Helpful Tips for Shipping Car to Dubai

Shipping to Dubai

Shipping car to Dubai? If the answer to that question is “yes,” then read on. This post covers the ins and outs of car shipping to Dubai. More specifically, it explains the process for exporting cars to Dubai and car shipping from the USA to Dubai. Each section below provides insights into each step of the car shipping process. So whether you need to ship cars to Dubai or are trying to uncover the cost of shipping a car from Dubai to the USA, read on. You’ll learn the answers for how much to ship a car to Dubai as well as the cost of shipping a car from Dubai to the USA.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car to Dubai

When exporting cars to Dubai it’s important to know how every decision affects the overall cost to ship cars to Dubai. There’s quite a few different variables that determine the cost to ship a car overseas. Anyone exporting cars to Dubai will need what methods are used to calculate the cost of shipping cars to Dubai.

General Car Shipping Costs

Whether exporting cars to Dubai or shipping cars to Dubai from the USA, there are general costs that will influence the overall price. These costs relate to the size and weight of the vehicle, the distance between the two ports, and the speed of the shipment. It’s also important to take into account the shipping season, the reputation of the car shipping carrier, and the amount of insurance on the vehicle. 

Size and Weight of the Vehicle

When calculating the cost of shipping a car from Dubai to the USA or vice versa, the size and weight of the vehicle is the primary factor that determines the cost. The more the vehicle weighs, the higher the shipping price will be. Some shipping carriers charge a flat rate by charging per pound (generally 95 cents), whereas other shipping carriers charge flat rates based on the type of vehicle (basic car, SUV, truck, etc.)

NOTE: Depending on the type of car being shipped, some carriers also charge additional fees 

for handling specialty cars. When working with a carrier, it’s very important to get an 

itemized receipt in order to understand each charge being made.

Distance Between Ports

The distance between the loading port and destination port will also affect the general cost of the shipment. When in the US, shipping cars to the Middle East will either be more or less expensive based on the client’s location in the country.

The table below shows both shipping costs and the amount of time it takes to ship cars to Dubai from different parts of the United States.  

To/From	Ocean
Los Angeles to (California port) to Jebel Ali	$2,300
Boston, MA to (New York port) to Jebel Ali	$2,100
Las Vegas, NV to (California port) to Sharjah	$2,400
Seattle, WA to (California port) to Jebel Ali	$2,300
Detroit, MI to (New York port) to Jebel Ali	$2,100
Chicago, IL to (New York port) to Jebel Ali	$2,100
Denver, CO to (California port) to Sharjah	$2,400
Memphis, TN to (New York port) to Jebel Ali	$2,100
Miami, FL to (New York port) to Jebel Ali	$2,100
Dallas, TX to (California port) to Sharjah	$2,400

Shipment Speed and Season 

Another factor that affects the overall cost of shipping a car to Dubai is the speed of shipment. It’s suggested to always have a flexible shipping time frame in order to drive down shipping costs.

 The more a person is able to work with the shipping carrier, the less expensive the shipment will be.  

Generally, it takes 20 to 35 days for a car to ship from the United States to Dubai. The length of time depends on the vehicle’s point of origin as well as the season the car is being shipped during. Shipping delays often occur during the summer and winter. 

NOTE:  Expedited shipping will always come at higher costs because the shipping carrier will 

have to work harder and faster to get your car delivered at a faster rate.

The summer season is when the vast majority of car shipping from the USA to Dubai occurs. The high demand results in congestion across the seas as well as car shipping carriers charging higher rates to provide services and meet shipping demands.

The wintertime also affects the cost of exporting cars to Dubai. Car shipping carriers raise their prices to offset costs caused by inclement weather and increased gas prices.

Reputation and Experience

When car shipping to Dubai a general rule of thumb is to get multiple quotes from different car shipping carriers. Doing so is a great way to answer the question, “how much to ship a car to Dubai?”

The high and low ends of the estimates for car shipping to Dubai are tied to the general costs of shipping, but they also reflect the reputation and experience of the car shipping carrier. Businesses expect to be paid for their expertise and years of experience, especially if they have a long list of good reviews to showcase their abilities.

Keep in mind that car shipping to Dubai is best done with a professional commercial car shipper with longtime experience. Using a carrier with 30 years of experience will yield better results than using a carrier with five years of experience.

Preparing Car for Shipment

Getting a car ready to ship to or from Dubai takes several steps. If either your loading port or destination port is in the US, it’s important to read over the guidelines provided by US Customs. These documents indicate what cars can be imported and exported.

To ship car to Dubai, it’s important to meet the guidelines provided by the country. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have the following rules in place:

• Car shipping to Dubai requires the owner of the car to have a valid residence permit for the UAE. Until this step is completed, a person cannot ship or register a car.
• The person must provide all necessary shipping and importing forms and documents
• New cars are required to have the original invoice and certificate of origin.
• All vehicles, old or new, must include valid insurance and identification, Customs Export Declaration, and a Traffic Dept Certificate of Vehicle Export
• Bill of lading
• Passport and Visa

Apart from the documents you need to provide when shipping a car to Dubai from the USA, you’ll also need to clean your undercarriage and plate your vehicle.

Cleaning the undercarriage requires the car owner to make sure their car is free of all foreign soil. This must be done in order to be certain the car is not introducing any invasive plants, fungi, animals, or microorganisms.  Cleaning the car typically involves steam cleaning and vacuuming.

Any vehicle driven in Dubai must be plated. Car shipping to Dubai involves the car passing through customs and receiving its VCC. Once the car has its VCC, the car owner will be given a plate that will allow them to travel through the streets of Dubai.

Shipping Methods

There are three primary ways to ship cars to Dubai: Roll on Roll off (RORO shipping), 

container shipping, and air freight. Airfreight is the most expensive and least common way for exporting cars to Dubai.

Airfreight involves the car being loaded onto a plane and transferred by air. Though this is the fastest method for car shipping to Dubai, it also tends to be outside the budget of the average person trying to ship a car to Dubai.

RoRo shipping, on the other hand, is the most economical way to ship cars to Dubai. RoRo shipping involves the car being “rolled on” the vessel at the loading port, and then “rolled off” at the destination port. When the car is loaded onto the vessel it is secured in the cargo deck, where it will remain throughout the vessel’s journey. 

Though RoRo shipping is the most economical option for sending a car overseas, many people use container shipping instead. Container shipping offers additional protection while the vessel is being transported from the loading port to the destination port. Whereas RoRo shipping is more economical, vehicles are often more easily damaged by weather conditions.

Container shipping comes with two different price levels. Less than Container Load (LCL) and Full Container Load.) Less Container Load puts multiple vehicles in the same container, so the different car owners are able to split the cost of exporting cars to Dubai. 

FCL is more expensive than LCL but provides the client the ability to have the container to themselves. The car shipping carrier will also often allow the client to pack personal belongings along with their vehicle. When shipping a car to Dubai from the USA, this option may be preferable because of the length of the journey. 

Whichever shipping method is chosen will influence the cost of shipping a car from Dubai to the USA or any other country that has Dubai as their loading port or destination port.

Shipping Services

When preparing to ship a car to Dubai, it’s important to know what services are offered by the car shipping carrier. In addition to offering either container shipping or RoRo shipping, the vast majority of car shipping carriers offer either door-to-port service or port-to-port service.

A door-to-port service involves an agent from the car shipping carrier picking up the car from the client’s home and taking the car to the loading port for shipment.

Port-to-port shipping can be a bit more tricky when shipping a car because it involves the client driving the car to the loading port. After they drop off the car, they are then required to find their way home, which may be difficult because they’ve just dropped off their car.

Door-to-port is typically used in more rural areas, whereas port-to-port is used in metropolitan areas where the driver can easily travel between their home and the shipping port. 

Import Duties and Taxes

When asking the question, “how much to ship a car to Dubai,” it’s important to know that import duties and taxes are paid in addition to the amount charged by the shipping carrier.

Dubai charges a 5% customs duty to any new car entering the country. The value is calculated by combining the value of the vehicle, 1% insurance, and the cost of the shipment. The amounts for these details are all included in the form detailing the cost, insurance, and freight (CIF).

When the car arrives at the border, it’s inspected. If the agent inspecting the car finds the value of the car to be different than the amount quoted in the CIF, then the person importing the car will be expected to pay the difference.

Once all import duties are paid in full, the Traffic and Licensing department will allow the vehicle to enter the country and will issue the owner a Vehicle Clearing Certificate. 

Marine Insurance

When choosing to ship a car to Dubai, the car shipping carrier will offer different types of insurance to protect the vehicle. Marine insurance is the best type of insurance because it protects the vehicle as it travels across the sea. If the vehicle is lost or damaged, the insurance will enable the car’s value to be protected. Though it’s best not to think about what can go wrong during the shipping process, car shipping from the USA to Dubai takes between 5 to 7 weeks and hurricane season remains active from June 1st to Nov. 30th. 

Paying for insurance changes the answer to “how much to ship a car to Dubai,” but as car shipping experts have explained, it’s better to have insurance and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Destination Handling and Storage Fees

When shipping a car to Dubai, it’s important to know how the vehicle will be handled once it arrives at the destination port. After the vehicle passes an initial inspection, it will be stored until the owner of the vehicle collects it. Ideally, it’s better to pick up the car sooner rather than later in order to avoid additional fees. Many shipping ports have a set limit for how long a car can remain in storage. Find out from the shipping carrier how long the vehicle can be stored if it’s not possible to retrieve the car upon its initial arrival. 

For anyone picking up a car after its initial entry into the country, it’s important to note that duties and taxes are all paid when the owner of the vehicle comes to collect their car. Until duties and taxes are paid, the vehicle must remain in the possession of the country’s border patrol.

Conclusion

This post has covered the different approaches to use when determining how much to ship a car to Dubai. It demonstrates how shipping car to Dubai from USA involves understanding how the car shipping process works. Shipping costs go beyond the vehicle’s size and weight, the distance it’s traveling, and the speed of the shipment. It’s also important to know how to choose a shipping method, shipping service, and reputable car shipping carrier. Shipping car to Dubai becomes easier, the more you understand how the process works.