Yes, you can import a car from Dubai, the rest of the UAE or Qatar to the UK. You pay 10% customs duty and then 20% VAT, because the UK Trade Tariff shows no trade-deal rate for these countries today, and a car under 10 years old needs vehicle approval before the DVLA will register it. The speedometer must show miles per hour. A car at least 30 years old, original and no longer in production can qualify for 0% duty and an effective 5% VAT.
NOVA from £45 (duty and VAT not included). We process between customs clearance and NOVA within one business day.
The Classic Import Co. is a trading name of Imexs Brokerage LTD, company no. 13989357. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
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A car bought in the Gulf is often a model you would not find in a British showroom, or the same model built to a different specification. That is the reason people buy there, and it is also why the checks matter. This page covers the tax, the approval question and what to settle with the seller before you pay. For other long-distance imports, see our guides to importing a car from China, importing from Japan and the cost of importing from the USA.
What you need from the seller
- The original vehicle registration document issued in the UAE or Qatar. The DVLA asks for the original foreign registration document to show when the vehicle was manufactured, and it does not give it back. Photograph every page before it leaves your hands. If you do not have the original, the DVLA may accept other proof of the manufacture date, such as a letter from the manufacturer.
- An invoice or bill of sale showing the price you paid and the date the car was collected. GOV.UK asks for the invoice or bill of sale if you bought the car in the last 6 months, and for a current in-person UK valuation if you bought it earlier.
- The build year, the country of manufacture and the chassis number (VIN), in writing. The country of manufacture sets the duty, and the VIN must be identical on every document.
Deregistration in the UAE or Qatar, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
How much tax do you pay on a car from Dubai?
You pay 10% customs duty on the value of the car, then 20% VAT on the value plus the duty. The UK Trade Tariff lists the same 10% for a used car from the United Arab Emirates and from Qatar, with no preferential rate. Three steps, in this order:
- Find the customs value. It is the price of the car plus the cost of getting it to the UK border (delivery costs to include). A price in another currency is converted to pounds at HMRC's rate (UK Trade Tariff exchange rates).
- Add the duty. 10% for a car (UK Trade Tariff, heading 8703).
- Add the VAT. 20% of the customs value plus the duty (working out the VAT value).
The same steps for a car bought for £25,000 with £1,800 for shipping and insurance, so £26,800 at the border. The shipping figure is an example, not a price:
| Illustration: customs value £26,800 | Duty | VAT | Tax in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built in the Gulf or a country with no UK trade deal | 10% = £2,680 | 20% of £29,480 = £5,896 | £8,576 |
| Built in Japan, origin proved | 0% = £0 | 20% of £26,800 = £5,360 | £5,360 |
| Can qualify as a collectors' piece (at least 30 years old, original, model no longer in production) | £0 | 5% of £26,800 = £1,340 | £1,340 |
Rates: UK Trade Tariff, commodity 8703 23 90 00 (used cars), countries AE and QA, checked 29 October 2026. The classic row applies only when all three conditions are met.
The gap between the first two rows is £3,216 on a £26,800 car, and £536 of it is VAT charged on the duty itself. On top of the tax come the DVLA's £55 first registration fee, road tax, and an MOT if the car needs one. To test your own figures, use the import duty and VAT calculator; the guide to the taxes on an imported car explains each one.
Send us the car before you pay
Send us the make, model, year, price and where it was built, and we tell you the tax and what the import will involve. Our NOVA service starts from £45, excluding duty and VAT. See how our NOVA and customs clearance service works.
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Will the UK-Gulf trade deal change the duty?
Not yet. The UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC: the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) announced the end of their trade negotiations on 20 May 2026. GOV.UK says the legal text is still being finalised, then the deal will be signed, and it enters into force only after that and after the UK parliamentary process (GOV.UK, UK-GCC trade deal conclusion summary).
Until it is in force, the Trade Tariff rate is what you pay. Do not price a car on the hope of a lower rate: check the commodity code on the UK Trade Tariff on the day you buy.
Where was your car really built?
Duty depends on where the car was built, not on where you bought it. A car sold in Dubai can have been built in Japan, Germany, the USA or elsewhere, and then the rate follows that country, with proof of origin. A car built in a country with no UK trade deal pays 10%.
Ask the seller for the country of manufacture in writing before you agree a price. The build plate, the VIN and the manufacturer's papers show it. If the seller cannot say, assume 10% until you can prove otherwise.
Does a car from the UAE or Qatar need vehicle approval?
If it is under 10 years old, yes. Cars and minibuses with 8 passenger seats or fewer that are over 10 years old do not need vehicle approval; a younger car does, and the DVLA will not register it without proof (GOV.UK, exemptions from vehicle approval).
For a single imported car the usual route is individual vehicle approval (IVA). It is a DVSA inspection of one vehicle, and DVSA will usually offer an inspection within 20 working days and issues an individual approval certificate if the car passes (GOV.UK, individual vehicle approval). The DVSA sets the fee and runs the test; we do not.
A car built for the Gulf market can differ from the version sold in Britain, so settle the approval question before you pay, not after the car arrives. A car that cannot be approved cannot be registered.
Not sure the car can be registered? Get a free quote for your Gulf import →
The speedometer and the steering side
A car first used on or after 1 April 1984 must have a speedometer that can show miles per hour as well as kilometres per hour (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations). A dial in km/h only does not meet that, so settle it before the car is shipped.
Check the steering side with the seller. The DVLA registers left-hand drive cars, and our guide to registering a left-hand drive car covers what to expect.
The UK steps
- Customs. We make the import declaration, and the VAT and any duty are paid. For a shipped vehicle GOV.UK says the shipping company or customs agent files it for you. Read more on finding a customs agent.
- NOVA. We notify HMRC within 14 days of the car arriving; the 14 days start when it crosses the border. The outcome is a decision of an HMRC caseworker and the timing depends on the NOVA team's workload. See how to get a NOVA and what to do if it is late.
- Approval and MOT. The approval inspection comes first if the car needs one. The car then gets a UK MOT if it needs one: cars under 3 years old do not, and vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt, with a V112 declaration instead. See the MOT on an imported car.
- DVLA. We prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post: the V55/5, with the original registration document, proof of approval if it is needed, photo ID, proof of your UK address, the £55 first registration fee and road tax. See how to register an imported car with the DVLA.
GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted if you use the car on a public road before you complete these steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test (GOV.UK, importing vehicles).
Bringing a car over from the Gulf?
We handle the customs, VAT and NOVA, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit, from £95.
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If you want the whole journey in one place, read importing a car to the UK.