Shipping a Car From Dubai to the UK

Shipping a car from Dubai to the UK is worth it when you have owned the car for a while, it is paid off, and it is a model you could not easily replace in the UK. The Dubai side is mostly one step: getting an export certificate from the RTA, which cancels the car’s Dubai registration. The UK side takes longer: you tell HMRC the car has arrived, claim relief or pay import charges, get the car approved for UK roads, then register it with the DVLA. Decide first whether to ship at all, then work through both ends in order.

Is your car worth shipping from Dubai to the UK?

Start with a quick decision before you spend anything:

• Is the car financed? Speak to your lender first. Until the finance is settled or the lender agrees, the car is not yours to export.
• Have you owned and used it for at least 6 months, and lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months? Then it may qualify for Transfer of Residence relief from UK import duty and VAT (HMRC Transfer of Residence guidance). If not, expect to pay import charges, and include them in your sums.
• Is it built to a Gulf specification? Cars sold in the Gulf are often set up differently from UK cars, so check what it will take to pass UK approval before you commit.
• Could you sell it in Dubai and buy the same car in the UK? For a common model, selling here and buying there is often simpler. For a rare or much loved car, shipping usually wins.

If the answers point to shipping, the rest is paperwork in the right order.

What must be cleared in Dubai before the car can be exported?

In Dubai, the car leaves through the Roads and Transport Authority’s vehicle export certificate service. Issuing the certificate cancels the car’s Dubai registration, so the car can no longer be driven on Dubai roads under its old plates. You can hand back your plates or keep the number for later, and take blue export plates if the car needs to be moved.

Before you apply:

• Settle or clear any finance with your lender.
• Pay any outstanding traffic fines on the car.
• Have your Emirates ID ready. If the car’s licence has expired, it also needs a technical inspection.
• Decide whether a shipping agent will collect the car or you will deliver it yourself, because the application asks which.

Book the export certificate close to your shipping date, so the car is not left unregistered and unusable for longer than it needs to be.

Container or roll on roll off: which method suits your car?

A car travels to the UK in one of two ways:

• In a container, on its own or shared with other cars or with your household goods. The car is sealed in from loading to unloading, which suits a valuable or classic car.
• Roll on roll off, where the car is driven onto a vessel and parked on a vehicle deck. It is often the lower cost route for an ordinary car, with less protection.

Your coordinator will confirm which routes and sailing dates are available for your car when you book.

What will the UK ask for when the car arrives?

The UK government sets out the import steps on its importing vehicles into the UK page:

1. Tell HMRC within 14 days that the vehicle has arrived, using a Notification of Vehicle Arrival (NOVA) (GOV.UK importing vehicles guidance).
2. Claim relief, or pay VAT and duty if HMRC says you owe them. If you are moving to the UK to live, apply for Transfer of Residence relief before the car arrives.
3. Get vehicle approval to show the car meets UK safety and environmental standards.
4. Register and tax the car with the DVLA, which issues the registration number for your new plates.
5. Insure the car before you drive it on UK roads.

Cars that get relief cannot be lent, hired out, sold or given away within 12 months of your move (HMRC Transfer of Residence guidance).

Can the car travel with your household goods?

Often, yes. A car can share a container with your furniture and boxes, which can cost less than shipping it separately. It is still declared separately from your household goods on both sides, with its own export certificate in Dubai and its own NOVA and registration in the UK. Our guide to moving household goods from Dubai to the UK covers the household side of the same move.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export a car that still has finance on it?

Speak to your lender before you apply. The car cannot leave as your property until the finance is settled or the lender agrees, so clear this first.

Does a car shipped with household goods qualify for UK relief?

It can, if you meet the Transfer of Residence conditions for the car itself: you have had it for at least 6 months and lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months (HMRC Transfer of Residence guidance).

Do left hand drive cars cause problems in the UK?

A left hand drive car can be registered and driven in the UK, but it still needs vehicle approval, and headlights in particular may need changing. Check the approval route before you ship.

How long does the car need to be at the port before sailing?

That depends on the shipping line and the sailing. Your coordinator will give you the drop off date when the booking is confirmed, and the export certificate should be ready before then.

Shipping a car with your move?

Your DXI moving coordinator can arrange auto shipping alongside your household move and confirm the documents for your route. Contact us to plan it, and see our Customs Documents page for each country’s official customs authority.