Shipping your car to Dubai typically adds 12–20% on top of the car’s value before you can drive it: sea freight (AED 3,000–15,000 depending on origin and method), 5% customs duty on the CIF value, 5% VAT on top of that, plus clearance and RTA registration (AED 1,500–4,000). Whether it beats buying locally depends entirely on the car. For the running costs once it’s here, see cost of owning a car in Dubai.
The short answer
For an AED 80,000 car shipped from the UK:
| Cost item | Typical amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Sea freight + marine insurance (RoRo) | 4,000–7,000 |
| Customs duty — 5% of CIF value | ~4,200–4,400 |
| VAT — 5% of (CIF + duty) | ~4,400–4,600 |
| Clearance agent + port handling | 1,000–2,500 |
| RTA inspection, registration, plates | 1,500–3,000 |
| Total on top of the car | ~15,000–21,000 |
That’s roughly 18–25% over the purchase price — the number to beat when comparing with Dubai showroom prices.
1. Freight: RoRo vs container
| Method | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| RoRo (roll-on/roll-off), UK → Jebel Ali | £1,000–1,800 | Standard cars, cheapest |
| RoRo, US → Jebel Ali | $1,200–2,200 | US-market cars |
| Shared/sole container | £1,800–3,500 | Valuable, classic or low-clearance cars |
| Air freight | $8,000+ | Only for the irreplaceable |
RoRo is cheapest but the car travels exposed and you can’t ship personal effects inside it. Containers cost more but protect the car and (with most shippers) let you load boxed household goods around it — a legitimate way to combine the car and a small shipment.
2. Customs duty and VAT: the fixed math
Dubai Customs charges a flat 5% duty on the CIF value (car price + freight + insurance combined — not just the sticker price), then 5% VAT on the CIF-plus-duty total. Worked example for an AED 80,000 car with AED 8,000 freight/insurance:
- CIF value: AED 88,000
- Duty (5%): AED 4,400
- VAT (5% of 92,400): AED 4,620
- Combined tax: AED 9,020 (~10.25% effective)
Dubai Customs then issues a Vehicle Clearance Certificate (VCC) — usually 2–4 days for standard cars — which you need before RTA registration.
3. Registration: RTA inspection and plates
After customs, the car must pass inspection at an RTA-approved centre (Tasjeel, Shamil) covering brakes, lights, emissions and VIN checks, then registration:
- VCC processing: ~AED 350
- Technical inspection: ~AED 170+
- Registration + plates: AED 400–500 (plus optional plate-number fees)
- Insurance: mandatory before registration — budget 4–7% of car value per year
Total registration-side costs: roughly AED 1,500–3,000 for a standard car.
4. The rules that disqualify cars
Check these before paying for shipping:
- Residence visa required — you cannot clear or register a car on a tourist visa.
- Left-hand drive only — right-hand-drive cars generally can’t be registered for road use.
- Age: cars older than ~10 years face extra scrutiny; over-30s can go the classic route with RTA approval and special plates.
- GCC vs non-GCC spec — non-GCC-spec cars may need modifications (cooling, lighting, emissions) to pass inspection.
- Documents: original title/invoice, export certificate, bill of lading, passport + Emirates ID + UAE driving licence.
5. Ship it or buy locally? The decision rule
Shipping wins when the car is paid off, low-mileage, and worth well above its shipping cost — or when it’s a spec you can’t buy in the UAE. It loses for ordinary mass-market cars: a 5-year-old Camry/Corolla costs nearly the same in Dubai’s used market as the landed cost of shipping yours, without the 6–8 week wait and paperwork.
Quick test: if (car value + ~20%) < Dubai market price for the same car, ship it. Otherwise, sell at origin and buy in Dubai — Al Aweer and Sharjah’s used markets are deep and negotiable.
Get Your Exact Number
Car import math is unforgiving — run the full landed cost before the ship sails. Then plug your broader move into the MoveWise UAE calculator for a personalised first-year estimate — free, no signup.
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Read next: Cost of Owning a Car in Dubai · New Driving License Cost Dubai · International Moving to Dubai Cost
FAQs
How much does it cost to ship a car to Dubai?
Freight runs AED 3,000–15,000 depending on origin and method (RoRo cheapest). Duty (5% of CIF) + VAT (5%) + clearance and registration add roughly 12–20% of the car’s value on top.
What is the customs duty on cars in the UAE?
A flat 5% on the CIF value (price + freight + insurance), plus 5% VAT on the CIF-plus-duty total — about 10.25% combined.
Can I import a right-hand-drive car to Dubai?
Generally no — only left-hand-drive cars can be registered for regular road use, with narrow exceptions (classics, special permits).
Do I need a residence visa to import a car?
Yes — Dubai Customs requires a valid UAE residence visa to clear the vehicle, and you need Emirates ID plus a UAE driving licence to register it.
Is it cheaper to ship my car or buy one in Dubai?
For ordinary used cars, buying in Dubai usually wins once you add ~20% landed cost and the 6–8 week wait. Shipping wins for paid-off, valuable, or hard-to-replace cars.