Import calculator
Import a car from the USA to the UAE
Total cost of buying a car at a US auction and shipping it to the UAE: auction fees, towing, shipping to Jebel Ali, Dubai and UAE import taxes.
Total landed cost in UAE
$8,445.15
Bid $5,000 + $3,445.15 in fees, shipping and taxes
- Buyer fee
- $775
- Virtual bid fee
- $110
- Gate fee
- $95
- Environmental fee
- $15
- Title mailing
- $15
- Towing to port
- $350
- Ocean shipping to Jebel Ali, Dubai
- $1,300
- Import duty (5%)
- $383
- VAT (5%)
- $402.15
5% customs duty on the CIF value (car, fees and shipping), then 5% VAT on the value plus duty. Estimates only; customs brokers, registration and local fees are extra. Exchange rates are approximate.
Fees from the auctions' published standard-vehicle schedules, checked 5 November 2026. Storage and late-payment fees are not included.
Check the lot's VIN before you bid
Auction photos don't show earlier accidents, flood titles or odometer rollbacks.
Import taxes in UAE
5% customs duty on the CIF value (car, fees and shipping), then 5% VAT on the value plus duty.
Shipping
Most cars go in a shared 40-foot container from a US east-coast port to Jebel Ali, Dubai, typically about $1,300 per car and 30–40 days door to door. Prices change with the season and the departure port, so type your own quote into the calculator.
Good to know
- Salvage cars can be imported for repair, but the car must pass RTA inspection before registration.
- Cars built for the US market are left-hand drive, which matches UAE roads.
- Some emirates charge extra port handling and customs clearance agent fees, usually a few hundred dollars.
Check the car before you bid
US auction cars often have a past: earlier accidents, a flood title in another state, or a previous rebuild. A VinCode report shows title brands, total-loss events, odometer readings and earlier auction sales for the VIN. See the fees on their own in the Copart and IAA calculators.
Other destinations
UK · Germany · Netherlands · Poland · Lithuania · Ukraine · Georgia · Canada