Where we collect · Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to the UK.
Riyadh, Jeddah or the Eastern Province. Export through Absher, collection to the port and the full UK registration process.
Saudi Arabia is big, and that decides a lot about how a car gets to the port. A car in Jeddah sits on the Red Sea coast, a car in Dammam or Al Khobar is on the Gulf, and Riyadh is a long drive from either.
We collect from wherever the car is and route it to whichever port makes sense, then take care of shipping, UK customs, testing and registration.
Before the car can leave Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia.
Export through Absher
Export and registration changes are handled by the Muroor, mostly through Absher. Fines and outstanding fees have to be settled first.
Finance and ownership
If the car was financed, the lender needs to release it and the ownership has to be in your name before it can be exported. A car still registered to a former employer or a leasing company is a common snag, so check the Istimara.
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.
Two coasts, one quote
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam faces the Gulf, and Jeddah Islamic Port faces the Red Sea. Which one your car uses depends on where it is and what is sailing, and we confirm that in the quote rather than guess here.
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 Saudi Arabia
Can you collect from Riyadh?
Yes. Riyadh cars are collected and transported to the port, which is all included in your quote.
How long is the car at sea from Saudi Arabia?
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 Istimara, 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 Saudi Arabia?
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 Saudi riyal (SAR).
Do I need to be in Saudi Arabia when the car is collected?
No. Plenty of people have flown home by then. Sort the paperwork and fines before you go, and leave the keys and the authority to hand the car over with someone you trust.
Start to finish
From Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia?
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.