Where we collect · United Arab Emirates
Dubai to the UK.
Export plates from the RTA, a slot in a shared container out of Jebel Ali, and a car registered on UK plates at the other end.
Most of the Gulf cars we bring home start in Dubai. Some belong to families heading back after a few years away, some were bought from a dealer on Sheikh Zayed Road with the UK in mind from day one, and a fair few are the kind of car that simply never went on sale here.
Jebel Ali is the biggest port in the Middle East and the one we ship from. That matters, because it means frequent sailings and plenty of space in shared containers, which is what keeps the cost of the sea leg sensible.
Before the car can leave Dubai
Before a car goes, every Gulf country wants its registration closed and nothing owed against it, with the paperwork in order. The detail is local. Here is how it tends to work in Dubai.
Export plates from the RTA
Before a Dubai car can be loaded, its local registration has to be closed and export plates issued by the RTA. Our agents in Dubai handle this with you, and it is the step that shows the car is leaving for good.
Salik and fines cleared first
The RTA will not release a car that still has unpaid fines or Salik toll charges against it. Check the account a week or two before you plan to export and settle anything outstanding, because a forgotten speeding fine from last spring is the most common hold-up we see.
Finance released
If the car was bought on finance, the bank has to confirm it is paid off and lift its interest before the RTA will issue export plates. Ask for the clearance letter early; banks are rarely in the same hurry you are.
Your Mulkiya and passport copy
We will need a copy of the Mulkiya (the registration card), your passport and proof of ownership. Keep the originals safe; the export paperwork follows the car to the UK and HMRC will want to see it.
Rules and fees are set by the local authority and do change, so treat this as a guide and check the latest with them. Our agents will tell you if anything has moved.
Collection anywhere in the emirate
From a villa in Arabian Ranches to a basement car park in the Marina, our agents collect and take the car to the loading warehouse near Jebel Ali. If you would rather drop it off yourself, that is fine too.
Dubai-bought cars and the salvage question
Dubai has a busy market in cars brought in from American auctions, and some of them were written off over there before they arrived. If you are buying a car in Dubai to import, our form asks whether it has a salvage history, and a salvage car is one we cannot take on. It is the same rule My Car Import applies on its main site.
Once it reaches the UK
From here, the process is identical wherever the car came from. It comes to our own site in Castle Donington, where our team unloads containers themselves, our customs team clears it with HMRC, and the car goes into our workshop for its UK conversions: headlights adjusted to dip the right way, a speedometer that reads in miles per hour and a rear fog light.
Then it is tested in our own lanes, an IVA test if it is under ten years old or an MOT if it is older, and registered through our dealer-level DVLA account in around 10 working days. You collect it, or we deliver it.
The sea leg itself is usually 3 to 6 weeks. Your quote sets out what to expect for your car.
Questions from Dubai
Which port does my car leave Dubai from?
Jebel Ali. It is the largest port in the Middle East and the one we use for UAE cars.
Do I need to be in Dubai when the car is collected?
Not necessarily. Plenty of customers have already flown home by the time the car is collected. You will need to arrange the export plates and paperwork before you go, or leave someone with the keys and the authority to hand the car over.
Can you ship a car that still has finance on it?
Not until the finance is settled. The RTA will not issue export plates while a bank still has an interest in the car, so ask your bank for a clearance letter as early as you can.
How long is the car at sea from Dubai?
By container, usually 3 to 6 weeks. RoRo, where it runs, is usually quicker at around 2 to 4 weeks. We always give a range rather than a date, because shipping lines choose their routes depending on conditions. Customs, testing and registration in the UK come after that.
What paperwork do you need from me?
Copies of the car’s Mulkiya, your passport and proof that the car is yours. If you are moving home and have applied for Transfer of Residence, the reference number too. Keep the originals, as they travel with you.
Will I pay import tax on a car from Dubai?
If you are moving home, have lived outside the UK for over 12 months and have owned the car for at least 6 months, Transfer of Residence relief can mean no duty and no import VAT. Otherwise it is 10% duty on the car’s value plus shipping, then 20% VAT on top. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. Our calculator takes the price in UAE dirham (AED).
Start to finish
From Dubai to UK plates.
- 1Gulf
Tell us about the car
Make, model, where it is and why it is coming. Someone on our team builds your quote.
- 2Gulf
Settle up
Fines, tolls and any finance cleared. Nothing leaves the Gulf with money owed against it.
- 3Gulf
Export plates
The car comes off the local register and goes onto export plates. Our agents help you through it.
- 4Gulf
Collected and loaded
Picked up from your address, checked, photographed and secured in its container.
- 5Sea
At sea
Usually 3 to 6 weeks, with transit insurance available for its full value.
- 6UK
Unloaded and cleared
Unloaded at our own site in Derby and cleared through HMRC by our in-house customs team.
- 7UK
Converted and tested
Fog light, speedo and headlights sorted, then IVA or MOT in our own test lane.
- 8UK
On UK plates
Registered with the DVLA in around 10 working days, then collected or delivered to your door.
Bringing a car home from Dubai?
Tell us about the car and where it is. Someone at My Car Import builds your quote around your car, and there is no obligation to go ahead.