo or air.
Salvage cars
If you are buying a car in Dubai, our quote form asks whether it is a salvage car. That is because, in the UK, a car really needs a clean title for its registration to go smoothly. A damaged or rebuilt car brings questions about its history, the damage and the repairs, and we are not able to ship or register salvage vehicles from Dubai.
Check the history before you pay. If you are not sure whether a car counts as salvage, call us before you buy it. It is much easier to talk it through first than to find out once the money has gone.
From Dubai to your drive
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Before it sails
Paperwork and export
Our agents deregister the car with the RTA, arrange the export certificate and export plates, and get it to Jebel Ali.
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4 to 6 weeks
At sea
The car travels in a shared container to the UK.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves. Clearance can take from a few days to a week or more.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Our team unloads the car, makes the changes it needs, then tests it on our own IVA or MOT lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your plates.
Making it UK road legal
UAE cars are left-hand drive and built for a different market, so they usually need a bit more work than a car from Japan or Australia. The common changes are:
- Speedometer conversion to mph
- Headlight changes for driving on the left
- A rear fog light on older cars
A car under 10 years old then takes an IVA test. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, and one over 40 years old does not need an MOT and can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so the testing happens on our own site. We are one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly. If you are new to running a left-hand drive car here, our guide to left-hand drive cars in the UK is worth a read.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from the UAE starts from around £2,150. That is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work the car needs.
The UAE is outside the EU, so a car bought there pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty, worked out on the price of the car plus the transport costs, with VAT on top of the duty. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK, have lived abroad for 12 months and owned the car for 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no tax at all.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Dubai to the UK?
The sea journey from Jebel Ali takes around 4 to 6 weeks. Customs clearance can take from a few days to a week or more, then the car is changed, tested and registered at our site.
What documents do I need to ship a car from Dubai?
The original registration card (Mulkiya), an RTA export certificate and a copy of your passport. Our agents in Dubai handle the RTA deregistration and export plates.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Dubai to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the UAE starts from around £2,150. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Can you ship a salvage car from Dubai?
No. We are not able to ship or register salvage vehicles from Dubai, because in the UK a car really needs a clean title for a smooth registration. If you are unsure whether a car counts as salvage, call us before you buy.
Will a car from Dubai need changes for UK roads?
Usually a speedometer conversion to mph, headlight changes and, on older cars, a rear fog light. Cars under 10 years old then take an IVA test, older cars an MOT.
Found the car? Send us the details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Dubai to your drive.
