Car Shipping Company from Kuwait to the UK 0552803439 | RoRo & Containers from Shuwaikh Port, Air to London, Leeds & Glasgow

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK that arranges your car’s journey from the door of your home in Kuwait to your address in London, Leeds or Glasgow. The car sails from Shuwaikh Port on a RoRo vessel or in a container and reaches London Gateway or Southampton in 38 to 55 days, or it is moved by road to Jeddah port and sails from there, arriving in 28 to 42 days. The price starts from SAR 4,900 for a saloon, about KWD 400, and from SAR 5,800 for a mid-size 4×4; an urgent car is flown in 3 to 6 days at a price set on request. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide46ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Kuwait to the UK?
2. Will Britain accept your Kuwaiti car?
3. What does a car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK handle?
4. Car shipping by sea from Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait to London Gateway and Southampton
5. Transit time from Kuwait to the UK, and the shorter Jeddah route
6. Price of shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK
7. What is particular about shipping cars from Kuwait?
8. RoRo or container: how does your car travel?
9. A shared container or a private container for shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK
10. Types of vehicles we ship from Kuwait to the UK
11. Preparing and protecting the car before loading
12. A summer in London on Kuwaiti plates, or permanent registration?
13. Procedure for exporting a car from Kuwait
14. Documents for shipping the car, and what is not accepted
15. British customs, taxes and transfer of residence relief
16. The left-hand-drive Gulf car: modification, test and registration
17. Insurance and risk management on a long voyage
18. Delivering cars from Kuwait in London, Leeds and Glasgow
19. Service for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies
20. Air freight for cars from Kuwait to the UK
21. Collecting cars from the governorates of Kuwait, and temporary storage
22. Steps for shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK
23. Tracking the car, and the inspection report before and after shipping
24. Car shipping from the UK to Kuwait
25. Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car from Kuwait to the UK
26. How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK?
27. Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to the UK
28. Why Home Safe for shipping your car from Kuwait to the UK?
29. Related articles and pages
30. Tags
31. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to the UK
32. Which is the best car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK?
33. How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to the UK?
34. How long does a car take to get from Kuwait to London?
35. Is my left-hand-drive Kuwaiti car accepted in the UK?
36. Do I pay customs on my car if I am only spending the summer in London?
37. Do I need special plates to drive my Kuwaiti car in the UK?
38. Shared or private container: which should I choose?
39. RoRo or container for a family car?
40. How do I take my car off the traffic register in Kuwait?
41. Can I put my suitcases inside the car?
42. Do you ship cars by air from Kuwait International Airport?
43. My car is financed by a Kuwaiti bank. Can it be shipped?
44. What do I pay in Britain apart from the freight?
45. Do you bring the car back to Kuwait after the summer?
46. When should I book to have the car in London at the start of the holiday?

Sea route: Kuwait → Shuwaikh Port → the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea → the Red Sea and the Suez Canal → the Mediterranean and Gibraltar → the English Channel → London Gateway or Southampton · Expected time: 28–55 days by sea depending on the route, 3–6 days by air.

Who ships a car from Kuwait to the UK?

London is a long-established summer destination for Kuwaiti families, which is why this route has a clear season that begins weeks before the holiday. But holidaymakers are not the only ones. There are students who spend years in British cities, Britons who have finished working in Kuwait, and enthusiasts who sell rare cars at British auctions. Each of them goes through British customs in a different capacity:

Car owner	The car’s status in Britain	What we suggest
A Kuwaiti family spending the summer in London	Enters temporarily on its plates, then returns	Private container or air, with the return booked
A student studying for several years	Temporary admission on student terms, or permanent registration	Shared container, with the status checked before booking
A Briton returning from work in Kuwait	Transfer of residence relief, then registration	40ft container for the car with the household goods
A collector of a classic or sports car	Sale, display or taking part in an event	Sealed private container, or air
A showroom or dealer	Normal import with duty and VAT	RoRo for several cars on one booking

Will Britain accept your Kuwaiti car?

This is the first thing we settle, and the answer is easier in Britain than in many countries. Britain sets no maximum age for an imported car, does not refuse left-hand drive, and does not require European specifications for the car to enter. What changes is what you pay and what you modify, and that follows your own status, not the car:

Your status	The rule in force in Britain	What it means for the car
A visitor living outside the UK	Temporary admission for up to six months in total	No duty, no VAT, no registration; it leaves within its period
Moving to live in the UK	Transfer of residence relief, on its conditions	Registered after modification and test; not sold for a year
An importer or buyer	10% customs duty and 20% VAT	Registered after modification and test
Owner of a historic car over 30 years old	Reduced 5% VAT and no duty if in original condition	A lighter test, and registration in the historic class

The British authorities review the rates and conditions, so we confirm those in force before shipping.

What does a car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK handle?

We say from the outset how we serve this route. Home Safe is a Saudi establishment based in Jeddah, and it has no office or yard in Kuwait. We work there through partner freight and clearing agents, who collect the car and take it into the port, while our team manages the booking, the documents and the British clearing agent and stays with you until delivery. This is what the service includes:

• Advice before booking: we establish your status in Britain and the method that suits your car and your date, at no charge.
• Collection from the address: a flatbed takes the car from the house or the showroom to the agent’s yard.
• Exit papers: a check of fines and finance, and help with the traffic department procedure and the customs declaration.
• Loading: a booked slot on the RoRo vessel, or the car secured inside the container and sealed.
• Arrival: a clearing agent at the British port lodges the temporary admission, relief or import declaration.
• Delivery: a transporter from the port to your city, and an inspection before the key is handed over.

Payment terms are agreed at booking: a bank transfer, or two stages, before loading and when the ship arrives. The vehicle service for all destinations is on the car shipping page, and the other Gulf routes are on the car shipping from the Gulf states page.

Car shipping by sea from Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait to London Gateway and Southampton

Shuwaikh Port is the main commercial port of Kuwait; it lies on Kuwait Bay right beside the capital and handles containers and vehicles. Most cars bound for Europe leave from it, though some lines load their containers at Shuaiba Port to the south, so we confirm the loading port at booking. The voyage is one of the longest sea routes between the Gulf and Europe: the ship runs down the Arabian Gulf to the Strait of Hormuz, rounds the Arabian Peninsula into the Red Sea, crosses the Suez Canal and the whole Mediterranean, and climbs from Gibraltar to the English Channel.

Stage	What happens	Approximate time
From your address to the agent’s yard	The car is photographed and a signed condition report made	1 day
Papers and entry to Shuwaikh Port	Export or temporary exit declaration, then securing in the container or handover to the RoRo terminal	2–4 days
Sailing to Britain	Direct, or with a change of vessel at a hub port	About 28–40 days
Discharge at London Gateway or Southampton	The container is landed, or the car driven to the port compound	1–3 days
Clearance, then delivery	Entry declaration, then a transporter to the city	2–5 days

London Gateway is a deep-water container port on the Thames estuary, about 50 km from central London, which is why containers for people living in the capital and the east of England head there. Southampton, on the south coast, is the port where car carriers berth, and it also has a container terminal. When no suitable sailing is available the container is landed at Felixstowe. The times are approximate and lengthen if the lines divert their ships round the Cape of Good Hope. The other gateways we work through are on the ports and gateways page.

Transit time from Kuwait to the UK, and the shorter Jeddah route

The time follows the route more than it follows the type of car. The option that saves two weeks is what is called combined shipping: the car is loaded on an enclosed transporter from Kuwait to Jeddah, a road of about 1,500 km that takes 3 to 5 days including the border post. It then sails from Jeddah Islamic Port, which is on the Red Sea, so the ship’s whole passage round the Arabian Peninsula drops out of the journey. We offer it when the Jeddah sailing date is earlier than the Shuwaikh one.

Method	Time to the British port	When it moves
Private container from Shuwaikh to London Gateway	38–50 days	On the first ship once the papers are complete
Shared container from Shuwaikh	42–55 days, possibly more	When the container is completed by a second car
RoRo from Shuwaikh to Southampton	40–55 days	On the car-carrier schedule; it may pass through a Gulf consolidation port
Transporter to Jeddah, then RoRo or container	28–42 days	On the Jeddah sailing date
Air freight to Heathrow	3–6 days	Once space on the aircraft is confirmed

What lengthens the time?

• A fine or a finance lien that shows up at the Kuwaiti traffic department on the day of the procedure, so the car misses its ship.
• Waiting for the second vessel at the transhipment port, which is days that can become a week in peak seasons.
• A car that gets to the British port ahead of its relief approval number, and runs up storage until the number comes through.

Is there an overland route? We do not offer driving the car or carrying it by road to Britain. The road crosses many countries and borders and then needs a ferry or the tunnel to reach the island of Britain, so it costs more and carries more risk than the sea. The times for other routes are on the transit times page.

Price of shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK

A car carrier charges for the space a car takes up, not for its weight or its engine size. That is why we price in three size classes, and we quote in Saudi riyals because that is our establishment’s currency, with the approximate equivalent in Kuwaiti dinars. The following figures are where our service starts from the door of your home in Kuwait to the British port, by whichever route has the earliest date:

Car and shipping method	Price	Note
Saloon or hatchback	Starts from SAR 4,900, about KWD 400	Small and medium cars
Mid-size 4×4	Starts from SAR 5,800, about KWD 475	Crossovers and family cars
Large 4×4 or pickup	Starts from SAR 6,900, about KWD 565	Length and height are measured precisely
Car in a private 20ft container	Set on request	According to the line’s rate on the booking day
A place in a shared 40ft container	Set on request	Roughly half the container rate
Transport from the British port to the address	Set on request	According to the city
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight and dimensions on the pallet
For comparison: a saloon by RoRo from Jeddah port to Southampton	Starts from SAR 2,800	Sea freight alone on our Saudi line, with no transport from Kuwait

This is the freight alone. British taxes, handling at the arrival port and registration are paid at their actual value on separate lines.

Prices circulating in the market: hardly anyone publishes a price for this particular route. Figures circulating for sea freight are about USD 950 for a car up to 1,500 cc, USD 1,250 for a medium one, and USD 1,550 for anything above 2,500 cc. Guides to exporting from Kuwait give KWD 150 to 440 for the sea freight of a car depending on the destination, with paperwork fees of a few dinars per procedure. British guides stop at the times: two to three weeks for RoRo and four to six weeks for a container, and refer the price to an individual quotation. Most of these figures are port to port, so compare what a figure includes, not the figure alone.

Factor	Effect on the price
Size of the car	Every centimetre of length and height goes into the RoRo calculation
Method	RoRo is lowest, then shared, then private, and air is several times as much
Route	Direct from Shuwaikh has no road leg; the Jeddah route is faster and includes a transporter fee
Condition of the car	A non-runner is lifted by a recovery crane and is usually not accepted on RoRo
Delivery city	London is close to both ports, and Glasgow is the farthest city
Season and direction of booking	Demand rises before summer, and booking out and back together lowers each direction

How do you cut the cost?

• Book RoRo early if your car is ordinary, runs, and comes to no harm on an open deck.
• Agree with a relative spending the summer in the same city on a 40ft container for your two cars.
• Settle the fines and the bank letter before the collection date, since every day of delay in the port carries storage.

The pricing items are explained on the pricing factors page.

What is particular about shipping cars from Kuwait?

Kuwait is a small country, and its farthest governorate is one hour’s drive from Shuwaikh Port. So there is no long inland leg as in large countries, and all the time goes on the papers and the sea. These are points specific to the Kuwaiti origin that we allow for in every booking:

• Summer heat: loading in June and July takes place with temperatures near fifty degrees, so we load in the early morning, adjust tyre pressures and leave no pressurised can in the car.
• Modified cars: many 4x4s in Kuwait are lifted or run wider tyres, which changes their class on RoRo and affects the British registration test.
• Two routes, not one: Kuwait’s closeness to the Saudi border makes Jeddah port a real alternative to Shuwaikh, which is not available to every Gulf state with the same ease.

RoRo or container: how does your car travel?

On RoRo the terminal worker takes the car and drives it up a ramp to a deck inside the ship, uncovered and without a sheet because it is being driven. There it is lashed by its wheels with straps to rings in the deck, and stays that way until it is driven onto the quay at Southampton. In a container the car enters a steel box in Kuwait, its wheels are chocked and strapped, then the doors are locked on it and nobody sees it until Britain.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Container
Condition of the car	Must run, brake and steer	Runners and non-runners accepted
Usual arrival port	Southampton	London Gateway, or Felixstowe
Number of sailings from the Gulf	Fewer, tied to the car-carrier schedule	More regular
Luggage	Strictly not allowed	Beside the car, with a list and a declaration
Cost	The lowest	Higher, and reduced by sharing

We do not favour either in advance; we send you the date of the nearest ship of each kind and its price. Both methods are explained on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages.

A shared container or a private container for shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK

Whoever chooses a container still faces a second question: take it alone or split it? A private 20ft container is about 5.9 metres long inside, enough for one car with a margin for securing. A 40ft container is about 12 metres long, so it carries two cars one behind the other, or a car together with the furniture of a flat. The shared one splits the space and the freight; the private one is for your car alone.

Point of comparison	Shared 40ft container	Private 20ft container
Who is with you	A second car belonging to another customer or to a relative	No one
When it moves	When a partner for the same port is available	The first ship after the papers
Freight	Divided between the two cars	Yours in full
Luggage	Very limited	Possible around the car, with a list
Suits	Two brothers or friends summering together, and anyone with time	A valuable car and a fixed date

The best share is the one you bring yourself: a partner you know, with the same customs status, going to the same city. If we arrange it, we tell you the date the partner will be ready before you pay.

Types of vehicles we ship from Kuwait to the UK

We ship every vehicle that the Kuwaiti traffic department allows to leave and the shipping lines accept. But what suits an everyday saloon does not suit a low-slung car worth as much as a house, so at booking we ask for the model, the year of manufacture and any change to the ride height or tyres.

Vehicle	What is particular to it	Most suitable method
Saloon or hatchback	The lowest price class	RoRo or a shared container
4×4 or large family car	A lifted one sometimes exceeds the door height of a standard container	RoRo, or a high-cube container
Luxury or low sports car	Its nose cannot take a short ramp	Private container with a long ramp, or air
Classic	Loaded by crane with the battery disconnected, and taxed at a reduced rate if over 30 years old	Private container
Motorcycle	Secured in a wooden crate	Shared container or air, with its price set on request

Each class is detailed in the car shipping guide.

Preparing and protecting the car before loading

A car is not wrapped the way furniture is, and its protection differs between the two methods. On RoRo no cover is put on it, because it is driven and a cover blocks the view and tears. In a container we cover the seats, the steering wheel and the driver’s footwell with plastic covers, place soft guards on the bumper corners and mirrors, and run the straps round the tyres, not the body. Before the flatbed arrives, your part is:

• Fuel: a quarter of a tank or less, which is a safety condition with every line.
• Belongings: empty the cabin and the boot, and remove the toll tag, the phone holder and personal papers.
• Mechanics: a sound battery, a working handbrake and no leak under the engine.
• Alarm and keys: switch off the alarm, hand over one key and keep the second.

A summer in London on Kuwaiti plates, or permanent registration?

Most cars on this route are not imported at all. They go in June and come back in September, and stay Kuwaiti in their register, their plates and their original insurance. Such a car does not go through the export procedure in Kuwait or the test in Britain, but it is limited in time and in who drives it.

Item	Summer car	Car moving for good
In Kuwait	Stays on its register and leaves on a temporary exit	Its registration is cancelled for export and its plates handed in
At British customs	Temporary relief, with no duty and no VAT	Transfer of residence relief, or 10% duty and 20% VAT
Period	Up to six months in total	Unlimited
Plates	Kuwaiti, or temporary plates if they cannot be read there	British, after registration
Modification and test	Not required	Headlamps, speedometer and rear fog lamp, then a test
Insurance	A visitor policy covering British roads	An ordinary British policy

The Arabic plate: the rule in force in Britain is that a visiting car whose plate cannot be read there, such as one in Arabic script, needs temporary plates issued after customs has stamped the claim for temporary relief. We ask for a photo of your plate and settle the matter before shipping. The carnet: the temporary exit of a car from Kuwait is usually arranged with a customs carnet issued by the competent club there, explained on the triptik and carnet page. In London: a foreign-plated car is registered with the transport authority before entering the restricted zones, so that it is known whether it owes the daily emissions charge on top of the congestion charge in the centre.

Procedure for exporting a car from Kuwait

A car that is going to carry British plates first leaves the Kuwaiti register. This is a procedure carried out by the owner or their representative at the General Traffic Department, and our agent goes with them and checks the papers before they are submitted. The practice in force follows this order, and we confirm what applies at the time of your request because some steps have moved to online services:

• Clearance of dues: the fines on the car and its owner are paid, as the procedure is not opened while a fine is outstanding.
• Lifting the finance lien: a letter from the bank or finance company confirming that the instalments are paid, or that it has no objection.
• Application to cancel the registration for export: submitted with the car’s registration book and the owner’s civil ID.
• Plates: the original plates are handed in, and temporary export plates are issued if the car is going to move on its own wheels to the port.
• Export certificate: issued in the owner’s name with the chassis number, and it is what customs asks for in both countries.
• Customs declaration: opened at the port or the land border post and closed when the car leaves.

The export papers are valid for a limited time, so we do not start on them until the sailing date is firm. Anyone outside Kuwait at the time of shipping needs only an official power of attorney for the person completing the procedure on their behalf.

Documents for shipping the car, and what is not accepted

The file is put together once and submitted to four bodies: the Kuwaiti traffic department, Kuwaiti customs, the shipping line and British customs. The chassis number is the thread that ties them together, so one different character between the registration book and the bill of lading stops the car at one end or the other.

Document	Summer car	Car moving for good
Registration book, valid and in the shipper’s name	Required	Required
Civil ID and passport	Required	Required
Customs carnet or temporary exit permit	Required	No
Export certificate and export plates	No	Required
Transfer of residence relief approval number	No	For anyone claiming the relief
Letter from the lender	If there is a lien	If there is a lien
Insurance for British roads	Before leaving the port	Before registration

We do not ship: a car under an ownership dispute or a police report, a car whose chassis number differs from its papers, or a car containing a gas cylinder, spare fuel, a weapon or prohibited goods. Every paper is explained on the shipping documents page.

British customs, taxes and transfer of residence relief

The base on which the British tax is worked out is not the price of the car alone but its value plus the freight and insurance. A normal importer therefore pays the 10% duty on that total, then the 20% VAT on the total after duty. That is why it matters to someone moving their residence to obtain the relief before the car moves, not after it arrives.

• Conditions of the relief in force: that you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, that you have owned and used the car for six months before moving, and that you do not sell or lend it for 12 months after it enters.
• The application: submitted online to the British tax and customs authority with evidence of your residence in Kuwait, your ownership and your move. It takes weeks to process, and the result is an approval number written on the shipment’s declaration.
• After arrival: you have 14 days to notify the authority that the vehicle has come in, a condition that precedes any registration.
• Arrival costs: port handling and the clearing agent’s fee are paid on every car, relieved or not.

These rules change, so we review those in force with the British clearing agent before every booking. Our service at both ends is explained on the customs clearance page.

The left-hand-drive Gulf car: modification, test and registration

Traffic in Britain keeps to the left of the road, and your car was built to keep to the right. Even so, moving the steering wheel is not required; what is required is a limited set of modifications ahead of the test. A Gulf-specification car carries no European or British certificate of conformity, so its way to registration is the individual test, not paperwork.

• Headlamps: the beam dips towards the right of the road and dazzles oncoming drivers in Britain, so they are adjusted or replaced.
• Speedometer: it must show miles per hour, by changing the dial face or reprogramming a digital display.
• Rear fog lamp: absent from many Gulf models, and fitted in the centre or on the right-hand side.
• Indicators and tinting: amber indicators separate from the brake light, and removal of excess tinting from the front glass.
• The test: the rule in force is that a car under ten years old passes an individual vehicle approval test, an older one needs only the annual roadworthiness test, and one over forty years old is exempt from it.
• Registration: the papers go to the driver and vehicle licensing agency, which issues a British registration number and a registration document.

Insurance on a left-hand-drive car is usually dearer and its resale market narrower, so permanent registration is the choice of someone who will keep the car.

Insurance and risk management on a long voyage

The Kuwaiti motor policy on the car stops covering it at the port gate. After that come forty days at sea and two or three handlings, so on request we issue a marine transit policy for the value you declare, from collection to delivery. It is optional.

• What it covers: total loss, and external damage during loading, the voyage and discharge.
• What it does not cover: mechanical failure, scratches recorded on the collection report, and anything left inside the car.
• The fallback plan: if a sailing is cancelled or the transhipment vessel is late we tell you the same day, and offer the next nearest ship or an alternative arrival port.
• Who you turn to: our number answers from 7 am to 11 pm, and messages outside those hours are answered at the start of the day.

The types of cover are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from Kuwait in London, Leeds and Glasgow

There are five arrival points in Britain that we actually use: Southampton for RoRo, London Gateway and Felixstowe for containers, Heathrow Airport for air freight, and Manchester Airport when a suitable cargo flight is available. After release an unregistered car is not driven to your home; it is lifted onto a British transporter. London is delivered on the day of release or the next, the Midlands and northern cities a day later, and Scotland after two or three days.

City	Approximate distance from Southampton	Delivery after release
London	About 130 km, and about 50 km from London Gateway	The same day or the next
Birmingham	About 210 km	1 day
Manchester	About 370 km	1–2 days
Leeds	About 380 km	1–2 days
Glasgow	About 700 km	2–3 days
Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, Newcastle and Sheffield	According to the city	1–3 days

Handing over the key after inspection: the driver unloads the car in front of the address, and you walk round it with the collection photos taken in Kuwait. You check the body, the glass, the wheels and the odometer reading, write any remark on the report before you sign, and then take the key. At student accommodation in Leeds and Glasgow we agree in advance on the nearest point the transporter can reach. The service is detailed on the door-to-door shipping page.

Service for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies

Every customer has a plan that starts from their own date, and the difference between customers lies in the papers and the invoicing, not in the care taken of the car:

• Individuals and families: one or two cars, an outward and return booking, and a check of the customs status before payment.
• Companies and showrooms: several cars on one RoRo booking, a price for the batch, and a condition report for each car.
• Embassies and diplomats: a car that moves with its owner at the end of a posting, with the mission’s note and the diplomatic exemption papers.
• Government bodies: official vehicles under the body’s letter, a set delivery date, and correspondence in its own format.

Air freight for cars from Kuwait to the UK

Anyone who wants their car in London in the first week of the holiday, and did not book the sea two months ahead, goes by air. The car leaves Kuwait International Airport, about a quarter of an hour south of the capital, for Heathrow Airport, and is delivered in London within 3 to 6 days of collection. Owners of luxury cars ask for it too.

• Loading: the car is driven onto a metal cargo pallet and strapped to it by its wheels, then the pallet is lifted into the aircraft hold.
• The flight: on a direct freighter or through a hub airport, depending on the space available on the booking day.
• Safety conditions: little fuel, the battery terminals protected or the battery disconnected on the carrier’s instructions, and prior approval for an electric car.
• Customs: it does not change with the mode; temporary admission, relief and duties apply just as by sea.
• Price: set on request according to weight and size on the pallet, and several times the sea rate.

Combining sea and air for a single car brings little benefit, and we offer it only if asked. The service is detailed on the air freight page.

Collecting cars from the governorates of Kuwait, and temporary storage

Our agent collects the car from any address in the six governorates. The car is not driven to the port; it is lifted onto a flatbed so that its odometer reading does not change after the report is signed.

Governorate	Some of its areas	Collection note
Capital	Kuwait City, Shamiya, Rawda, Shuwaikh	The closest to the port, with collection and handover on the same day
Hawalli	Salmiya, Jabriya, Mishref, Salwa	Tower car parks need the building management’s permission for the flatbed
Farwaniya	Khaitan, Andalus, Ardiya	Close to Kuwait International Airport for air freight
Mubarak Al-Kabeer	Sabah Al-Salem, Qurain, Adan	Collection from the house by appointment
Ahmadi	Fahaheel, Mangaf, Fintas, Sabah Al-Ahmad	Close to Shuaiba Port when loading is from there
Jahra	Jahra, Saad Al-Abdullah, Qasr	The closest governorate to the road towards Saudi Arabia

Temporary storage: if you travel before the sailing date, the car stays for some days in a closed yard at the agent’s until loading is due. If it reaches Britain before you, it is kept in a warehouse near the port until the day you take it. The period and the charge are written in the quotation. The service is on the storage page.

Steps for shipping a car from Kuwait to the UK

Half the steps are papers that come before the car moves, and that is deliberate, so that no car waits in a port for a paper that has not been issued.

1. You send the details: the model and year of manufacture, your governorate, the delivery city, and whether the car is coming back or staying.
2. We settle the status and the method: temporary admission, relief or import; RoRo, container or air; from Shuwaikh or through Jeddah.
3. We send the quotation: separate lines for the freight, for transport in Kuwait and in Britain, and for an estimate of what the British authorities will be owed.
4. You get your papers ready: transfer of residence relief first if you are moving, and after it the cancellation of registration at the Kuwaiti traffic department or the temporary exit carnet.
5. The agent collects the car: a condition report and photos, then a flatbed to the yard.
6. Loading and declaration: securing and sealing, or handover to the RoRo terminal, then the bill of lading reaches you.
7. The voyage: we tell you the departure date, the expected arrival and any change of vessel.
8. Release and delivery: once the clearing agent has it released, a transporter takes it to your city, the car is inspected with you and the key is handed over.

Tracking the car, and the inspection report before and after shipping

Tracking with us is not a device we plant in your car, and we do not promise a live position in mid-ocean. It is the container number or the bill of lading number, with which you follow the ship on the shipping line’s website, together with messages from us at every stage: entry to the port, sailing, transhipment, arrival, release and the transporter’s appointment. By air you follow it with the air waybill number.

The condition report is what protects your rights if damage occurs. At collection in Kuwait the car is photographed from all four sides and inside, with the odometer and every existing scratch, and a report is signed of which you take a copy. On opening in Britain it is photographed again before the car moves, so the two conditions are compared in front of you. With these two reports an insurance claim is lodged if you need one. How to follow up is on the shipment tracking page.

Car shipping from the UK to Kuwait

The opposite direction comes in two very different kinds. The first is a Kuwaiti car going home after the summer, which returns to its register with no import as long as it left on a temporary exit and came back within its period. The second is a car bought in Britain, and here it is worth pausing: the rule in force is that Kuwait does not accept a right-hand-drive car for registration, and most cars on the British market are right-hand drive. The rule in force is also that a used car more than five years from its manufacture is not imported, with an exception for classics, and that customs duty is about 5%. So what is shipped in practice is a left-hand-drive car, recent or classic, from Southampton or London Gateway to Shuwaikh, and we confirm the conditions in force before you buy.

Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car from Kuwait to the UK

• Measure your car’s length, width and height after any modification, as the RoRo class is worked out on the actual size, not the brochure.
• Start with the transfer of residence application before anything else if you are moving, as it is the paper that takes longest.
• Ask your insurer in Britain for a quotation for a left-hand-drive car on a foreign plate before shipping, as not every insurer covers one.
• Check your car’s emissions before taking a home in central London, as the daily charge adds up.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK?

The price is the last thing to compare. Before it, ask about five signs that show how serious the company is:

Sign	What you hear from a serious company	What calls for caution
The status question	It asks whether the car is returning or staying before it gives a price	One price for every case
Where the price ends	It says whether it ends at the port or at the door	“Everything included” with no breakdown
The British end	It names who clears and who transports	“You collect it from the port and sort it out”
The time	A time range tied to a specific ship	A promise of two weeks by sea from the Gulf
Honesty about presence	It says where it is based and who its agent in Kuwait is	Offices in every country with no address

Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to the UK

• Cancelling the registration of a car that is coming back after the summer, so that it needs a fresh import on its return.
• Shipping the car before the relief approval number is issued, then paying the duty and VAT or the storage.
• Leaving the car in Britain beyond six months on its Kuwaiti plates, so that the taxes fall due on it in full.
• Lending a temporarily admitted car to a relative who lives in Britain, which forfeits the relief.
• Booking RoRo for a low or non-running car, which is then refused at the terminal gate.
• Leaving the port without British insurance, when driving uninsured there is a serious offence.
• Comparing a price that ends at the port with a price that ends at the door.

Why Home Safe for shipping your car from Kuwait to the UK?

Because we start from the end of the journey. We first ask what you are going to do with the car in Britain, then work back to Kuwait and choose the paper, the port and the method that get you there at the lowest cost.

To book: 0552803439 by phone or WhatsApp, 7 am to 11 pm. Or use the request a quote page.

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to the UK

Which is the best car shipping company from Kuwait to the UK?

The one that asks you, before any price: is the car going for a summer in London and then coming back, or will it be registered there? The Kuwaiti traffic papers and the whole British customs treatment are built on that answer. Home Safe is a registered Saudi establishment that runs this route through partner agents in Kuwait and clearing agents at the British ports, and gives you one file and one number, 0552803439.

How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to the UK?

It starts from SAR 4,900 for a saloon or hatchback, about KWD 400, from SAR 5,800 for a mid-size 4×4, and from SAR 6,900 for a large 4×4 or pickup. The figure covers shipping from Kuwait to the British port. A private container, transport inside Britain and air freight are set on request, and the British taxes are paid at their actual value.

How long does a car take to get from Kuwait to London?

Direct from Shuwaikh Port a container needs 38 to 50 days to London Gateway, and RoRo 40 to 55 days to Southampton. The shorter way is to move the car by road to Jeddah port and sail from there, which brings it in within 28 to 42 days. Air freight from Kuwait International Airport delivers it in London in 3 to 6 days.

Is my left-hand-drive Kuwaiti car accepted in the UK?

Yes. Britain does not forbid driving or registering a left-hand-drive car, and it sets no age limit on an imported car. Anyone registering it has to alter the headlamps, show speed in miles and fit a rear fog lamp in the correct position, then pass the test laid down for its age. A visitor who takes the car home again is asked for none of this.

Do I pay customs on my car if I am only spending the summer in London?

No, as long as you are a visitor living outside the UK and the car is registered and taxed in Kuwait. The rule in force is that it enters temporarily with no duty and no VAT, is used for up to six months in total and then leaves. If it overstays or is sold there, the 10% duty and 20% VAT fall due. We confirm the conditions in force before booking.

Do I need special plates to drive my Kuwaiti car in the UK?

A visitor drives on the Kuwaiti plates. But the rule in force is that a plate whose numbers and letters cannot be identified in the UK, such as one in Arabic script, has to be replaced by temporary plates from the licensing agency once the temporary relief from duty and VAT has been evidenced. We ask you for a photo of the plate before shipping to settle whether you need this step.

Shared or private container: which should I choose?

A shared container is a 40ft box whose space and freight you split with a second car, so it is cheaper but waits for the partner. A private one is a 20ft box for your car alone, which moves on the first ship and is sealed with a number that is only broken in Britain. A fixed date or a valuable car calls for the private one; a tight budget and spare time call for the shared one.

RoRo or container for a family car?

A family car in good running order is well served by RoRo: it costs less and lands at Southampton, Britain’s leading vehicle port. But RoRo ships from the Gulf to northern Europe are fewer than container ships, so a container may have the earlier date. We offer you both with the actual sailing date and you choose.

How do I take my car off the traffic register in Kuwait?

Fines are paid and any finance lien is lifted, then an application to cancel the registration for export is made at the General Traffic Department with the car’s registration book and the civil ID. The plates are handed in and an export certificate and temporary export plates are issued. This is for a car leaving for good; a summer car stays on its register. We confirm the procedure in force before you start.

Can I put my suitcases inside the car?

Not on RoRo, where the car is driven and opened at more than one port and is refused if belongings are found in it. In a private container, luggage travels beside the car, not inside it, on a contents list in English submitted to British customs. Anything hidden in the boot without a declaration holds up the release of the car itself.

Do you ship cars by air from Kuwait International Airport?

Yes. The car is strapped to a metal pallet and loaded on a cargo aircraft to Heathrow, direct or through a hub airport depending on the flight available, then delivered in London after clearance. The time is 3 to 6 days, and the price is set on request according to the car’s weight and dimensions; it is several times the sea rate.

My car is financed by a Kuwaiti bank. Can it be shipped?

It does not move before the lender agrees. The lien shows on the traffic record, which blocks the export certificate and, as a rule, also blocks a temporary exit unless a no-objection letter is issued. Ask for the letter first: it takes days to issue, and a ship does not wait for a missing paper.

What do I pay in Britain apart from the freight?

Port handling and the clearing agent’s fee in every case, and insurance covering British roads before the car moves. A normal importer pays 10% duty and 20% VAT. Anyone registering the car adds the cost of modifications, the test and the registration fee. In London there are daily charges for the restricted zones depending on the car’s emissions.

Do you bring the car back to Kuwait after the summer?

Yes, and it is best to book the return with the outward trip. The car is collected from your address in Britain before the temporary admission period ends, and shipped from Southampton or London Gateway, or by air from Heathrow. Because it never left its Kuwaiti register, it returns to it without a fresh import, provided its temporary exit papers are complete.

When should I book to have the car in London at the start of the holiday?

For sea freight from Shuwaikh, book nine to ten weeks before your date, and for the Jeddah route seven weeks, because the weeks before summer are crowded with demand from the Gulf to Britain. For air freight two weeks are usually enough. We give you an arrival date written on the actual booking, not on the route average.