Tax-free relocation of your car from GCC to Europe/UK

Moving from a GCC country to Europe or UK?

You can save money when moving your car, motorcycle or any other vehicle(s) along as a part of your household goods.

Europe and UK customs allows a full exemption of import duties (Customs and VAT) which on an average could save you up to 30% of your car value and almost 50% as compared to buying a similar vehicle in your home country. There are various import tax exemption laws in place that could result in major savings, but the trick is to be able to take advantage of them.

Generally, the customs tax is 10% on the value of the car and then there is VAT which ranges from 16% to 22% depending on each country but this can be exempted if you’re relocating and save you that chunk of money in taxes.

It’s actually very economical to ship your car from GCC rather than buying a new one back there or even expect a better resale of the car in Europe/UK. There are not many restrictions in terms of which cars can be shipped. Although, you may not be able to sell the car for a year after importing with the tax-free tag, you could decide to sell the car by paying the full import taxes if it is within that time frame.

Conditions required in order to be eligible for a tax-free import to Europe/UK 

• Proof of Residency outside EU region for a minimum of 12 months is required.
• The vehicle has to be owned for a minimum of 6 months before importing.
• Do not intend to sell it for at least a year after importing it.
• Mortgage needs to be clear on the vehicle before initiating the ship-out process. 

List of documents required to ship a car –

• Passport copy
• Export certificate
• Car registration card

However, for tax free relocations, additional set of documents are required –

• Residence visa copy
• Car registration copy proving the vehicle has been owned/registered under your name for a minimum of 6 months in the country of origin.
• Letter from the employer or the authorized embassy stating you’ve lived outside EU/UK for at least 12 months

How can we help?

Alpha Worldwide is the one-stop-shop solution for all your vehicle shipping needs whether it’s within GCC or internationally. One of the unique features is that there is no one method to export cars to Europe/UK. You can either ship your cars through dedicated containers (a bit expensive with the option to customize your own container) or consolidated containers (economical) both of which we specialize at.

Having our branches across major cities in Europe and UK, we make it a very seamless and hassle-free process with in-house testing centers, registration facilities, and door delivery. Please contact us for the best solutions to ship your car back home.