anyone shipped their car from UK to Dubai? | ExpatWoman.com
 

anyone shipped their car from UK to Dubai?

21
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:17

Hi,

we are moving to Dubai next week and would like to shipp our car (VolvoX90) to Dubai.

is anyone familiar with the process and costs involved?

Thank you

178
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 March 2013 - 08:18
Info [url=http://www.expatforum.com/expats/dubai-expat-forum-expats-living-dubai/146504-my-experience-importing-car-us.html'>here[/url'> that will help...
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 26 March 2013 - 07:18
I believe you cannot bring a car in that is more than 5 years old.
Anonymous (not verified)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 March 2013 - 06:58
Maybe a stupid comment but don't you drive on the opposite side of the road in the UK? Would it be difficult - eg: parking station card machines, boom gate buttons, etc. You would be sitting on the wrong side of the car as the driver. Would that even be permitted here? You would need to do some serious checking before you went to all that trouble and expense.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 March 2013 - 06:43
Interesting post. Can't never seem to get a straight answer. Lol. We are thinking about importing our cars from the US. Reason being, we JUST paid off our second car and would lose a lot of money trying to resale before we go. my husband can deal with that. As I'm kindly hijacking this thread, does anyone know if there is a MINIMUM age the car has to be? I was wondering if our cars are too old. One is 2005 and the other 2006.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 21:24
SunDevil, surely US cars would be specced to cope with heat anyway? whereas European cars probably wouldn't (even in the hot bits of Europe it doesn't get as hot as the hot bits of the US) -maybe the difference relates to where you are importing from?
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 21:21
Sorry SunDevil, having worked in the Automotive industry for many years, with 5 of those here in the UAE, I can say that vehicles manufactured for sale in the Gulf are built with different specification to European, most notably AC as European standard is not sufficient to cope. If vehicles are imported to the UAE for sale, they have to pass a homologation test to Gulf standard spec, if they don't pass the standards set, they cannot be sold. However, you can import vehicles for your own personal use and that is where you have been lucky that yours seem to have coped well, however, you cannot sell them without the correct homologation certificate. As for tyres, again, European standard tyres are manufactured differently to Gulf standard. Road temperatures here can reach 70 degrees Celsius in the summer months and therefore the pressure on tyres in these temps dramatically increases and thus increases the risk of blow-outs. Indeed, last year a law was introduced whereby retailers are no longer allowed to sell European spec tyres due to the increased safety risk and anyone caught selling European standard tyres will be subject to huge fines.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 21:14
Everyone says the same line about cars from the states not keeping up with the heat and it's simply not true. Five cars imported and all doing just great in the heat. And the one vehicle we did buy here in UAE had a sticker on it showing it manufactured in the US and imported here for sale. It just gets old seeing the same old lines thrown out to people.
331
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 21:09
SunDevil with all due respect, the Volvo was what was mentioned, and that A/C is not the same as Volvo A/C for Gulf market, and it will not make it through a summer here. I have imported over 20 cars in as many years and the value of the vehicle is decided upon if they do not agree with your evaluation. The rustproofing that is done here and for cars for sale here is very good. European models do not get the same treatment. We found this out after importing a brand new Mercedes (not Gulf Specs), BUT had to come via Gargash, the dealers here, as it was a new vehicle.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 20:44
Let's see, that it has to go to a dealership here and be converted to Gulf Specs, wrong. That it has to have it's tires changed, wrong. That the body work will be terribly damaged if you ship it, wrong. That a/c's on cars that aren't Gulf Specs will never keep up with the heat here, wrong. And in the case of both of the cars we shipped here, customs charged us a duty tax on what WE said the car was valued at which we put as a very, very low number and they accepted it.
210
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 20:34
I see you decided to sell your car rather than ship it but there is so much false information being typed on this thread that if someone does a search in the future on importing cars and sees this thread, they will believe all of this to be true. like what ??
774
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 20:15
I see you decided to sell your car rather than ship it but there is so much false information being typed on this thread that if someone does a search in the future on importing cars and sees this thread, they will believe all of this to be true.
21
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 19:36
Thank you ALL, we've decided to sell the car and get a new one once in Dubai. Any suggestions on car dealers in th eregion? tahnks
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 01:14
going back to 2008, hubby bought a brand new car here, a Pajero, shogun to UK people, now paid off and we felt no pain or burden with the monthly payment. Bought for 130,000. just sold it and made profit. Lots of decent cars for sale, built for the conditions here. I would never bring a car from the UK.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 21:34
Your volvo will not survive here. Plus 4% import duty, based upon the value that customs decide it is worth on the day of arrival. Sea air on the ship will knacker the body work, unless you put it in your household container (the best option). <em>edited by CAPTAINGERRYS on 13/01/2013</em>
178
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 21:05
Cars are relatively cheap here compared to the UK. Once you factor in the costs, hassle and probable specs issue I can't see how it would be worth the bother.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:10
I had Crown and Pickfords come and quote me for our relocation to Dubai from UK. One of the guys (can't remember which)was telling me that they'd just shipped a car from UK over to Dubai. No harm in giving them a call.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 19:54
I didn't think anyone imported their cars to the middle east unless they were bringing them back from hoilday! But i now know some do and the car normally has to go to the dealership and have all the major specs changed. Tyres are another one as they have to deal with the road heat here. Anyway, cost wise work out resell value in Uk and what a new/2nd hand would cost here, Volvo's are really good value here. here are some links that may help. http://www.volvocars.com/ae/top/pages/findashowroom.aspx http://www.volvocars.com/ae/all-cars/volvo-xc90/pages/5-things.aspx For shipping price look at the international removal guys and ask them, by ship will be the most economical. Also ask about customs duty you will need to pay and import tax.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 19:40
Whilst your steering wheel may be located on the correct side for the UAE (ie left), unless the car has also been built to Gulf spec, you may have trouble getting it through testing here. There are major differences, AC being the most important, European spec vehicles do not have strong enough AC systems to cope with the summer heat. There are other differences too in the spec and unless you have them amended to Gulf standard, as I mentioned before, you may not get through the RTA vehicle test, which you have to do every year. I would recommend you selling your car back in the UK and buying a vehicle here. HTH.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:54
I wouldn't bother looking up the old thread. it is not relevant to you. Australia is a whole other ball game when it comes to importing stuff!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:49
The steering wheel of our volvo is on the left side, so wouldn't cause any issues for driving in Dubai. just wanted to know if anyone's gone through the process and could let me know the costs involved. I'll look for the other post about shipping a car from Dubai to Australia.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:37
Don't laugh - there was a poster on here just last week wanting to ship her Dubai car to Australia. AFter much discussion about costs, taxes and design rules the one major flaw became apparent! yes I know, Vera, that's why I thought you were joking....
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:36
Don't laugh - there was a poster on here just last week wanting to ship her Dubai car to Australia. AFter much discussion about costs, taxes and design rules the one major flaw became apparent!
210
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:34
Before you go any further..... You do know that a UK vehicle will have the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car for Dubai???? LOL !!!
391
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 18:33
Before you go any further..... You do know that a UK vehicle will have the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car for Dubai????
 
 

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