Leaving Doha with a car you want to keep usually means one nagging question: what has to happen in Qatar before it can go? The answer is two jobs, deregistration and export plates, and once those are done our team in Qatar takes it from there.
This guide sticks to what is particular to Qatar. For the wider Gulf route, our guide to shipping a car from Dubai covers the region in more depth.
- Port
- Hamad Port
- Guide shipping price
- From £2,150
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Before the car can leave Qatar
A car has to be deregistered in Qatar before it is shipped, and it needs export plates. Both are done at the Qatar end, before the car is handed over.
With the deregistration done and the export plates on, you take the car to our team in Qatar. They prepare it for shipping and load it, so you are not left dealing with the port yourself.
Your Qatar checklist
0 of 6 done
Our guide to documents to ship a car to the UK explains what each paper is for on the UK side.
Shipping from Hamad Port
Cars leave from Hamad Port, Qatar's main seaport, south of Doha in the Umm Al-Houl area. Its terminals are run by QTerminals and handle container, general cargo and RoRo traffic. Our Hamad Port page has more on the port.
Our agents in Qatar load the car into a shipping container and secure it for the voyage. Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks. A direct sailing is quicker than one with several stops, and port congestion, customs checks, weather and the carrier all play a part. You can add transit insurance to the car's full replacement value if you would like it.
If you are weighing up methods, our guide to container, RoRo or air sets out the differences.
Making a Qatari car UK road legal
Qatar drives on the right, so its cars are left-hand drive and built to GCC specification. They need a few changes before they meet UK rules:
- Headlights adjusted to the UK beam pattern
- Speedometer changed to show miles per hour
- A rear fog light, usually 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.
We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and the DVSA visits our site every week. That means no waiting for a slot at a government test centre, and no moving the car between workshop and test. The IVA test explained guide covers what happens on the day, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with one afterwards.
From Doha to your drive
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Before it sails
Deregistration and export plates
You deregister the car in Qatar and get export plates, then hand it to our Qatar team.
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Loading
Into the container
Our agents load and secure the car in a shipping container at Hamad Port.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The container sails for the UK.
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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, testing and registration
We make the changes, test the car on our own lane and register it through our dealer-level DVLA account, then fit your UK plates.
Import tax from Qatar
Qatar is 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 to get it here, with VAT on top of the duty. If your 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 make the import tax and duty free. You can try the numbers below or on our import tax calculator.
Book the export plates early. The car cannot be handed to our team until it is deregistered and plated for export, so leave time for it before your shipping date.
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. That is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work the car needs. Every car is different, so your quote prices yours.
There is more on the figures on our shipping costs page and the Qatar country page.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Qatar to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks. A direct sailing is quicker, and congestion, customs, weather and the carrier all affect it. Customs, testing and registration follow at our site.
Do I need to deregister my car in Qatar?
Yes. The car must be deregistered in Qatar before it is shipped, and it needs export plates. Then you take it to our team in Qatar for loading.
Which port do cars ship from in Qatar?
Hamad Port, Qatar's main seaport, south of Doha.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Qatar to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the UAE and the wider Middle East starts from around £2,150. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Will a car from Qatar need changes for the UK?
Usually headlights adjusted to the UK beam pattern, an mph speedometer and, on older cars, a rear fog light. Cars under 10 years old then take an IVA test, older cars an MOT.
Plates booked? Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Doha to your drive.
