We get a lot of calls from people who've spotted the perfect car in a Dubai showroom or a Doha classified ad and want to know if it'll work in the UK. The answer is usually yes, provided you know what you're buying. This guide walks through the checks we'd make ourselves, in the order we'd make them.
GCC spec, or a car with a past somewhere else
A GCC spec car was built for the Gulf market, with the cooling, filtration and equipment that goes with it. Our guide to GCC spec explained covers what that means in detail.
Not every used car for sale in the Gulf is GCC spec, though. A good number were imported into the Gulf from elsewhere, and many of those came from the United States. Some were bought at American auctions, and some of those auction cars had been written off as salvage or damaged in floods before being repaired and shipped east.
That doesn't make every imported car a bad one. It does mean the badge on the boot tells you nothing about where the car has been, and the history matters far more than the shine.
Check the VIN before anything else
The VIN is the car's fingerprint, and it's the first thing we'd ask for. Run a history check on it, and if there's any hint the car spent time in North America, look at the American records in particular.
Things to look for are previous title brands such as salvage, rebuilt or flood, auction listings, and mileage that jumps around between records. Auction photos sometimes stay online for years, and they can tell you more in thirty seconds than a seller will in an hour.
If you want the full picture of what to look for, our guide to salvage, flood and rebuilt cars goes through it calmly and in order.
Questions to ask the seller
A straightforward seller with a straightforward car won't mind any of these:
- Was the car first registered in the Gulf, or was it imported? If imported, from where?
- Is there a service history, and was the work done by a main dealer or a known garage?
- Has the car ever been in an accident, a flood or an insurance claim?
- Is the car registered in your name, and is there any finance outstanding on it?
- Are there any traffic fines or tolls attached to the registration?
Hesitation on the import question is worth noting. A seller who knows the car came from a US auction and doesn't mention it is telling you something about the deal.
Ownership, finance and the registration
Make sure the person selling the car is the registered owner, and that the registration card matches the car in front of you. If there's finance on it, it has to be settled and a bank clearance letter issued before the car can change hands cleanly, let alone be exported.
Once it's yours, it then has to come off the local register before it can leave. Our guides to settling up before you leave and export plates and deregistration cover that end of things.
Keep every receipt and document from the purchase. HMRC will want to see what you paid, and the purchase invoice is the starting point for the tax calculation.
Budget for the UK end
A car that looks cheap in the Gulf isn't necessarily cheap on a UK driveway. Unless a relief applies, the import taxes work like this:
| Charge | How it's worked out |
|---|---|
| Import duty | 10% of the price paid plus transport |
| Import VAT | 20% of the price plus transport plus duty |
| Classic cars over 30 years old | 5% VAT and no duty |
As a simple illustration, if the price and transport together came to 10,000 pounds, duty would be 1,000 and VAT would be 20% of 11,000, which is 2,200. Your own figures will depend on your car, and your quote sets them out.
If you're moving back to the UK, Transfer of Residence relief can remove duty and VAT altogether, but only if you've lived outside the UK for over 12 months and owned the car for at least 6 months, and you can't sell it for the first 12 months. A car bought just before you leave usually won't qualify. Our moving home page explains the rules.
Then there's getting it on the road. Gulf cars need a few changes for the UK, typically a rear fog light, an mph speedometer and headlight adjustment, which we do in-house. A car under 10 years old needs an IVA test, one between 10 and 40 years old needs an MOT, and one over 40 needs neither before registration. Left-hand drive is perfectly legal here, and our left-hand drive guide covers living with it. The full picture of costs is on our costs page.
Our salvage rule
My Car Import does not take on salvage cars bought in Dubai. It's a firm rule, the same one we apply on our main site, and our quote form will stop the enquiry if you answer yes to the salvage question.
We'd much rather you knew that before you bought than after. That's the whole reason for checking the history first.
Talk to us before you pay
We've imported more than 20,000 cars over thirty-plus years, and a short conversation before you commit costs you nothing. Send us the VIN, the advert and what the seller has told you, and we'll tell you how the import would look.
It means you buy knowing the full cost, the likely timings and whether there's anything in the car's past that would stop it. Start with a quote, or get in touch if you'd rather talk it through first.
Questions people ask
Is a used car in Dubai always a GCC spec car?
No. Plenty of used cars in the Gulf were built for the Gulf, but a good number were imported from elsewhere, including the US, and some of those came through American auctions. Ask the seller directly and run a VIN history check.
Will you import a salvage car I've bought in Dubai?
No. My Car Import does not take on salvage cars bought in Dubai. If you answer yes to the salvage question on our quote form, the enquiry will stop there.
How much tax will I pay on a car I buy in the Gulf?
Unless a relief applies, import duty is 10% of the price plus transport, and VAT is 20% of the price plus transport plus duty. Classic cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT and no duty. Your quote sets out the figures for your car.