A complete guide to shipping a vehicle from the UK to Abu Dhabi — Khalifa Port, GCC compliance, customs duties and the full registration process.
RORO sailings from Southampton to Khalifa Port take 17 to 22 days. Container services take 22 to 30 days. Allow a further 4 to 8 working days for customs clearance and ESMA inspection in Abu Dhabi.
Customs duty is 5% of the CIF value, plus 5% VAT on (CIF + duty). Additional charges include ESMA inspection, port handling and registration, typically AED 1,500 to 4,000 in total.
Yes, RHD cars can be registered for personal use in Abu Dhabi. They cannot be commercially resold to UAE residents, so most owners keep RHD imports as personal or collectable vehicles.
Yes. The Ship Cars arranges enclosed or open transport from Khalifa Port to any address in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain or the wider UAE as part of our standard service.
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