Tackling the process of shipping a vehicle from Abu Dhabi to the UK alone can be a lengthy, confusing and potentially stressful process, so we are on hand to relieve you of all the associated worry by handling all elements of the import.

Deregistration of the Vehicle

Ahead of shipping from Abu Dhabi to the UK, you will need to apply for export number plates with RTA. This is an incredibly straightforward process and, once you have received the plates, the My Car Import agents in Abu Dhabi will accept your car at the warehouse ready for shipment to the UK.

Loading & Vehicle Shipping

The next stage of the process involves the loading of your vehicle into its container prior to shipping. We have taken great care to ensure our agents in Abu Dhabi follow our practices and you can rest assured that they all have extensive experience in shipping all manner of vehicles.

They will load your vehicle with the utmost care before securely fastening it down so there is no chance of movement whilst at sea. We do offer optional transit insurance for added peace of mind which insures your vehicle to its full replacement value during the journey.

Import Tax Regulations

If you are following your car to the UK to live, you can bring the vehicle in completely tax free if you have owned the vehicle for a minimum of six months and have lived outside of the UK for over 12 months. It is important to bear in mind that you won’t be able to sell the vehicle on for the first 12 months you are in the UK.

For more recent vehicle purchases, you will be required to pay import duty tax and VAT; the price of which is calculated based on the value of the car. If your vehicle was built in the EU, you will pay a one-off £50 duty and 20% VAT however, if built outside of the EU, you will pay 10% duty and 20% VAT.

If you are shipping over a vehicle that is over 30 years old, by meeting a set of conditions, you will in most cases qualify for a reduced rate at just 5% VAT and no duty.

Testing Ahead of Registration

Before your vehicle can be registered and legally allowed to be driven on UK roads, a level of modification and testing is required; again dependent on the age of the vehicle.

After your car has cleared UK customs, it will be collected and transported to our premises where, if it is under 10 years old, it must pass an IVA test before the DVLA will register it.

At My Car Import, we are the only company in the UK to have our own, on-site DVSA approved IVA testing lane for passenger vehicles. This means we can reduce turnaround times significantly compared to Government run facilities by completing the testing and modifications in a much shorter time frame.

A variety of modifications will be required for your vehicle to pass the IVA test, but all will be completed on-site by our team. Changes to your vehicle may include, but are not limited to, changing the speedometer to miles per hour, adjusting the headlight pattern to suit UK roads and installing a rear fog light if there is not one fitted as standard.

For those vehicles over 10 years of age, an MOT test is required alongside a number of modifications and road safety testing to ensure it is fit for driving on UK roads.

Registration with the DVLA & New Number Plates

With My Car Import, you’ll benefit from our own DVLA Account Manager who works exclusively with our clients to process registration applications far quicker than traditional methods.

After registration, we’ll fit your new number plates so the vehicle is ready to hit the UK roads. You then have the option to collect directly from our depot in the East Midlands or we can arrange delivery direct to your door.

We strongly believe that shipping a car from Abu Dhabi to the UK couldn’t be easier than with My Car Import, so contact us today on +44 (0) 1332 81 0442 to discuss your requirements and begin the process.