Import Cars From Australia

• Determine your vehicle’s eligibility for import to the UAE, or determine the need to modify the vehicle to meet UAE standards
• Understand the costs of shipping a vehicle, including:
  • Freight and insurance charges when shipping your vehicle

• Wharf, transport, storage and delivery charges after your vehicle arrives

• Duties, taxes and fees, including Australia’s GST (Goods and Services Tax) and LCT (Luxury Car Tax)

• Cleaning charges (for biosecurity, to prevent introduction of invasive species)

• Other charges such as import processing, customs brokers’, and logistics service provider charges

• Select an international car shipping company and preferred shipping method to transport your vehicle from the Australia to UAE.
• Determine your vehicle’s departure and destination ports
• Confirm the vehicle is clean and free of biosecurity concerns
• If you wish to register your vehicle for road use in UAE, you’ll need to get the vehicle plated in an UAE territory

More information on the process of shipping your car to UAE from Australia can be found in the Australian government’s guide to car shipping Australia.

As you engage in the process for car imports, some of the most important questions to consider include:

• Whether you are a UAE citizen, military or civilian employee of the UAE government, or a nonresident,
• Whether you plan to permanently keep the car in the UAE or if it’s just a temporary move,
• Whether the car was manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS, and, if not, whether it is a nonconforming motor vehicle eligible for shipment,
• Whether your vehicle was manufactured after September 1, 1978, and
• Whether your vehicle is a model year 1987 or later.
• Whether your vehicle can be registered in your State.

These questions and more will determine the costs to import the car to the UAE, whether your car is eligible for import to the UAE, and finally, whether you will need to go through additional steps to make your car eligible for import. In some cases, such as temporary vehicle import approval for racing or other purposes, the usual standards for road vehicles may not apply. Reef Shipping can help you through the process of determining what will be required to import your car.

Generally, if a car already meets the requirements for import to the UAE from Australia, it is because that model was originally designed for export and sale in the UAE, or was manufactured in the UAE for domestic sale. As such, nonconforming vehicles are required to be modified to meet all applicable FMVSS and EPA emissions standards.

Things to Consider

• Vehicles more than 21 years old with their original engines may qualify for an EPA exemption.
• Vehicles more than 25 years old may qualify for DOT.
• All other vehicles must made for the UAE market and EPA/DOT compliant.
• The undercarriage of your car will need to be clean and free of foreign soil. Therefore, you will need to have the exterior of your vehicle steam-sprayed or otherwise thoroughly cleaned before import to the UAE

If your car conforms to these standards, it will bear a manufacturer’s label on the engine compartment attesting to its compliance to emissions standards in English, as well as a certification label near the driver’s side door confirming that it complies to safety, bumper and theft prevention standards. You will need to complete EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7 attesting to your vehicle’s compliance. Additionally, you will need the shipper’s or carrier’s original bill of lading, bill of sale, foreign registration, and other documents covering the car, to be provided to your Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) inspector.

If your car is nonconforming, it may still be eligible for import with modifications by a DOT-registered importer, who modifies the vehicle and certifies that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS and emissions standards. Additionally, the importer must post a bond equivalent to 1.5 times the dutiable value of the vehicle (in addition to the normal CBP entry bond). A copy of the bond must be provided with the HS-7 form. The same is applicable for EPA, the list is here: EPA Independent Commercial Importers.

A nonconforming car may be shipped from Australia to the United Arab Emirates under certain conditions, such as re-importing a previously exported car, car imports for personal use not exceeding one year, shipping a vehicle as a member of foreign armed forces, diplomatic personnel, or other exceptions for importing cars authorized by the UAE State Department, bringing a vehicle into the country for testing, demonstration, or competition, or other special circumstances. The international car shipping experts Reef can help you identify if your vehicle falls into one of these categories to Import a Car from Australia to the UAE.

Generally, foreign-made cars imported for personal use or sale are dutiable at the following rates:

• Auto: 5%
• Trucks: 5%
• Motorcycles: free or 2.4%
  Duty rates are based on price paid or payable, and most Canadian-manufactured cars are duty-free. If you are a resident of the United States returning to the country from travel, work, or study abroad, you may apply your $800 CBP exemption for car imports, and those of accompanying family members, towards the value of the car under the following circumstances:
• The vehicle accompanies you on your return
• You’ve imported the vehicle for personal use

• Sydney
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Adelaide
• Fremantle
• Port Kembla
• Geelong

• Importing a Car from the UAE to Australia
• Importing a Car from Australia to the UAE
• Car Shipping to Australia from the UAE
• Car Shipping to the UAE from Australia
• Cargo Shipping from the UAE to Australia
• Cargo Shipping from Australia to the UAE
• Moving Household Goods from the UAE to Australia
• Moving Household Goods from Australia to the UAE

his information was updated in April 2022. All information, time frames, pricing, and regulations are subject to change. Please contact a sales representative for the most current rates and information.