Importing a car from Dubai to the UK involves four steps after it lands: telling HMRC within 14 days, paying or claiming relief from import duty and VAT, getting the car approved, and registering it with the DVLA. Whether you pay duty and VAT at all depends largely on one question: are you moving your home to the UK and bringing a car you have owned and used abroad?
This guide covers each step for a privately owned car leaving Dubai, with a worked example of the tax calculation. Opera Shipping’s Dubai to UK car shipping service handles the collection, export and freight, so you can plan the UK side with the arrival date in view.
Before the car leaves Dubai
The UAE side starts with the RTA export certificate, issued when the car’s Dubai registration is cancelled. The RTA states it is valid for seven days, so it is timed around the collection date. The DVLA later asks for the original foreign registration document, so confirm with the RTA which registration and export paperwork you will keep after the registration is cancelled. Our guide to exporting a car from Dubai covers the RTA certificate, export plates and the customs declaration.
Step one: tell HMRC within 14 days
HMRC must be told within 14 days of the vehicle arriving in the UK permanently. This is done through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) service. Private individuals can ask their shipping company or customs agent to submit it for them. HMRC notes that a late notification can lead to a penalty.
Step two: duty and VAT, or relief from both
If you are moving to the UK. Transfer of Residence relief can remove import duty and VAT on personal belongings, which can include a private vehicle. HMRC’s Transfer of Residence guidance sets conditions, including that you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, that you have owned and used the goods for at least six months before moving, and that you do not lend, hire out or sell them for 12 months after moving. The claim is made on form ToR1.
If you are not moving, or the car does not qualify. Import VAT is charged at 20% on the value of the car plus delivery costs and customs duty. The customs value includes transport and insurance up to the UK border.
The UK Trade Tariff shows a third-country duty rate of 10% for passenger cars under this heading, with lower preferential rates listed for goods originating in certain countries. Duty depends on where the car was manufactured, not where it is shipped from, so a car built in the EU or Japan may qualify for a preferential rate with valid proof of origin. Check the rate for your car’s commodity code and origin before you ship.
A worked example without relief
These figures are hypothetical and show how the calculation is layered. They assume the full third-country rate.
| Item | Amount (GBP) |
|---|---|
| Customs value, including transport and insurance to the UK | 60,000 |
| Import duty at 10% | 6,000 |
| Value for VAT (customs value plus duty) | 66,000 |
| Import VAT at 20% | 13,200 |
| Duty and VAT payable | 19,200 |
Compare that total with the conditions for Transfer of Residence relief. For someone relocating with their own car, the relief can change the whole decision.
Step three: vehicle approval
A car registered outside the EU needs approval before it can be registered. For a UAE car, that normally means Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA). The Vehicle Certification Agency notes that vehicles over 10 years of age are exempt from type approval, which changes the route for older and classic cars.
Left-hand-drive cars can be approved and registered, and the IVA scheme guide lists a category for them. The DVSA’s IVA guidance for cars notes that headlamps on cars from right-hand-traffic countries may need converting or replacing before the test, and that the speedometer must display miles per hour. Ask about both before the car is booked for inspection.
Step four: register with the DVLA
The DVLA’s guide to importing a vehicle (INF106) lists the application form V55/5, the original foreign registration document, proof of a valid MOT where needed, an insurance certificate, proof of name and address, and evidence of approval. Once registered, the car receives UK plates.
Air or sea from Dubai to the UK
The method sets the arrival date, and the arrival date starts the 14-day NOVA clock. For a valuable car or a fixed relocation date, air freight shortens the journey, and our guide to air freight car shipping costs covers flying a car to London. A dedicated container keeps the car sealed by sea. You can see a Dubai to UK movement among the examples on our Our Works page.
What to send for a Dubai to UK quote
Tell us the make, model and year, where the car is in Dubai, the UK delivery address and the date you need it. Say whether you are relocating, because that affects the paperwork we prepare with you. Use our shipping quote form to start.