Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman get less attention than Dubai, so it is easy to assume shipping a car from them is harder. It isn't really. The UK end is identical, the price guide is the same, and the differences sit almost entirely in the paperwork before the car leaves.
This guide puts the three side by side and covers what is particular to each. For the Gulf route in more depth, see our guide to shipping a car from Dubai.
- Ports
- Shuwaikh, Khalifa Bin Salman, Sohar
- Guide shipping price
- From £2,150
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
The three at a glance
| Feature | Kuwait | Bahrain | Oman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port | Shuwaikh Port, Kuwait City | Khalifa Bin Salman Port, Hidd | Sohar Port, Al Batinah North |
| Before it ships | Deregister the car and get export plates from the General Department of Traffic | Deregister the car; our agents tell you how | We confirm the export steps when we quote |
| Guide price | From £2,150 | From £2,150 | From £2,150 |
| Steering | Left-hand drive | Left-hand drive | Left-hand drive |
Kuwait
In Kuwait the car must be deregistered before it is shipped. You also need export plates from the General Department of Traffic before our agents can receive the car, so that is the first job to book.
Our route from Kuwait runs from Shuwaikh Port, on the southern shore of Kuwait Bay in Kuwait City. It is run by the Kuwait Ports Authority and handles container ships, RoRo ships and general cargo. RoRo and container shipping are both available. See our Shuwaikh port page for more on the port, or the Kuwait country page.
Bahrain
A car leaving Bahrain must be deregistered before it is shipped to the UK. We put you in touch with our agents there, who tell you how to do it.
Cars ship from Khalifa Bin Salman Port in the Hidd Industrial Area, on the north-east coast of Muharraq. It is operated by APM Terminals Bahrain and has a container terminal and areas for RoRo cargo, including vehicles. Our agents load and secure the car, and you can insure it for its full replacement value for the journey. The Khalifa Bin Salman Port page and the Bahrain country page have more.
Oman
From Oman we arrange the collection and the export. The exact steps at the Omani end depend on the car, so we confirm them with you when we quote rather than set out a list here that might not fit.
Our route from Oman runs from Sohar Port in Liwa, in the Al Batinah North Governorate. It sits outside the Strait of Hormuz and has handled car carriers at its general cargo terminal. Read more on our Sohar port page or the Oman country page.
Shipping to the UK
From all three, cars travel in a shared container, a dedicated container or by RoRo. Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing and the method. A shared container is the common choice, because you split the cost with other customers' cars. Our guide to container, RoRo or air explains the trade-offs.
Once the car lands, we clear it through customs ourselves and bring it to our site in Castle Donington, open or enclosed. From then on it stays with us until it is registered.
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Before it sails
Deregistration and export
The car is deregistered at home and, where needed, given export plates. Our agents collect it and load it.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car travels to the UK by container or RoRo.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Our team makes the changes the car 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 UK plates.
Left-hand drive changes
Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman all drive on the right, so their cars are left-hand drive and built to GCC specification. The usual changes are a rear fog light, a speedometer converted to mph and headlights adjusted for driving on the left.
A car under 10 years old then takes an IVA test, on our own lane. 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. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly. Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions covers the work.
Import tax
All three countries are outside the EU, so a car bought there pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the transport, with VAT on top of the duty. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in tax and duty free. A car that was UK-registered before may also return tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C, which our guide to bringing a UK car back home explains.
Deregister last, but not too late. In Kuwait and Bahrain the car cannot ship until it is off the local register. Plan it into your move so the car is ready when our agents are.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from the UAE and the wider Middle East starts from around £2,150, and that covers Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. It is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work. Change the country in the estimator to see each one.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Kuwait, Bahrain or Oman to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing and the method. After that the car clears customs, then is changed, tested and registered at our site.
Do I need export plates to ship a car from Kuwait?
Yes. The car must be deregistered in Kuwait, and you need export plates from the General Department of Traffic before our agents can receive it.
How do I deregister a car in Bahrain?
The car must be deregistered before it ships. We put you in touch with our agents in Bahrain, who tell you how.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Oman to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the UAE and the wider Middle East, including Oman, starts from around £2,150. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Will a Gulf car need changes for UK roads?
Usually a rear fog light, an mph speedometer and headlights adjusted for driving on the left. Cars under 10 years old then take an IVA test, older cars an MOT.
Tell us where the car is on the quote form and we will price the whole job to your drive.