Motorbikes
Two wheels, same team.
Superbikes, everyday bikes and the odd priceless classic. We bring motorbikes home from the Gulf the same way we bring cars, with a crate if you want one and a test lane of our own at the end.
My Car Import helps to import hundreds of motorcycles each year, and we get a large number of requests from the Gulf. Some are superbikes like Ducatis, and some are priceless classics.
We take care of the whole thing: shipping, customs, any work the bike needs, its test and its DVLA registration. Pick the bit you need or hand us the lot.
One thing to tell us early: any modifications. They can change what it takes to get a bike registered here, and what it costs.
How a bike comes home
From the Gulf to UK plates.
Crated, or strapped at the wheels
A bike is more delicate than a car, so you choose. In a crate, the box is built around the bike and nothing needs strapping. Uncrated in a container, it is strapped down at the wheels rather than by compressing the springs.
Customs, done in-house
We clear the bike as HMRC CDS authorised entry agents with our own customs team, and tell HMRC it has arrived through NOVA within 14 days.
MSVA or MOT, on our own lane
We are the only privately owned MSVA test centre in the UK, and every test is done at our site. Any work the bike needs to pass is done here too.
Registered, then ridden
We register the bike with the DVLA on our dealer-level account. Until then, it is safest kept at our premises rather than on the road.
Leaving the Gulf
A bike leaves the Gulf much as a car does. Anything owed on it has to be cleared, and it has to be released by the authority it is registered with before it ships. In Dubai, that means the RTA export step, which you do with guidance from our agents there. Our guides to settling up before you leave and export plates and deregistration apply to bikes too.
Shipping is by container. A crate is often the safest option, because the bike is never exposed to the outside world, and on arrival it is moved by a fully insured courier. RoRo is not usually a service we offer for bikes.
The MSVA test, and when it applies
The Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval test, MSVA for short, is the bike equivalent of the IVA. It applies to motorcycles and trikes that do not have European whole vehicle type approval, and it checks the lights, mirrors, brakes, steering, suspension, tyres, emissions and noise.
We are the only privately owned MSVA test centre in the UK, and we book the test ourselves on our own lane. Which test your bike needs, MSVA or MOT, depends on its age and specification, so tell us about it and we will say which applies before it ships. Bikes over 40 years old are generally exempt from the MOT, as long as they have not been substantially changed in the previous 30 years.
Import duty and VAT
Bikes follow the same rules as cars. From the Gulf, that is 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the cost of getting it here, with the VAT charged on top of the duty. A bike over 30 years old, in its original state, pays no duty and 5% VAT.
If you are moving home, Transfer of Residence may mean no duty and no VAT at all, provided you have lived outside the UK for over 12 months and owned the bike for at least 6 months. The moving home page explains how to apply, and the duty and VAT calculator does the sums.
What to send us
- The bike's registration card, in your name
- The bill of sale or purchase invoice
- The export paperwork from the Gulf end, where one is issued
- A copy of your passport
- Your Transfer of Residence reference, if you are moving home
Older bikes sometimes need their age proving. Finding a dating letter for a classic motorcycle can be a bit of a nightmare, and we are here to help with it. The documents guide covers the rest of the paperwork in order.
About motorbikes
Can you import a motorbike from Dubai to the UK?
Yes. My Car Import imports hundreds of motorcycles a year, and we get plenty of requests from the Gulf, from superbikes to priceless classics. Say it is a bike when you ask for a quote, and whether you would like it crated.
Should my bike be shipped in a crate?
Crating is often the safest option. The box is built around the bike, so it is never exposed and does not need strapping. Uncrated bikes travel in a container strapped down at the wheels, rather than by compressing the suspension.
Can a motorbike go by RoRo?
It is not usually a service we offer for bikes. Container shipping, crated or uncrated, is the normal route.
What import tax does a motorbike from the Gulf pay?
The same as a car: 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the cost of getting it here. Over 30 years old and unaltered, it is no duty and 5% VAT. If you are moving home, Transfer of Residence may mean nothing to pay.
Does a bike over 40 years old need an MOT?
Motorbikes over 40 years old are generally treated as historic and are exempt from the MOT, as long as they have not been substantially changed in the previous 30 years.
Tell us about the bike.
Ask for a quote and say in the 'Anything else we should know?' box that it is a motorbike, whether you want it crated, and any modifications.