Alright, so you’re planning to export a car out of the UAE but are not sure how to go on about it? We got your covered, don’t worry! Check out our guide where we will tell you in detail about how to export a car out of the UAE.
There are two approaches; you’re either buying a new vehicle or you already own a vehicle. For the new vehicle, your dealer will know the exact procedure for the export and shall help you source a shipping company or recovery vehicle. If you own the vehicle and are planning an export, then it is necessary that you have the Roads and Transport Authority check the vehicle to ensure that it is safe to drive and road legal. They will issue an export certificate and export plates shall be given to you. These both items are crucial for exporting the vehicle.
The following paperwork and equipment are what you’ll need for shipping to any country unless stated otherwise.
- Police paper about the vehicle.
- Vehicle Clearance Certificate.
- Insurance documents.
- Passport (copies are a must).
- Visa in the UAE.
- Visa in the country you are shipping to (unless a citizen of that country).
- Destination address with at least two working contact numbers.
- Bill of shipping and landing. Applicable for sea and air transportation only. May be required for recovery truck delivery.
For exporting a new car into GCC countries, the user is supposed to pay a duty fee (5% of the car’s value in GCC countries). There is no 5% duty fee for the export of a used car into GCC countries. There are different duty fees when you’re exporting to non-GCC countries and vary from car’s engine and size. You will have to check with RTA and local authorities about the duty fee if you’re exporting to any country in Europe that is not mentioned.
Shipping methods
Following is the list of shipping methods that you can use for the transportation of your vehicle to the intended country.
- Sea – The cheapest and usually preferred option. The car is delivered to the nearest port of user’s choice. Choice of via container or Roll On Roll Off (RoRo) ship is also available.
- Air – This is the safest and fastest way to transport, but the most expensive one.
- Land 1- The car is brought via recovery trucks or trucks.
- Land 2 – You can drive it yourself. Recommended for GCC countries such as Oman and Saudi Arabia, not recommended for the US or the UK.
Make sure that you get the vehicle insured before shipping it off. In case of a recovery vehicle you are required to inform the RTA of the company that you’re using and a representative of the company needs to be present at the border crossing. If you want to drive the car yourself, the journey should be made within two weeks of receiving the export plates from the RTA. Also, you need to have the vehicle insures and must be a resident of one of those countries. In case of shipping out of any port in the UAE, the passport of the owner will be required to gain entry to the port.
Every country has their own specific rules for importing and depending upon the location, there might be a few alterations that you’ll have to deal with.
Exporting to Iran
- Export papers registered in the costumers name
- Valid ID of the vehicle
- RTA approval paper
Import of cars older than 5 years is not allowed and rear fog lamps or ‘Michigan Lights’ need to be fitted. Shipping to Iran is carried out via sea. The shipping can take about 3-4 days based upon the selection of port. The vehicle’s delivery to the shipping company in Dubai can be done in two ways; you can either organize a recovery vehicle costing you 150 AED or you can drive it yourself to the shipping company. For the second option, you will be required to have insurance and export plates provided by the RTA.
Exporting to America
- Vehicles must meet U.S Air pollution control standards, safety standards, and bumper standards.
- Cars no older than 25 years can be imported unless prior approval has been granted
- Duty tax depends on the vehicle being imported: autos – 2.5%, trucks – 25% and motorcycles – 3 or 3.4%. This is based on the payable price or price paid for the vehicle.
- Cars and trucks must be left-hand drive.
Importers are required to fill out a Department Of Transportation (DOT) HS-7 form upon the entry in order to ensure that the vehicle complies with all of the USA road rules. The emission test, costing $1,000, has to be carried out. The vehicles exempted from this test are; racing cars, classic automobiles that were built before 1st January, 1968 and vehicles with no engine and unregulated fuel vehicles. Any vehicle that is being imported must meet the bumper standards and foreign registration documents are absolutely necessary if the vehicle is used. US customs needs to be informed of the expected arrival date.
It is your duty to ensure that the vehicle being imported is clean and this includes undercarriage as well since no foreign soil is allowed (prevention against pests and other harmful contaminants). The vehicle should not be used for importing any other object and vehicles with a higher fuel consumption of 22.5 miles to the gallon shall also be charged with a ‘gas-guzzling’ tax.
Exporting to Great Britain
- Even though the UK drives on the right-hand-side, left-hand drive vehicles can be legally driven on the roads.
- Vehicles must conform with environmental and safety laws of the country. Some exceptions are permitted but will have to be approved first.
- If said vehicle is over 10 years old, Drivers and License Agency in the United Kingdom must be informed beforehand for approval.
HM Revenue and Customs need to be notified within 14 days of vehicle’s arrival before you ship off your vehicle. An International Vehicle Approval will also have be conducted as well. Owners are required to pay VAT, duty or tax on the vehicle before it is released from the authorities and once paid, the vehicles must be registered and taxed. For those who are staying in the UK temporarily, there is no need to get the vehicle registered or for taxation unless you’re planning to stay for longer than 6 months.
Exporting To India
The government has different regulations for new and used vehicles. For new vehicles;
- It must be completely manufactured outside of India
- It must be imported from the country in which it was manufactured
- It must not have been registered, sold, leased or loaned before importation
- It must have right-hand steering and relevant controls.
- The speedometer must display speed in km/h.
- It can be imported only via the Indian customs ports at Mumbai (Nhava Sheva), Kolkata or Chennai
- It must conform to the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988
For the import of a used vehicle;
- It cannot have been manufactured more than three years previously
- It must have been previously registered, sold, leased or loaned before importation
- It must have a roadworthiness certificate valid for at least five years after the date of importation
- It must have right-hand steering and relevant controls.
- The speedometer must display speed in km/h.
- It can be imported only through the Indian customs port at Mumbai (Nhava Sheva)
- It must conform to the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988
- Its cylinder capacity is no more than 3,000cc.
Exporting To Pakistan
Given that you fulfill the eligibility conditions as stated in The Import Trade and Procedure Order, 2000 you are allowed to import a car in Pakistan. You need to consult T Personal Baggage and Gift Schemes (Import of Vehicles) Rules, 2000, Import Trade and Procedure Order, 2000 and CBR Circular No.4 of 1998 dated 03.06.1998 regarding Capital Value Tax for details of conditions and procedural formalities. As per the gift policy, you can only import a car that is not older than 2 years. For an overseas Pakistani, the abovementioned person should have spent 180 days in the country before allowed to import a car to Pakistan. The following documents are required;
- The purchase receipt of the vehicle.
- The bill of landing that is issued by the shipping company at the time of booking of the vehicle for Pakistan.
- The photocopy of passport that has been duly attested by the Embassy/Consulate of Pakistan abroad.
- The registration document in case of used vehicles.
These are some of the pre-requisites. Once you have these in place, you can contact an export agent at the Dubai port who will then use these documents to arrange a shipment for you to your home country.
Do let us know your experiences in the comments section below.