Shipping
Your car leaves the Gulf in a container or on a vehicle carrier, spends 3 to 6 weeks at sea, and comes off the ship into the hands of people who will look after it from then on.
Three ways across
We prefer container shipping for most cars, because it is the safest and most secure way to move one. But there is a right answer for every car, and it is not always the same.
Your car shares a container with other customers’ cars, each one strapped and secured on its own. You pay for your share rather than the whole box, which is why it is the best value way to ship from the Gulf.
Good for
A dedicated container just for your car. It is loaded on your timetable, sealed with nothing else inside and opened only when it reaches us. It costs more, and for a supercar or a cherished classic it is money well spent.
Good for
The car is driven onto a vehicle carrier and parked on a deck, like a floating car park. My Car Import’s Abu Dhabi figures put RoRo at around 2 to 4 weeks at sea. It is available from some Gulf ports, and the car travels alongside other vehicles rather than sealed away.
Good for
Jebel Ali
UAE cars ship from Jebel Ali. Its size is the point: frequent sailings and plenty of space in shared containers mean your car is not left waiting for a box to fill.
Cars from elsewhere in the Gulf load at whichever port suits them best, from Hamad Port in Qatar to Dammam or Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. We confirm the port in your quote, along with collection from your address.
This is where most importers hand over to someone else, and where most delays begin. Containers sit at the port waiting for an unloading slot at a busy warehouse working against the clock.
We do it differently. The container comes to our own site in Castle Donington and our team unloads it ourselves, taking as long as each car needs. It means less waiting at the port and a car that is in our hands, and in our care, from the moment the doors open.
A clean underside is not just for show. UK biosecurity rules take soil and sand seriously, and a car that has spent weekends in the dunes is worth a proper jet wash before it goes.
Shipping a motorbike? Bikes can travel crated or uncrated, and our motorbikes page explains the difference.
In a container, usually 3 to 6 weeks at sea. RoRo can be quicker, at around 2 to 4 weeks from Abu Dhabi. Shipping lines choose their routes depending on conditions, so we always quote a range.
Transit insurance is available for the full value of the car, covering it against total loss or serious damage while it travels. We recommend it for every car.
Please do not. Loose items complicate customs at both ends and are not covered by transit insurance. Send household goods with your removal company and keep the car empty apart from its spare wheel and tools.
Yes. We import hundreds of motorbikes a year, crated or uncrated, and we are happy to look at motorhomes and other vehicles too. Tell us what it is on the quote form and we will come back to you.
Tell us about the car and where it is. A real person at My Car Import builds your quote around your car, and there is no obligation to go ahead.
