As you're possibly aware, it only takes one small error for an import to go haywire. A name that doesn't match, a page that never got scanned, a letter from the bank that nobody asked for. Each one can add days at a point where the car is sitting still.
The list is short, though, and most of it is ours to handle. This guide walks through it in order, so you know what to gather and keep, and what you can leave to us.
Clearing the car comes first
A Gulf traffic authority won't release a car that still has something owed on it. So the first documents are the ones that prove it is clear.
- A clearance letter from the bank, if the car was on finance and you have paid it off
- The car transferred into your name, if it is registered to your employer or a leasing company
- Fines and tolls paid, across every emirate or region the car has been driven in
Our guide to settling up before you leave goes through each of these, and the order to do them in.
The core pack from the Gulf end
Whichever country the car is coming from, these are the documents we ask you for:
- The Mulkiya or local registration card (the Istimara in Qatar and Saudi Arabia)
- The export certificate, where one is issued. For Dubai cars, that is the RTA export certificate
- A copy of your passport
- Proof of ownership, such as the purchase invoice or bill of sale
Send copies early, even before the car is booked. It means we can spot a missing page or a mismatched name while you are still there to fix it in person. The export certificate comes when the car is put on export plates or deregistered, which we cover in export plates and deregistration.
If you are flying before the car is collected, leave the keys, the paperwork and the authority to hand the car over with someone you trust.
Moving home: your Transfer of Residence evidence
If you are moving your home to the UK, Transfer of Residence may mean no duty and no VAT on the car. You apply to HMRC online through GOV.UK before the car arrives, and the application wants evidence. The sort that helps:
- Your residence visa or national ID card from the country you are leaving
- A tenancy contract or utility bills showing you lived there
- The car's registration card and the purchase paperwork
- Proof you are moving to the UK, like a UK tenancy, house purchase or job offer
Once HMRC approves it, you get a reference number. Send it to us, because we use it when we clear the car through customs, which is when the relief is applied. The moving home page explains the conditions, and has a checker that takes a minute.
UK customs is ours to do
When the car lands, it has to be declared to HMRC. We are HMRC CDS authorised entry agents with our own in-house customs team, so we make the import declaration and work out the duty and VAT, or claim your Transfer of Residence relief.
HMRC also has to be told about the car through NOVA within 14 days of it arriving, and the DVLA won't register it until that is done. We do that too. What we need from you here is simply the originals from the Gulf end, kept safe and to hand.
Testing needs nothing extra from you
A car under ten years old usually goes through an IVA test on our own lane. An older car has an MOT, and one over 40 needs none before registration. The test paperwork is ours to prepare. You don't need to bring anything for it.
The exception is a car whose maker can supply documents that make approval simpler. Some can, some can't. If that applies to your car, we will tell you before it ships. The IVA, MOT and registration page has the detail.
DVLA registration is ours too
Once the car has passed its test and the paperwork is complete, we register it on our dealer-level DVLA account, usually in around 10 working days. Then it goes on UK plates, and you are free to collect it or have it delivered.
A few cars need a little more
- Classic cars: The DVLA wants the car's age and identity proven. We can source the extra paperwork, such as dating evidence, where it is needed. See classic cars.
- Cars that were UK-registered before: Bring whatever UK paperwork you still have, the old registration document or at least the registration number, and anything showing when the car left the UK. See bringing a UK car back.
- Cars bought in the Gulf to ship straight home: Get the seller's paperwork in order before any money changes hands. See buying a car in the Gulf for the UK.
One folder, scanned before you fly
Put every original in one folder, scan the lot, send us the scans and carry the folder home with you. It means that if anyone, at either end, asks for a document, the answer is a few minutes away rather than a few thousand miles.
When you ask for a quote, our team will tell you what applies to your car and your country, and the leaving checklist keeps track of the rest.
Questions people ask
What documents do you need from me to import a car from the Gulf?
Copies of the registration card (the Mulkiya, or the Istimara in Qatar and Saudi Arabia), your passport and proof that the car is yours, plus the export certificate where one is issued. If you are moving home and have applied for Transfer of Residence, the reference number too.
Should I send originals or copies?
Copies to start with, as early as you can. Keep the originals together in one folder and bring them with you, because HMRC wants to see the paperwork when the car arrives.
What if the name on the registration card does not match mine?
Tell us straight away. If the car is registered to an employer or a leasing company, it has to be transferred into your name before it can leave, and that is far easier to sort while you are still in the country.
Do I fill in the UK forms myself?
No. We make the customs declaration as HMRC CDS authorised entry agents, tell HMRC about the car through NOVA within 14 days of it arriving, and register it with the DVLA on our dealer-level account.