Importing cars

I recently have been posted in Qatar but own a car in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It's a 2008 3 series BMW that I just love and want to ship out to Doha.

Reading most of the posts, I came across one that said that a car older than 5 years cannot be imported here. Is this true and if so, does this apply to all car makes and models?

Its a beautiful 335i and a massive shame to see lost after all the fun I've had with taking care of it.. :(

Please advise and feel free to email me on [email protected]... Thanks guys!

I never heard about this problem but indigo has a point.Just be in his advice it was helpful.

I was reading the information given by Indigo_res which is extremely helpful to me being in the process of relocating in Qatar from UAE and wishing my 2007 model Audi 2.0 Saloon car to get it here in Qatar for my own use. If Indigo is still available or any other person having experienced such process, please response to my following queries:

1. Indigo's response was back in 2009. Are those points are still valid as in 2011? Any ammendment in any step?

2. I purchased this car in 2009 from the dealer but used. Can I still try for Customs Duty Exemption, if I can manage the paid customs certificate from previous 1st hand buyer?

3. The approx total cost will be around AED 5-6 thousand for shipping in a container and 5% customs duty on assessed current value at Doha Port. In addition the minor expenses for RTA formalities there, Insurance in both countries, Clearing Agent's fees in Qatar, etc. Is my understanding correct?

4. I can import my self owned car in UAE to my own name in Qatar while at that point of time my Employment Residence Visa in Qatar is not stamped / under process. Is that correct?

I would appreciate if some one can response to my points / queries in a week time.

Posted by Essgees_Kays on 11.05.2011

We Want to export Heavy Trucks from Dubai to Doha. Would appreciate advice on:

How many years old vehicles allowed in Doha ?

Contact of any transport agents who can arrange all necessary formalities ?

Thks

Hi

I am thinking of bringing my car to Qatar due to the difficulty of trying to sell in the UAE. The current attitude is that I will just give it away for nothing.

I cant find any government websites that help so I hope that some of the people on this forum that have posted very wonderful and informative information here can.

5 years is supposed to be the limit of the age of the car. It is now July 2010, my car engine I believe says April 2010 ( which I will need to check later) Is it the year of the car or the actual date of the engine that counts?

Do you need Qatari residency to get a licence to drive? In which case, I imagine that there will be a probabtion period before this happens.(still waiting for hard offer)

Are some nationalities exempt from driver testing and automatically get licences as per the UAE?

Where do you leave the car if you import it but cant drive it for 3 months until you get residency etc.

Or would you say, following all the questions above dont bring it?

Many thanks..I look forward to some answers

cheers S

You can just post your ad for free in qatar classifieds like www.qatarliving.com or

Thanks guys,

this discussion was a great help for me.

Good job everyone.

Shipping insurance (for 2.25%) is most probably for total loss of your container and may not cover any damages in handling. Check with the agent. If it is that case I don’t think it is worth.

I paid AED 4000 for shipping in Dubai and 1350 for clearance in Qatar including transportation of container from port to Industrial area. I think you can get something around 5.5K to 6.5K, which will be fair.

If you reach RTA by 7.30 AM you can finish all procedures by 9.30AM. Its very simple and all officials at RTA are generally very helpful. I went to Qusais RTA office and try to reach there by early morning or in the afternoon. Avoid 9 to 12. Just check that car tool box contains one star screw driver since you need to remove the number plate.

Thanks, very kind of you guys to provide comprehensive details. Just a few quick questions below,

Is it a good idea to get the shipping insurance done too it is costing 2.25% of the car value?

My total shipping cost with port clearance and w/o insurance is coming up to AED 7500 from an agent here for a 20' container by ship, is this a fair deal??

Is it a good idea to get the RTA paper work done from an agent, they are charging AED 1000 RTA charges inclusive or you can easily get it done??

BR..

Thanks man, you are a car shipping encyclopedia ;)

maybe you should become an agent!

1)Tax exemption is only applicable if you have brought the car in any GCC and imported to the country in your name. That means you have already paid the tax in one of GCC and you don’t need to pay it again.

This exemption is void if you import in someone else name or any other country other than GCC. All cars are taxed at 5% of the evaluated cost by Qatar customs.

2) RTA is Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai. Inspection is required in Dubai prior to exporting and it is not a requirement in Qatar. Qatar traffic department will evaluate the car prior to registration. However no cars older than 5years allowed. You need to repair, even the slightest dent or paint damage, prior to registration.

3) As far as I know the person importing the car (for personal use) must own the car. When I imported the car I got an export certificate from UAE, which states that I own the car. This export certificate is required in Qatar. You need to check with clearance agents the exact procedure. I imported the car without Qatari Resident Permit. However you need that to register or make a sale later. You can import car without residence permit but you cannot use it.

4) I lost the number of person who did clearance for me. There are shipping clearing agents near old airport. You can go to any of the shipping agents shops near old airport (service road where Tayseer, Suzuki showroom is located) and check in one of the shops. If they don’t do, ask for some reference. You need to get a shipping agent for clearance in Doha port.

Thanks for the info Indigo.

My situation is a bit different, I am getting cars from USA, through the Sea port.

1. Does the tax paper thingy applies to my case as well?

2. When you say RTA, is this a ministry? I called the 180 number and they do not know what that is. They gave me Jamarek ( customs ) number and no one ever answers...

3. Like ash said, if I put it under my qatari friend's name because I am not a resident here, Can I easily transfer it to my name later?

4. Last but not least, are there companies that do all these things for us for some price ( clearance + Inspection + insurance + plating ) ? If yes, any name/number you know about?

regards,

..

Ash,

I have recently imported my car from Dubai to Doha. It was a Prado 2009 and I never faced a problem. Its not allowed if car is older than 5 years. The process goes like this

1) Obtain tax paid papers from agents in Dubai (or you will pay 5% on estimated value of car in Doha)

2) Go to RTA inspection facility and get your car inspected for import (and clear any fines)

3) With the inspection paper go to insurance company and take a third party insurance for GCC. (If you have a comprehensive insurance, you can cancel it and you may get some refunds)

4) Remove your Dubai number plate (physically) and surrender that with all papers to RTA

5) RTA will issue a blue export plate with some other name.

6) Exporting cars in some other name is difficult and expensive. You have to check with RTA on that.

7) RTA will issue an export license

8) Fix the export plate and you may drive for another 15 days (remember you now have only 3rd party insurance and don’t make any mistakes)

9) There are two ways of shipping – by road and by sea. For sea you have to book a 40 feet container and you may stack some other stuff in that if you wish. However clearance at Doha port is difficult. It cost around 4 – 5K Dhs. By road its easier and you can take the delivery in Qatar industrial area. It cost around 2-3K Dhs.

10) Hand over the car with original export license to the shipper (you can find lots of then in Sharjah). He will issue papers and you need them in original when you clear it in Doha.

11) If you opt sea, you need to approach a shipping clearing agent. You cannot approach Doha port directly.

12) You can drive with export number plate for 30 days provided you have insurance. Otherwise you can take another 3rd party insurance in Doha (only 75QR). This is required otherwise you need to use a towing service to take the car to inspection facility, which cost more)

13) Get the car inspected for import and they will remove if you have any glass tinting in front and rear side.

14) Submit inspection papers and 3rd party insurance (or comprehensive) papers to traffic department and they will issue you a number plate request and registration card. Remember to request for tinting permission if you wish to do so.

15) Go back to inspection facility and fix your number plate.

Happy driving

I cannot have an authentic reply to that since I never smelled a Pig’s anus.

Yes, you can continue with tutoring and torturing others. It’s a free world. Since now you have the knowledge about Indian dialects, you have my blessings also.

Could you enlighten me with your experiences in smelling a Pig’s anus… Please…..

If i was being racist i would have said something like Indians in Qatar smell like a Pig's anus on a curry diet.

Mr indigo neither gets my sarcasm nor my point i assume. He is now telling me how many languages exist lol, thanks buddy, Can I now teach math/physics after knowing about the 844 dialects practiced in India? loool, i am starting to like this dude haha

I am sorry if my comments were hard, i'm just kidding people.. comon..

cheers,

I have been reading through and have gathered lots of useful info ( Thanks Mary) . I will get in touch with these agents in Dubai as I am planning to import 2 cars to Doha from Dubai. Meanwhile would appreciate any more tips / confirmations for the following :

1. Can I export the car to Doha before my Doha Visa is processed as otherwise I would need to renew my registration and insurance here in Dubai ? Unless I can import the car without any valid RTA registration and insurance in place ?

2. Can the cars be exported on my friend’s name who already has a Doha resident Visa ? Would it be a hassle later on to get them transferred back on to my name ?

I agree with Tutor, the site rock. But Tutor do avoid the racial comments , regret the abusive language used.

Lets keep the comments healthy and useful.

Tutor, Indig_res lets move on , see if you can delete these undesirable comments from the site.

Regards

Dear Tutor,

You are doing a serious crime by tutoring children. You really need to update your general knowledge.

For your information there are 22 national languages and 844 different dialects are practiced in India. “Indian” and Spanish are not among them. It is true that I picked up the stupidest thing ever heard. That racial hint was absolutely unnecessary in your comments.

Tutor, You could go to jail for being a moron and tutor at the same time. The language you used in the reply shows a very weak side of you and I recommend you to get some counselling (preferably from a psychiatrist).

it is "there is" not "thers", you are right tho, I did not know Indian people speak Spanish. I can't stand fagots like yourself, who deviate from the main topic and pick on the stupidest things ever. what are you 7? Maybe if you take your gay ass to the port and try communicating with the staff you'll get my drift...

now piss off

Tutor - No body speaks Indian - He He He.... because thers is no language called Indian.

Get some general knowledge before you start tutoring the next kid.

You can not import cars older than 5 years.

do you guys know the number of any authority that i can call and ask questions about the regulations for shipping cars from overseas to Qatar?.. I went to the port and i could not get an answer because i do not speak Indian hehe.

I have a car year 2006 that i would like to get from the US, some people say 3 years others say 5 years Max.

In case of the 3 year Max constraint, is there any way around it? like taking it to abu dabi or dubai and then here?

Please do not tell me what you think, tell me what you know, because from my experience so far, every person in this city seems to answer wtv THEY think is right lol and they do sound pretty confident even tho they have no clue ;)

many thanks people.. This site rocks!

I took my car from Doha to Dubai and now want to move it back to Dohaafter 2 years. I still have the old Qatar export plates can I bring it back on these. Any ideas?

Thanks Mary123 for some very good info.

Anyone used the drive on drive off ferry from Abu Dhabi?

I have just shipped two 4WD to Doha from Dubai, there are lots of shipping agents, allied pickfords, crown Alfa etc. It cost 13K for both cars. You need to visit the dealer where you bought the car and ask for the bill of sale - go to the import/export section of the dealer. We got the run around on the phone so best to go in person. Take the bill of sale and a passport copy of the car's owner to customs house and you have to pay two fees 25dhs and 75 dhs. This process saves you paying 5% duty on arrival in Qatar. Give yourself two weeks to

You also need to visit the RTA to get export plates, this is an easy job if you use the help section and pay them 150dhs.

Cars are expensive here and difficult to sell in Dubai so it is worth shipping over IMHO.

hope this helps

dazk55,

Tata, I will doing the same move from Dubai to Doha soon, with a Prado, approx 9 motnhs old.

Did you get anywhere with finding out the process yet ? Any tips you've picked up would be a great help...? Especially if can avoid paying the import duty.!!!

Add me to the list of people who wants to bring/drive my 2005 HONDA CRV (from Bahrain) to Qatar, as part of relocation.

Can any one please advise if there will there be much hassle at the border(s) and will I be taxed by the Qatari Govt when I change the plate over to Qatar rego?

Cheers,

Don

I believe you can bring in a car up to 5 years old. I'm not sure when they start counting, ie. by model year or by date of the car manufacture or by another method. Very hard to find any written regulations, but that's the GCC for you.

Yes, much better deals in Dubai especially in the next few weeks and months as all the redundant expats leave as school gets out. You could always ship it from Dubai or Abu Dhabi versus dealing with the Saudis.

I've been looking at prices of vehicles around Doha... and its nothing short of highway robbery the prices they are charging. Even if it is a hassle at the saudi border, was thinking of driving from Dubai to Doha.

What is the importing process and how much does it cost to do this?

I have a similar question. I also have a 2004 car that I want to drive over from the UAE but I heard Qatar does not allow you to import cars that are more than 3 years old atm. Does this law still imply for Gulf-to-Gulf imports?

XTerra IS avaiable here but spec might be different. As you said, sell up or put into storage and buy here - they are cheap enough :o)

Did you Google it first?

Can I bring 2004 car from Dubai to Doha as part of my moving to the country ?

Thanks.

Thanks Giasi. I think we can afford to buy a small fire extinguisher for the car and make do with the Dubai bought car. Only kidding. It makes econo,ic sense then to bring the car over. Just a matter of waddling thro UAE and Qatari bureaucracy re exporting and importing of cars.

There is no Qatar Spec per say. The cars imported here are GCC spec. The only difference between UAE and Qatar is they do insist u fit a fire extinguisher here. Otherwise the specs are the same.

Respect

GIASI

That's great news Giasi. Wonder what Safwany meant by Qatar specs are higher than UAE. I would have thought they would be the same considering both countries share the same climatic conditions. I know when it comes to the cooling system 2nd hand Continental cars especially Mercedesses brought in from Europe don't fare too well in the summer here.

Tata. If you purchased your toyota in dubai it should be covered by a GCC warranty. The dealer here has to honour it. The warranty is given by the manufacturer and not the agent so it doesnt cost him anything as an repairs are claimed back from toyota japan.

Respect

GIASI

Thanks Mr Nice guy. The husband spotted your arithmetic. It's about 25% cheaper than here. What about electricity?

Will check that site, ta.

The Toyota (and Lexus and Citroen and Ssang Yong) agent here is a family called Abdulghani. Their company is now called El Naeel and has a website http://www.elnaael.com/about.htm from which I learn that the joint owner and managing director doubles as qatar's Minister of finance, so don't expect any liberalisation of trade and import regulations any time soon.

Sorry, water's QR4.4 per cubic metre, in case you hadn't checked my arithmatic.

Thanks Giasi. What cowboys (no offence meant to real cowboys). Who are the agents in Qatar. It's Al Futtaim here in Dubai. How many cars can each family bring in when they first arrive? My car is still covered by the agency warranty. I guess I'll lose that once it's registered in Qatar. I expect we'll have to wait before my husband is issued with a residence visa before we can bring in our shipment.

Tata.. you are exempt from import tax if the car entered the uae after 1 jan 2004 (maybe 2003) so your prado will be exempt. Just make sure you get all the necessary paperwork from the dubai customs before you arrive here. One problem you face is that the Toyota dealer here may try and make you pay a "registration fee" before he can service your car. This is no more than extortion and is meant to deter people from buying cars in the UAE.

Respect

GIASI

water seems to be QR0.4 a cubic metre. At least I paid QR211 for 48 cubic metres on my last bill. Qataris get it free.

Tata,

The cars here are little expensive than Dubai cause the Qatari specs is better than Emirates.

Ayman

Thanx Mr Nice guy. Interesting that car prices are lower here in Dubai. I wonder if it would be possible to send the car in a container with the rest of our personal effects. We brought all our furniture from Singapore and i am loath to sell them as I'm not sure if i could get solid teak (indonesian) furniture in Doha. They're more expensive here than Singapore or Indonesia.

On a different matter altogether what's the cost of water and electricity in Qatar. The local emiratis do not have to pay for water and they pay subsidised rates for their electricity. Our bill for the summer can get as high as AED 4,000 / mth of which AED 1,200 is for water. (Based on a 5 bedrm detached house, approx 4,500 sq ft built up area and with abt 2,000 sq ft of lawn. No pool)

Tata - Dubai prices are lower than in Qatar, I'm told, so driving here would seem to make very good sense. What the tax situation is, though, I've no idea and as no-one else has come in on this, I think you should write formally to the authorities. See website address in my previous comment above. Also bear in mind you'll be transitting through Saudi and they've got their own way of doing things.

We may be moving to Doha possibly in July from Dubai. I have a 6 mth old Prado which was purchased in Dubai. Would it make economic sense to bring it to Doha. What are taxes like? Would really appreciate any feedback. Many thanks

We may be moving to Doha possibly in July from Dubai. I have a 6 mth old Prado which was purchased in Dubai. Would it make economic sense to bring it to Doha. What are taxes like? Would really appreciate any feedback. Many thanks

After checking with a friend who exports used cars from the US to the Middle East, we have decided to sell. The suv is an Xterra which he said is not sold overseas so parts would not be available and with your and other posts I read about the Nissan dealership it would be stupid to set ourselves up.

My wife is from the region originally but neither of us have been to Qatar before. Her company is giving a generous car allowance so we can buy or lease one good SUV and when I secure a position I will buy or lease a second vehicle.

Thanks for the replies. It appears that there is viabrant community there.

WLD

Ransom...My advice is sell it and buy one here. Nissan is possibly the worst dealer i have ever encountered and they will make your life hell with a non GCC specification car. Plus, any warranty that you may have will become invalid here.

You may also encounter overheating problems as the GCC specification cars sometimes have high capacity water pumps and radiators. This can be remedied, but i dont think the hassle is worth it.

If you do decide to bring it, the import duty is 4%. This is based on figures available to customs and i think they are a pretty accurate reflection of second hand car values in the country. However, if you bought the car recently and have a receipt that you can have stamped by some authority (qatar embassy, us ministry of economy etc) then they may accept it.

scmasse... i imported my car by road... but i would advise against it if you dont speak arabic because then its twice as difficult. the saudi border is a joke and if you catch them at a particularly busy time (or they dont like the look of you) you could end up being there for hours (or overnight). UAE and Qatar customs are straightforward.

Shipping is best done on a "roll-on roll-off" type of vessel. They leave abu dhabi about once a month and cost about 3000 dhs per vehicle. The agent in abu dhabi (though they have branches in other emirates) is GAC. If your car entered the UAE after 1st jan 2003 (maybe 2004 but not sure) then you are exempt from duty otherwise its 4%.

Respect

GIASI

Just a quick question to tack onto this discussion...Does anyone have the name of a good company in UAE that I could import a car from? Anyone ever done this?

Thanks

I've never heard of any Westerner doing this and haven't seen any non-GCC numberplates on the road. Qataris often import cars from saudi and UAE, but they're GCC countries and it's overland, whereas you're presumably non-GCC and thinking of ships. Try going to http://www.moi.gov.qa/English/Inquiries.htm and writing a letter. And report back here if you ever get a reply.