Guide

Dubai Just Launched a Travel Influencer Academy

List of UAE Public Holidays in 2025: Announced and Expected Dates

Pictured: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed at a UAE Cabinet meeting.

H.H Sheikh Mohammed Ranks 3 Best & Worst UAE Government Departments

There's a 10-Year UAE Residency Visa for Dubai Content Creators and Influencers

You Can Now Enjoy Breakfast With Penguins in Dubai

Confirmed: 2025 Will Be The 'Year of Community' in The UAE

Dubai Named As the Cleanest City in the World Once More

Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 in Dubai

Flying Drones in the UAE: Updated Guidelines For Personal Use

Classifieds

Jobs

How to Get a UAE Influencer License: Step-By-Step Guide & Requirements

Dubai Announces Pilot Launch of 4-Day Work Week For Employees

UAE Job Loss Insurance Claim Rejected? Here's Why It Could Happen

How to Claim UAE Job Loss Insurance: Eligibility and Step-by-Step Guide

Dubai Ranked Among Top 5 Cities in the World to Work In

Can I Get Fired in the UAE For My Mental Health Condition?

Dubai Dedicates AED 150 Million Government Support Fund For Influencers

How to Deal With Workplace Harassment in the UAE

The UAE's New End-of-Service Programme, Explained for Residents

Events

Win Cash Prizes Up to AED 300 For Every Kilo Lost With UAE's Weight Loss Challenge

Eid Al Fitr 2025 in the UAE: When is the Long Weekend?

Ramadan 2025 in Dubai: List of Ramadan Markets to Explore

List of UAE Public Holidays in 2025: Announced and Expected Dates

Where to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 in Dubai

An Enchanting Regency-Era Evening Awaits at Dubai's Bridgerton Candlelight Concert

MOTN Festival Returns For 2024: What's In Store & Where to Get Tickets

Top Tree Lighting Ceremonies to See for Christmas 2024 in Dubai

UAE National Day 2024 Fireworks in Dubai: Locations & Timings

Education

Dubai IB School's Class of 2025 Secures Over $10 Million in University Scholarships

Introducing the Executive Hospitality Programme at South View School Dubai

Where to Choose the Best EYFS Children's Nursery in Dubai Marina

Nurturing Compassionate Leaders: 8 Ways Dibber Preschools Prepares Your Child

How to Make the Transition to University Life Easier

What Are the Benefits of Academic Scholarships in Dubai?

Dubai School Inspections Will Be Skipped for One Year

Build Your Child's Education Your Way, With King's InterHigh

How to Get Your University and College Degrees Attested in the UAE

Money

UAE Unveils New Official Dirham Symbol, Inspired By the Country's Flag

6 Financial Resolutions to Make for the New Year

Meet Dr. Hassan Elhais: A Pillar of Legal Expertise for Expats in the UAE

Meet the Emirati Woman Breaking Grounds in UAE Law: Awatif Khouri

Why Teens Need Real-World Financial Education?

UAE Residents Be Wary of Food Delivery Scams

5 Signs You've Been Scammed Over the Phone, and What to Do Next

UAE Job Loss Insurance Claim Rejected? Here's Why It Could Happen

Minimum AED 5,000 Fine for Smoking Near Children in the UAE

Home

Are "Own Visa" and Freelancer Visa Domestic Workers Legal in the UAE?

Hiring a Maid in the UAE: 5 Legal Red Flags

Ask a UAE Flower Shop: Your Most Common Questions, Answered

FYI Dubai is Banning All Single Use Bags From June 1

Carrefour's 'Choose Better' Programme is Here to Reward Healthier Choices With 10x the Points

Are UAE Domestic Helpers Allowed to Work on a Trial Period and Hired After?

Pet Breeding in the UAE: Is it Allowed and Where to Find Legal Pet Breeders

Choithrams Announces Launch of All-Women Operated Store in the UAE

Where to Order Same-Day Valentine's Day Flowers in the UAE

Car

These Are Dubai's New Public Parking Fees From April 2025

How to Convert a Non-UAE Driving License in Dubai: A Complete Guide

Dubai Public Commute Timings & Road Closures for New Year's Eve

Booking Taxis in Dubai: How to Hail a Taxi Through WhatsApp

What Are the Requirements For a Car Loan in Dubai?

UAE Petrol Prices Will Increase in August 2024

Head's Up! Dubai Taxi Fares Will Increase in May 2024

UAE Announces New Fuel Prices For May 2024

Missing UAE License Plates: How to Report a Lost Plate or Reclaim Yours

Wellness

Win Cash Prizes Up to AED 300 For Every Kilo Lost With UAE's Weight Loss Challenge

9 Warning Signs for Breast Cancer

Top Tips to Have a Healthy Heart in the UAE

Discover "The New You" at Zieda's Aesthetic Clinic in Dubai

Top Ladies-Only Gyms and Fitness Centres in Dubai

Say Goodbye to Wrinkles With Mediclinic's Botox Mondays Offer

Get Expert Healthcare and Wellness Delivered to Your Doorstep in Dubai Within 30 Minutes

Top 7 Scenic UAE Jogging and Running Routes

IVF in the UAE: Unmarried Non-Muslim Couples Are Allowed to Undergo IVF

Shop

Shopping In Dubai

Best Online Shopping Sites in Dubai and UAE

An A-Z Guide to Dubai's Popular Malls

What To Wear At The Beach In Dubai

14 Hilarious Realities of Visiting Dubai Mall

Every Day is a Discount Day on THIS Deals Site

Cityland Mall Preview: Dubai's New Nature-Inspired Shopping Mall

EWmums

EWfood

ewmoda

Shipping a car to the US

Log in to post new content in the forum.

1

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 14 November 2018 - 11:24

I have done a search on the forum but not come up with any recent info so wondering if someone can help. We are thinking about moving a new BMW to the States. Can anyone recommend a good service?...

I have the same issue as i just moved to USA and i am trying to ship my chevy camaro with me and noone can answer what is required when the car is GCC specs and does it meet the requirement of Dot. Please advise if anyone has any info with regards to custom clearance.

774

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 16 May 2011 - 10:24

We bought a Mercury Mountaineer here in UAE three years ago and were going to ship it to the US. It took a long time to get answers but finally found out we could send it home b/c it was manufactured in the US. Had a sticker on the inside of the driver's door that said manufactured in West Virginia, USA but it was Gulf specs. In the end we decided not to ship it home mainly b/c we weren't in love with the car enough to go through everything. None of the dealerships could help us and all gave us wrong info so they were useless. It was lots and lots of emailing and calling to Ford in the states that finally got us our answers. But yes, we could have shipped that car back to the US without having to convert anything since it was manufactured in the US.

654

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 16 May 2011 - 10:19

I am curious, does anyone know of someone who bought a brand new car in Dubai and had it shipped to the US without a problem? So far I haven't come across anyone who does. When we first bought our car we originally planned to take it back to the US when the time came but every dealership we visited in Dubai as well as several dealership in the US all said...."er...ah...weeeeell, ma'am, it's not something we recommend...blah blah...because of Gulf specifications and emission standards and stringent policies for conversion....expensive...etc cetera." This was Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Volvo, Saab and a few more. It's quite possible that every single person we spoke to was flat out wrong, but that would be a pretty big group of car dealers on both sides of the world. Why call dealerships? They won't have a clue. Dealerships will tell you flat out that parts bought online from America or Europe won't work in Gulf-spec American or European cars, which is just cr@p. Sorry bornconfused, but you were told a load of nonsense. GMC don't make special cars to sell in the Gulf, just as BMW or any other manufacturer doesn't. Just look at the technical data for the engines and emissions in both markets - it's identical! They run a load of identical ones off the production line, then they say "Right, this bunch over here are for the domestic market, that bunch over there are for export". The changes for the export market are entirely cosmetic, nothing at all to do with engines or emissions. The one thing that manufacturers do sometimes do differently is to produce larger-engined models for markets like the Gulf, where petrol is cheaper and so there's less disincentive to buy gas-guzzlers. These models aren't usually sold directly in their domestic markets but are available as imports. It doesn't happen too often though, because it's very expensive to produce models that will only be sold in specific markets. Most car manufacturers prefer to make models that will be sold all over the world with just cosmetic changes.

774

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 22:23

None of that makes any sense. The GMC Acadias sold in Dubai are made on the same productions lines as the GMC Acadias sold in the USA. They use the exact same parts. The only thing they would ever have to special-order would be the glass for the door mirrors if you wanted to keep the Arabic writing. Otherwise, just use the American-market glass with English writing. We just imported our 2007 GMC Envoy from the US. We had to get new tires when we registered the car and they said that even though Envoy's are sold here, our's is from the states and they are different size rims so we had to pay for "special" tires. Bunch of bunk if you ask me but they said the regular UAE Envoy tires would not fit a US Envoy. Also, we paid around $2800 to import our car and it took just shy of 3 months to get here.

22

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 22:12

scotinthelakes What model & year of manufacture it is? I have a friend who has imported s550 benz from usa. He is not happy with gargash services & may be he can be persuaded to drive BMW & swap. I know shipping cost to usa was abt usd 1000 in 2009/early 2010.

edna.welthorpe36638

516

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 18:09

Why call dealerships? They won't have a clue. Dealerships will tell you flat out that parts bought online from America or Europe won't work in Gulf-spec American or European cars, which is just cr@p. Sorry bornconfused, but you were told a load of nonsense. GMC don't make special cars to sell in the Gulf, just as BMW or any other manufacturer doesn't. Just look at the technical data for the engines and emissions in both markets - it's identical! They run a load of identical ones off the production line, then they say "Right, this bunch over here are for the domestic market, that bunch over there are for export". The changes for the export market are entirely cosmetic, nothing at all to do with engines or emissions. The one thing that manufacturers do sometimes do differently is to produce larger-engined models for markets like the Gulf, where petrol is cheaper and so there's less disincentive to buy gas-guzzlers. These models aren't usually sold directly in their domestic markets but are available as imports. It doesn't happen too often though, because it's very expensive to produce models that will only be sold in specific markets. Most car manufacturers prefer to make models that will be sold all over the world with just cosmetic changes.

bornconfused34509

542

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 16:02

It does make sense if you actually call the GMC dealership in the US. You may think they are built the same but they aren't. Gulf Spec cars do not have to have all of the same engine requirements as the US does. Maybe you should spend some time calling some dealerships to see what they have to say. I went through it for weeks when we were deciding if we would ship our car or buy new ones.

edna.welthorpe36638

516

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 15:52

The reason we didn't move our GMC Acadia from Dubai to the US was because they wanted almost $10,000 to make it engine compatible with the US. We were also told that if there were any mechanical problems with it, it would be hard to fix as they would have to special order the parts None of that makes any sense. The GMC Acadias sold in Dubai are made on the same productions lines as the GMC Acadias sold in the USA. They use the exact same parts. The only thing they would ever have to special-order would be the glass for the door mirrors if you wanted to keep the Arabic writing. Otherwise, just use the American-market glass with English writing.

edna.welthorpe36638

516

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 15:45

The car will have to meet US specifications, and a BMW made for the Gulf will have Gulf specifications, not US specifications. US specifications will be higher than the local Gulf specifications, especially for emission issues The BMWs you buy in the Gulf have the same engines and emissions as the BMWs you buy in the USA, because they are all built in the same factories on the same production lines. The idea that "Gulf spec" cars are significantly different from those sold in other markets is largely a myth. despite what many people believe, they don't have bigger radiators or anything like that. To qualify for "Gulf spec", a car needs to have Arabic writing on the door mirrors and it should beep or make some other indication when it reaches the speed limit. That's all. The only issue you might face over emissions is if you have an older car with a worn engine or catalytic converter. Such an engine will inevitably generate more emissions than a newer one in better condition, and while you might get away with it at the registration test in the Gulf, it could well fail in the USA. But since the OP is planning to ship a brand-new BMW, there's no issue there at all, since the OP's car is mechanically identical to the same model sold in the USA.

bornconfused34509

542

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 15:43

The reason we didn't move our GMC Acadia from Dubai to the US was because they wanted almost $10,000 to make it engine compatible with the US. We were also told that if there were any mechanical problems with it, it would be hard to fix as they would have to special order the parts, warranty's are null and void when you transfer them. It really is cheaper to just buy a new car in the US. And when it comes time to trade them in, you will never be able to sell it. So you will be out even more money

10

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 15:22

It is much easier to import from the US to Dubai than it is from Dubai to the US. Have a look at http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/FAQ%20Site/pages/page2.html#Anchor-19914

654

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 15:14

The car will have to meet US specifications, and a BMW made for the Gulf will have Gulf specifications, not US specifications. US specifications will be higher than the local Gulf specifications, especially for emission issues. You can take the car into the US after deregistering it from Dubai. Upon arrival in the US, the car has to be checked over by one of the designated approved mechanics and the car's specs must be upgraded to meet US specifications. I once got a quote and it was around $7500 USD just for the mechanic. On top of this would be shipping and degregistration/reregistration fees. In short, it cost more money to ship a car to the US and have its specs converted than it would be to sell it here and buy an identical car in the US. The Department of Transportation (DoT) website has information on importing cars into the US. In general they make it very impractical to do this. Cars bought in the US and shipped to Dubai can be shipped back without a problem, as long as it passes inspection upon reentry in the US. http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/graymarket_RI_list010410.pdf But it may still be worth your while to call the BMW dealership here and speak with several of the registered mechanics in the US about specifically your BMW. Who knows, it may already meet US specifications even if it was sold in a Gulf market. <em>edited by Tallybalt on 15/05/2011</em>

774

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 14:48

We just shipped our car into Dubai from the US so don't know a lot about export except that you will have to get it up to US specs before you can clear it through customs in the US. Do you know if it's built to US specs?

scotinthelakes32352

21

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 15 May 2011 - 14:35

I have done a search on the forum but not come up with any recent info so wondering if someone can help. We are thinking about moving a new BMW to the States. Can anyone recommend a good service? Has anyone looked into the costing of this? As it is a new car, we stand to lose a lot on a quick sale which is why we are looking at moving it.

Log in to post new content in the forum.

ON EXPATWOMAN TODAY

Scholarship opportunities at the Swiss international Scientific School Dubai (SISD)

Dubai IB School's Class of 2025 Secures Over $10 Million in University Scholarships

Travel influencer academy in Dubai

Dubai Just Launched a Travel Influencer Academy

Central Bank of UAE reveals new official currency symbol for the Emirati dirham

UAE Unveils New Official Dirham Symbol, Inspired By the Country's Flag

Dubai public parking fees to change from April 2025

These Are Dubai's New Public Parking Fees From April 2025

RAK Biggest Weight Loser Challenge 2025 news

Win Cash Prizes Up to AED 300 For Every Kilo Lost With UAE's Weight Loss Challenge

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed announces 3 best UAE government departments

Pictured: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed at a UAE Cabinet meeting.

H.H Sheikh Mohammed Ranks 3 Best & Worst UAE Government Departments

New 10-Year UAE Residency Visa for Dubai Content Creators and Influencers

There's a 10-Year UAE Residency Visa for Dubai Content Creators and Influencers

UAE president announces 2025 will be the 'Year of Community' in the emirates

Confirmed: 2025 Will Be The 'Year of Community' in The UAE

Breakfast with penguins at Ski Dubai Mall of the Emirates

You Can Now Enjoy Breakfast With Penguins in Dubai

How to convert another country's drivers license in Dubai

How to Convert a Non-UAE Driving License in Dubai: A Complete Guide

Registrations open for EYFS curriculum Willow Children's Nursery in Dubai

Where to Choose the Best EYFS Children's Nursery in Dubai Marina

List of confirmed UAE public holidays in 2025

List of UAE Public Holidays in 2025: Announced and Expected Dates

Outdoor cinemas in Dubai for the winter season 2024

The Best Outdoor Cinemas in Dubai to See Open-Air Movies This Winter

Executive Hospitality Programme at South View School in Dubai

Introducing the Executive Hospitality Programme at South View School Dubai

Expat legal consultants in the UAE | Dr. Hassan Elhais

Meet Dr. Hassan Elhais: A Pillar of Legal Expertise for Expats in the UAE

Saray Spa promotions at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

This Luxury Dubai Spa Has Some of the Very Best Breaks To Escape To

A Complete Guide How to Get an Influencer License in Dubai and UAE

How to Get a UAE Influencer License: Step-By-Step Guide & Requirements

UAE Emirati Lawyer Awatif Khouri in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Meet the Emirati Woman Breaking Grounds in UAE Law: Awatif Khouri

Dubai's gravity-driven tunnel to reduce flood risks by 700%

Pictured: Flooded roads from the record-breaking storm that hit Dubai in April 2024.

Dubai Flood Risk to Be Cut Down by 700% With New Tunnel

8 Beauty Treatments in Dubai for busy moms

8 Beauty Treatments in Dubai: Self-Care Recommendations for Busy Moms

Mashreq NEO NXT Account | Why Kids and Teens Need Financial Education

Why Teens Need Real-World Financial Education?

E-scooters are no longer banned on the Dubai Metro stations and trains

RTA Finally Lifts E-Scooter Ban From Dubai Metro

Spa packages at Saray Spa in JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

Step Into the Ultimate Relaxation Bliss With Saray Spa's Pampering Packages

How to book Dubai taxi through WhatsApp

Booking Taxis in Dubai: How to Hail a Taxi Through WhatsApp

Experience Extended Stays and Special Savings at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort UAE

Soak Up the Summer With the Ultimate UAE Staycation Special

RTA Dubai flying taxi official launch date

Image credit: Joby Aviation.

RTA Finally Confirms Launch Date of Dubai's Flying Taxis

Region's first ever baseball park to open in the UAE

First-Ever Baseball Park in the Middle East Will Be Opening in the UAE

Are "own visa" Domestic Workers legal in the UAE?

Are "Own Visa" and Freelancer Visa Domestic Workers Legal in the UAE?

Where to See Animals in the Wild in the UAE

Where to See Animals in the Wild in the UAE

UAE food delivery scam news

UAE Residents Be Wary of Food Delivery Scams

How to get a car loan in Dubai and UAE

What Are the Requirements For a Car Loan in Dubai?

Dubai pilot launches 4-day work week for government employees

Dubai Announces Pilot Launch of 4-Day Work Week For Employees

Health insurance will be included in UAE tourist visa

Visitors Will Soon Get Health Insurance With Their UAE Tourist Visas