Buy a car in Dubai for export

Export-ready cars for sale in Dubai

Of the 125 luxury and performance cars listed on gCar Sale, 117 are marked by their sellers as available for export, and 95 of those are stated as left-hand drive. Right-hand-drive markets often restrict left-hand-drive imports, so check the steering position on the listing before you commit.

Step by step: buying a car in Dubai for export

1. Choose and check the car. Confirm the VIN, model year, specification and steering position against your country’s import rules before paying anything. Arrange an independent pre-purchase inspection — for a buyer abroad it is the only way to see the car’s real condition.
2. Agree the price and terms in writing. Get a signed sale agreement and a receipt for any deposit that states the VIN, the price in AED and the conditions for refund. Pay through a traceable bank transfer.
3. Clear the car for export. Traffic fines are paid and any bank finance on the car is settled with a clearance letter. The car’s UAE registration is then processed for export and the RTA issues the export certificate; if the car will be driven across a land border, temporary export plates can be issued.
4. Customs export declaration. A clearing agent files the export declaration with Dubai Customs and books the car into the port, usually Jebel Ali.
5. Ship and insure. Choose container or RoRo shipping and take marine insurance for the car’s full value — standard freight liability is limited.
6. Import at the destination. Your customs broker clears the car, pays duties and taxes on your behalf and handles registration, using the export certificate, the bill of lading and the purchase documents.

Documents you will usually need

• Passport copy of the buyer (and Emirates ID if you are a UAE resident).
• Signed sale agreement or invoice showing the VIN and the price.
• RTA export certificate for the car.
• Bank clearance letter if the car was financed, and proof that traffic fines are paid.
• Dubai Customs export declaration and the shipping line’s bill of lading.
• Anything your destination requires in addition — for example a certificate of conformity, an emissions certificate or a translated invoice.

Container or RoRo?

Most buyers of supercars, hypercars and collector cars ship in a container: the car is loaded, strapped and sealed in an enclosed box, can travel with its spare parts and accessories, and is protected from weather and handling. RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) is usually cheaper and quicker to book, but the car is driven on and off the vessel by port staff and travels on an open vehicle deck, and loose items generally cannot travel inside it. Ask for both quotes, including port charges at each end.

Destination rules to check before you buy

• Age limits. Many countries restrict imports of cars above a certain age, or charge much higher duty on them.
• Steering position. Right-hand-drive countries often limit or prohibit left-hand-drive imports; most cars in Dubai are left-hand drive.
• Emissions and homologation. Some markets need proof that the car meets local emission and safety standards, which a GCC- or US-specification car may not have.
• Duties, taxes and fees. These depend on the car’s value, age, engine size and emissions and can exceed the price difference that made buying in Dubai attractive.
• Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. For Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, duties for private importers depend on the car’s age and engine displacement, and Russia adds a recycling (utilisation) fee; these rules have changed several times in recent years. Get a current calculation from a licensed broker in the destination.
• Carrier and bank policies. Shipping lines, insurers and banks can apply their own restrictions for some destinations — confirm before you pay for the car.

How gCar helps

Every car page shows whether the seller marks the car as exportable, its steering position and regional specification where stated, so you can shortlist on facts. When you are ready, send the car and destination below and the gCar team will put you in touch with an independent Dubai clearing and shipping agent to quote for it. The quote, the documents and the shipping contract are between you and that agent — gCar is not a party to them.

Before you commit, read the guide to buying a used luxury car in Dubai and compare what similar cars are listed for in the asking-price guide.