Car Shipping Company from Qatar to France 0552803439 | RoRo & Container from Hamad Port to Le Havre & Marseille, Air to Paris

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Qatar to France that arranges the move of your car from your home in Doha to your address in Paris, Lyon or Marseille. The car sails from Hamad Port on a RoRo vessel or inside a container to Marseille-Fos or Le Havre and arrives in 28 to 45 days door to door, or flies from Hamad International Airport to Paris in 3 to 6 days. The price on this route is set on request once the car, the method and the French city are known; for comparison, RoRo on our line from Jeddah port to European ports starts from SAR 2,800. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide46ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Qatar to France?
2. Services of a car shipping company from Qatar to France
3. Will France accept your car from Qatar?
4. Shipping cars by sea from Hamad Port in Qatar to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos
5. Transit time for a car from Qatar to France
6. Price of shipping cars from Qatar to France
7. Home Safe’s role in shipping cars from Qatar
8. The best ways to ship cars from Qatar to France: RoRo or container?
9. Shipping classic cars and motorcycles from Qatar to France
10. Preparing the car before handover in Qatar
11. A summer car returning to Doha, or final export?
12. Exit and export procedures at the Qatari traffic department
13. French customs and transfer-of-residence relief
14. Registering a Gulf car in France: conformity, test and tax
15. Documents for shipping a car from Qatar to France, and what is not accepted
16. Insurance and protection of the car on the journey
17. Delivering cars from Qatar in Paris, Lyon and Marseille
18. Car shipping for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies
19. Land, sea and air freight: what is available to France, and can furniture and parcels go with the car?
20. Air freight for cars from Qatar to France
21. Collecting cars from Doha and the cities of Qatar
22. Steps for shipping a car from Qatar to France
23. Tracking the car and follow-up even after it arrives
24. Shipping cars from France to Qatar
25. Home Safe’s tips for shipping cars from Qatar to France
26. How do you choose a car shipping company from Qatar to France?
27. Common mistakes when shipping a car from Qatar to France
28. Why choose Home Safe as your car shipping company from Qatar to France?
29. Related articles and pages
30. Tags
31. Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Qatar to France
32. Which is the best car shipping company from Qatar to France?
33. What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Qatar to France?
34. How much does it cost to ship a car from Qatar to France?
35. How long does a car take from Doha to Paris?
36. Do I give up my Qatari plates if I am only spending the summer in France?
37. What customs charges are paid on the car in France?
38. Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in France?
39. What is the difference between landing at Le Havre and at Marseille-Fos?
40. How is a classic car shipped from Qatar to France?
41. Do you ship motorcycles from Qatar to France?
42. Can the car be shipped by air from Hamad International Airport?
43. Can I put luggage or furniture in with the car?
44. My car is financed by a bank in Qatar. Can it leave?
45. How do I follow my car from Hamad Port to France?
46. Do you bring the car back from France to Qatar?

Route: Doha → Hamad Port → the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea → the Red Sea and the Suez Canal → Marseille-Fos, or through Gibraltar to Le Havre · Method: RoRo, container or air · Time by sea: 28–45 days door to door.

Who ships a car from Qatar to France?

Most of those who ship on this route are families who own flats in Paris or houses on the Riviera and spend the summer there, French staff who finish their contracts in Doha and go home, diplomats, and old-car enthusiasts drawn to the French auctions. Each has a different car and a different paper from the Qatari traffic department, so we ask about the purpose before the model.

The owner	What they usually ship	The method that suits	Their paper in Qatar
A family summering in Paris, Cannes or Nice	A family 4×4 or a luxury car	A container sent six weeks ahead of travel, or air	Vehicle exit permit, plates stay on
A French employee returning home	The car they drove in Doha	A 40ft container with their furniture, or RoRo	Export certificate and export plates
An old-car enthusiast	A classic for an auction, a show or a buyer	A private container for one car	Final export or temporary exit, depending on the sale
A motorcycle owner	A touring or sports bike	A wooden base in a shared container, or air	As for a car, depending on its return
An embassy, a company or a showroom	Official cars or several cars	Containers or RoRo on one booking	Letters from the body with each car’s papers

Services of a car shipping company from Qatar to France

A car on this route passes four official bodies: the Qatari traffic department, customs at Hamad Port, French customs, and then the registration authority if it is staying. Our service is that all of this is run in one file. What our work covers:

• Collection from your address: a flatbed takes the car from the house, the tower or the showroom in any Qatari city.
• Setting the paper route: temporary exit or final export, with fines and finance checked before a space is booked.
• Sea freight: RoRo for a running car, and a private or shared container for anything that needs more protection.
• Lashing and insurance: securing by the tyres, a photographed condition report, and insurance for the value of the car.
• Clearance in France: the import declaration, the relief file or proof of temporary entry through our partner there.
• Delivery: a transporter from the port or airport to your address, and an inspection before the key is handed over.

The general service is explained on the car shipping page, and what concerns furniture and parcels for France is in the shipping to France article.

Will France accept your car from Qatar?

France sets no age limit on an imported car in the way the Gulf states do, so entry is possible for any car with sound papers. The real question is how much you will pay to drive it there on French plates. A summer car that returns pays nothing and is not modified; one that stays faces duty and tax, then conformity, then a registration tax. Settle the case from this table before any booking:

The car’s case	Does it enter?	What awaits it in France
A summer car returning to Doha	Yes, on its Qatari plates	Temporary entry with no duty or tax, and insurance that covers France
The car of someone moving their residence	Yes, with their belongings	Relief from duty and tax on its conditions, then conformity and registration
A car sold or bought for registration	Yes	10% duty and 20% tax, then conformity, test and registration tax

Shipping cars by sea from Hamad Port in Qatar to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos

Hamad Port at Umm Al Houl, south of Doha, is Qatar’s sea gateway, with container terminals and a vehicle terminal. The ship leaves it through the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, rounds the Arabian Peninsula to the Red Sea, then passes through the Suez Canal. The first French port on its way is Marseille-Fos on the Mediterranean. Anyone who wants Paris carries on with the car through the Strait of Gibraltar and up the Atlantic coast to Le Havre at the mouth of the Seine.

Stage	Where it happens	What happens to the car	Approximate time
Collection	Your address in Qatar	Inspection, photos and condition report	1 day
Loading and export	The loading yard, then Hamad Port	Lashing, sealing and the Qatari export declaration	2–5 days
Sailing to Marseille-Fos	The Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean	Inside the container or on the car deck	About 18–26 days
Sailing to Le Havre	The Mediterranean, Gibraltar, the Atlantic	The same arrangement with more days at sea	About 24–34 days
French clearance	The customs office at the arrival port	Chassis number check and import or relief declaration	3–6 days
Transport to the city	From the port to your address	Covered transporter, then the delivery inspection	1–3 days

Ships do not sail from Hamad Port to France on a fixed direct service every week. Most containers change vessel at a hub port in the Gulf or on the Mediterranean, and RoRo cars may be gathered at a Gulf port before heading west. The shipping lines also switch their routing between the Red Sea and the Cape of Good Hope according to conditions. So the times in the table remain an estimate that we fix against the ship’s schedule on the day of booking. On arrival the car is checked against its chassis number and its condition report before it leaves the yard. The destination details are on the shipping to France page.

Transit time for a car from Qatar to France

The longest part of the journey is the sea, but the days that are won or lost fall on land. A car whose certificate is two days late misses its ship and waits a week or more for the next one. And the French port changes the time as much as the method does.

Method and port	Door to door	Suits
Private container to Marseille-Fos	28–38 days	Marseille, Lyon, Nice and Toulouse
Private container to Le Havre	32–45 days	Paris, Lille and the cities of the north and west
RoRo to either port	32–45 days, depending on the vessel rotation	An empty, running car
Air freight to Paris	3–6 days	Luxury and urgent cars and show cars

What lengthens the time?

• A traffic fine or a lien that shows up on the car’s record on the day the permit or certificate is requested.
• An export certificate that expires before the car enters the port.
• An incomplete relief file in France: an unsigned inventory or missing proof of address.
• The month of August, with France’s annual holiday and slower offices and ports.

Times for the other routes are on the transit times page.

Price of shipping cars from Qatar to France

We do not put a fixed figure on this route, and we say why: the vessel rate from Hamad Port to Europe moves from one month to the next and differs between the two French ports. What we commit to is that the price reaches you itemised within a day of your sending the car’s details: collection in Qatar, lashing, the sea or air rate, French port charges, clearance, and the transporter to your address. French duty and tax are written on a separate line, because they go to the treasury and not to the shipper.

The car and how it is shipped	Price	Note
Saloon on a RoRo vessel to the French port	Set on request	Depends on the RoRo rotation from Hamad Port
Car in a private 20ft container	Set on request	For classic and luxury cars
Car in a shared 40ft container	Set on request	The rate is split between two cars
Motorcycle on a wooden base	Set on request	By sea in a shared container, or by air
Transporter from the port to the French city	Set on request	Depends on the port and the distance
Air freight for the car to Paris	Set on request	By weight, dimensions and fuel type
For comparison: RoRo for a saloon from Jeddah port to a European port	Starts from SAR 2,800	Our rate from Saudi Arabia, a reference for the sea leg and not the price of this route

Prices circulating in the market: we found no one publishing a price for shipping a car from Qatar to France specifically. What circulates about the route is that shared sea freight starts from about USD 1,800, an individual container from about USD 2,500, and air from about USD 4,500. International guides quote USD 900 to 2,000 for shipping a car to France by RoRo and USD 1,050 to 1,800 by container from ports nearer than the Gulf, with arrival charges starting from about USD 600. What the Doha offices publish is for road transport within the Gulf, between QAR 2,500 and 5,800. The circulating air figure does not cover the weight of a whole car on a freighter, so do not build your budget on it.

Factor	How it changes the price
The method	Air is several times sea, and a private container is above RoRo and a shared one
The French port	Le Havre is a longer sailing than Marseille-Fos, so the sea rate differs between them
The delivery city	Every 100 km beyond the port adds to the transporter charge
The season	Demand from the Gulf to Europe peaks in May and June

How do you cut the cost?

• Book sea freight two months before you travel, and leave air to those who do not have that time.
• Choose the port from your address: Marseille-Fos for the south and Le Havre for Paris, and do not pay for a transporter that crosses the whole of France.
• Share a 40ft container with a relative or neighbour sending a car to the same city.

The pricing items are explained on the pricing factors page.

Home Safe’s role in shipping cars from Qatar

We set out where we stand so that there is no confusion. Home Safe is a Saudi establishment based in Jeddah, and we have no office or yard in Qatar. Shipments of Qatari origin are arranged through partner freight and clearing agents in Doha: they are the ones who collect the car, go over its papers with the traffic department, and take it into Hamad Port or Hamad International Airport. Our team manages the booking, the documents, the insurance and the French partner, and follows up with you until the key is handed over. Three matters are particular to the Qatari origin:

• A country of short distances: the farthest address in Qatar is no more than two hours from Hamad Port, so collection is done in one day.
• Tower car parks: at The Pearl, Lusail and West Bay the car is brought up from the basement to a point the flatbed can reach.
• The first-year restriction: a car registered in Qatar for less than a year may not be allowed out for export, under a circular in force from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry addressed to dealerships and showrooms. We verify where your car stands first.

We do not offer to move a Qatari car by road to a Saudi port to sail from there, as that adds a border and a customs post to no benefit. The road route in the other direction is explained in the car shipping from Saudi Arabia to Qatar article.

The best ways to ship cars from Qatar to France: RoRo or container?

On RoRo the car stays a car: a port worker drives it up a ramp onto an enclosed deck inside the ship, it is lashed by its wheels, and it is driven off in France. In a container the car becomes cargo: it goes into a steel box in Doha, the door is sealed, and it is not opened until the French port, in front of customs. The choice is settled by the value of the car and by what you send with it.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private 20ft container	Shared 40ft container
Loading	Driven onto the ship uncovered	Lashed by its tyres and the door sealed	Two cars secured in one box
Belongings	Not accepted	Accepted with an inventory and declaration	Limited to the space left
Cost	Usually the lowest	The highest	In between
Suits	A modern family car	Classic and luxury cars	Two families going to one city

On this route RoRo depends on its vessel schedule from Hamad Port, so we offer it when its date is close to yours; otherwise a container is quicker and surer. Each method is explained on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages, and the general comparison is in the shipping methods comparison.

Shipping classic cars and motorcycles from Qatar to France

Qatar has private collections of old cars kept in air-conditioned garages, and France is their natural market: the Paris auctions, the city’s old-car show every winter, and the Le Mans races for historic cars. A car like this is not suited to a RoRo ramp, so it gets a container to itself. A motorcycle falls over if it is not secured upright on a base.

• A private container for the classic: a 20ft box for one car, shared with nothing that can move.
• Pushed in: it is pushed by hand over long, shallow ramps with the engine off, so its underside does not scrape and an old engine does not heat up in a closed space.
• Lashing: wide fabric straps on the tyres alone, and timber chocks in front of and behind the wheels, with no pull on an axle or an arm that is decades old.
• A wooden base for the motorcycle: the bike is strapped upright to a base by the handlebars and the rear frame, then a crate or wooden box is built around it.
• Every detail photographed before loading: paint, chrome, seats, gauges, chassis number and engine number, and the photos are sent to you with the seal number.

The rule in force in France is that a car built thirty years ago or more, of a model no longer in production, and left without substantial modification, is classed as a collector’s item: customs duty falls away, and a reduced rate of value added tax is collected instead of the full rate. It has its own registration document for collectors’ cars, for which a certificate from the French federation of historic vehicles is required. The decision rests with French customs, so we put the file to our agent there first.

Preparing the car before handover in Qatar

The car will be shut in a container or stand in the belly of a ship for more than three weeks, and will come out of the Gulf heat into a rainy European port. What you leave in it on handover day you find as it was, or worse. This preparation prevents most disputes at collection:

• Wash it well; a scratch is neither seen nor written into the report under dust.
• Empty the cabin and the boot of belongings, and remove parking cards and the road-gate tag.
• Leave a quarter of a tank of fuel or less, which is the shipping line’s condition.
• Photograph the car from its four corners, with the roof, wheels, seats and odometer.
• Switch off the alarm, hand over one key and keep the second.

Preparation in detail is in the car shipping guide.

A summer car returning to Doha, or final export?

On this question the file splits into two routes. A summer car is neither exported from Qatar nor imported into France; it travels and returns as its owner does. A car that stays there leaves the Qatari traffic record for good and enters France as goods to be cleared, then as a vehicle to be registered.

Point of comparison	Temporary exit and return	Final export
The Qatari document	Vehicle exit permit	Vehicle export certificate
Plates	The Qatari ones stay on the car	Handed in, and export plates fitted
Time outside Qatar	The rule in force is six months, extended with permission	No return
In France	Six months in any twelve for someone not resident in the Union	Clearance, then conformity and registration
Duty and tax	Not paid as long as the car will leave	10% and 20%, or the mover’s relief

Temporary entry carries three cautions. The Qatari policy does not normally cover France, so frontier insurance is bought before the car leaves the port. A car that arrives shipped has its temporary entry established with customs at the port, and our French partner confirms how before sailing. And someone who has become resident in France is not entitled to this route and must clear and register the car. For anyone moving the car between several countries there is the customs carnet, explained on the triptik carnet page.

Exit and export procedures at the Qatari traffic department

The transaction is with the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior. Some of its services are available on the Metrash app and the ministry’s website, some need a visit to the traffic section, and what is done online changes from time to time. So the steps below are the rule in force, and we confirm what applies before shipping through our agent in Doha.

Step	A summer car that returns	A car exported for good
Fines	Paid before the permit is requested	Paid before the certificate is requested
Bank finance	A no-objection letter stating the country and period	Release of the lien from the vehicle record
The request	An exit permit in the name of the owner or their delegate	An export certificate from the traffic certificate services
Plates	Not touched	The originals handed in and export plates issued
Insurance	A policy valid for France, bought for the trip	Short-term insurance required with the export plates
Validity	Return within the period written on the permit	A few days, so it is requested once the ship is confirmed

After the traffic department, our agent lodges the export declaration with Qatari customs at Hamad Port or at the airport. Keep the original Qatari registration even after the plates are handed in, since France bases both the registration tax and the six-month condition on the date of first registration.

French customs and transfer-of-residence relief

France applies the European Union tariff, and to it a Qatari car is goods from a third country. Its value is assessed, freight and insurance are added, and duty and tax are worked out on the total. After payment or acceptance of the relief, the customs certificate is issued, and it is the first paper registration asks for.

Item	The rule in force	What we do before shipping
Customs duty	10% of the car’s value with its freight and insurance	We work out an approximate amount with you in Qatari riyals
Value added tax	20% on the value plus the duty	Included in the same calculation
The 846 A customs certificate	Issued after payment or after the relief is accepted	The agent hands you the original with the car
A collector’s car	Reduced treatment for one over thirty years old in original condition	We put the file to the agent first

A French national returning from Doha, and anyone moving their normal place of residence to France, is entitled to bring in their car with their belongings free of duty and tax. The conditions in force are five, and each has a paper that proves it:

• Previous residence outside the Union: twelve unbroken months or more, which your Qatari residence permit and work contract establish.
• Ownership and use: the car in your name for at least six months before the move, evidenced by the date on the registration.
• Time limit for entry: the car arrives within twelve months of the date of your move.
• No disposal: it is not sold, hired out or lent for twelve months after entry.
• The file: a signed inventory in two copies giving the car’s chassis number, with proof of your home or job in France.

Rates and time limits are reviewed from time to time, so we confirm what applies with the French agent before loading. The clearance procedure is on the customs clearance page.

Registering a Gulf car in France: conformity, test and tax

Cars sold in Qatar are built to Gulf specifications: stronger cooling, and lighting and emissions that were not approved under the European system. That is why French plates are not issued for them until the owner shows their conformity. This stage is handled by the owner or a specialist office in France, and we explain it to you before you decide.

Step	What it is	What you bring from Qatar
Customs certificate	Proves clearance or relief	The export certificate and the original registration
Proof of conformity	The maker’s European certificate of conformity where one exists; failing that, a one-off approval granted by the regional authority in charge	The car’s handbook and its data card from the dealership
Likely modifications	European-specification lamps, a rear fog lamp and evidence of emissions and noise	A recent service report from the dealership
Roadworthiness test	For a car over four years old, with a recent report	A car with sound brakes, tyres and exhaust
Registration tax	On emissions, weight and fiscal horsepower, falling with the age of the car	Proof of the date of first registration

The steering wheel in Qatar is on the left as in France, and the speedometer is in kilometres, so neither is changed. After registration an air-quality sticker is required for driving in the low-emission zones of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. The registration tax surprises owners of large engines, so ask for an estimate for your model before shipping.

Documents for shipping a car from Qatar to France, and what is not accepted

We ask for photos of the papers first, by WhatsApp, so that the Doha agent and the French agent check them before the car moves. The originals are not left in the car: they travel with you or go by courier.

Document	Issued by	Where it is required
Qatari vehicle registration	General Directorate of Traffic	Booking, customs at both ends, and registration
Exit permit or export certificate	General Directorate of Traffic	Hamad Port or Hamad International Airport
ID card and passport	The owner	Every stage
Purchase invoice or sale contract	The seller	Valuation at French customs
Removal inventory and proof of address in France	The person moving residence	The relief application
Bank letter	The lender	The Qatari traffic department
Bill of lading or air waybill	The shipping line or the airline	Release of the car on arrival

These are cases we decline to load, or postpone until they are dealt with:

• A car with unpaid fines, a standing lien or a dispute over its ownership.
• A visible oil or fuel leak, as the shipping line refuses the car at the gate.
• Fuel cans, gas cylinders, weapons and radar detectors, the last being banned in France.
• Meat, dairy products, plants and soil in the car or the container, as they are barred from entering the European Union with travellers and their effects.

The full lists are on the shipping documents and prohibited items pages.

Insurance and protection of the car on the journey

Sea and air carriers compensate under international conventions that work out compensation by weight or by package, not by the price of the car. And the Qatari motor policy does not operate while the car is being shipped. That is why, with every booking, we offer insurance for the value of the car that starts the moment it is collected in Qatar.

• Cover: collision, fire, theft, lifting and unloading damage, and the car’s contribution to general average if it is declared.
• Insured value: market value plus the freight, and for a classic or rare car a valuation report from an expert.
• Evidence: the collection report signed in Qatar and the photos from loading day; without them it is hard to prove that damage happened in transit.
• Delivery day: any new scratch is written on the delivery report before signing and photographed.

The covers are detailed on the cargo insurance page, and the lashing methods on the packing and lashing page.

Delivering cars from Qatar in Paris, Lyon and Marseille

The service does not end at the quay. A car exported for good arrives without valid plates, so it is not driven on the road and is carried on a covered transporter to your address. A summer car on its Qatari plates can be collected from the port yard and driven if its insurance is ready, or we bring it to the door of the hotel or the house. Most of our deliveries are in Paris, Lyon and Marseille.

Delivery city	The port that suits	Approximate road distance	Delivery note
Paris and its suburbs	Le Havre	About 200 km	The old central streets cannot take a long transporter, so a drop-off point is set
Lyon	Marseille-Fos	About 315 km	The Rhône valley road, with delivery at the house
Marseille and Aix-en-Provence	Marseille-Fos	About 50 km	The day the car leaves the port
Nice, Cannes and the Riviera	Marseille-Fos	About 200 km	Garages in seafront buildings are tight, so the drop-off place is agreed
Toulouse	Marseille-Fos	About 400 km	One more day on the road
Bordeaux	Either port, depending on the sailing	About 650 km	The farthest city; the port is settled from the sailing schedule

The car is brought down from the transporter in front of the consignee, who walks round it with the driver, the Qatar report in hand: scratches and the odometer reading are compared, and the engine is started. After the inspection the key is handed over with the envelope of papers and the customs certificate. Details of this service are on the door to door page.

Car shipping for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies

An individual asks about the date and the price; a company, an embassy or a government body asks about the contract, the invoice and the proper legal route:

• Individuals and families: a date built on the flight ticket, and one contact who knows your file from Doha to France.
• Companies and showrooms: a contract and an invoice, a list of chassis numbers, a condition report for each car, and a price for the batch.
• Embassies and consulates: correspondence by official notes, with the diplomatic exemption requested from the French foreign ministry before sailing.
• Government bodies and delegations: cars taking part in an exhibition or a mission enter temporarily and return, with dates in writing and a report at every stage.

Land, sea and air freight: what is available to France, and can furniture and parcels go with the car?

Land is the route for the Gulf, not for Europe. From Doha to Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and Kuwait a car travels on a road transporter in days; to France the theoretical route crosses Saudi Arabia and Jordan or Iraq, then Turkey and the Balkans, and car transporters do not run it regularly. So we do not offer it, and sea and air remain.

What accompanies the car depends on the method. Someone moving their residence ships their household furniture, appliances and car in one 40ft container, with the car secured at the far end behind a timber bulkhead. Goods and parcels are shipped on a separate bill by sea or by air. For those shipping from Saudi Arabia, our air freight to Europe starts from SAR 23 per kilogram and documents from SAR 83; from Qatar the price is set on request. Furniture is explained on the furniture shipping page.

Air freight for cars from Qatar to France

The aircraft cuts the month down to days, and it is asked for by the owner of a luxury car who wants it in Paris as the holiday starts, or for a car with an auction or show date. The car is handed over in the cargo area of Hamad International Airport, secured on a metal pallet, and lifted into a freighter or into the hold of a wide-body aircraft. It lands at Charles de Gaulle Airport, is cleared at airport customs, and is then delivered in Paris on a covered transporter, or in Lyon after one more day on the road.

• Time: 3–6 days from collection of the car in Qatar to delivery, depending on the flight date and the speed of clearance.
• Dangerous goods: the fuel and the battery put the car in this class, so a special declaration is prepared for it and its space is booked in advance.
• Fuel and battery: a tank at a quarter or below is the rule in force, the battery terminals are capped, and for electric and hybrid cars the airline lays down tighter conditions.
• Price: set on request by weight, volume and date, with the outward and return trips booked together for a summer car.

There are daily flights between Doha and Paris, and regular passenger flights to Lyon and Nice, but a car is not accepted on every aircraft. So we confirm the space on a specific flight before the car leaves your home. Air freight for anything other than cars is on the air freight page.

Collecting cars from Doha and the cities of Qatar

The Doha agent agrees a day and a time with you, and the driver comes with an open flatbed for an ordinary car or an enclosed one for a classic or a low car. The condition report is written at your door, then the car is taken to Hamad Port or the airport.

Area	Cities and districts	Collection note
Coastal Doha	West Bay, The Pearl, Katara, Al Dafna	Car parks under towers, with permission from the building management
Central Doha	Al Sadd, Al Mirqab, Najma, Al Mansoura	Early morning is preferred, before the traffic
Al Rayyan and the west	Al Rayyan, Al Gharrafa, Al Waab, Muaither, Al Shahaniya	Private majlis buildings and garages holding old cars
Al Wakrah and the south	Al Wakrah, Al Wukair, Mesaieed	The areas nearest to Hamad Port
Al Khor and the north	Al Khor, Al Thakhira, Al Ruwais, Dukhan	The appointment is arranged a day ahead because of the distance

Steps for shipping a car from Qatar to France

From the first call to the key there are eight steps. Three of them are yours: sending the details, clearing the car’s record, and handing it over clean.

1. You send to 0552803439 the model and year of the car and a photo of the registration, the French city, and whether the car is returning or staying.
2. We suggest the method and the port, and send the itemised price and the expected time against a real ship or aircraft schedule.
3. You pay the fines and bring the bank letter if needed, and the exit permit or export certificate is requested.
4. The Doha agent collects the car from your address with a signed condition report and photos.
5. The car goes into its sealed container, or to the RoRo quay or the airport cargo shed, and our agent files the export declaration with Qatari customs.
6. The ship or aircraft departs, and you receive the tracking number, a copy of the bill and the insurance policy.
7. The French agent lodges the declaration or the relief file, and the car is checked and cleared.
8. The transporter reaches your address, you inspect the car with the driver, sign, and take the key and the papers.

Tracking the car and follow-up even after it arrives

The container number is enough to see where the ship is on the shipping line’s website, but it does not tell you that customs asked for a paper or that the transporter has been given a date. That news comes to you from us directly:

• Before sailing: the loading photos and the seal number, and confirmation of entry into Hamad Port with the name of the ship.
• In France: a notice that the car has been unloaded, of the amount of duty and tax if they fall due, and of the transporter appointment.
• After delivery: we stay with you until the return of a summer car is booked, or until the papers of a car that is staying reach the conformity office.

The service is explained on the shipment tracking page.

Shipping cars from France to Qatar

We work in both directions through the same partner. The commonest case is the return of a summer car: it is collected from Paris or Cannes, sails from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos to Hamad Port, and goes back onto its Qatari record without a fresh import as long as it is within the period of its permit. The second case is a car bought on the French market: its registration there is cancelled and a European export declaration is lodged for it, then it enters Qatar as an import. The rule in force in Qatar is customs duty of 5% of the value, that a light vehicle be no more than five years old from its year of manufacture, that it be left-hand drive, and that it pass the technical inspection before registration. The destination page is shipping to Qatar.

Home Safe’s tips for shipping cars from Qatar to France

These tips came out of this route in particular, and all of them are carried out before loading day:

• Decide the car’s fate first: returning or staying. Someone who surrenders the plates and then changes their mind imports their own car into Qatar all over again.
• If you are moving residence, do not transfer the car into your name in the last few months and then expect the relief.
• Insure the car for its true value, as insuring for less reduces the payout in the same proportion.
• Avoid having the car arrive in August if it needs clearance and registration, as the offices are all but closed.
• Book the return of a summer car on the day you book its outward trip, as the September spaces are all taken within a fortnight.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Qatar to France?

Every office promises safety and speed. Tell them apart by what the member of staff asks you on the first call, and by what they write in the price:

The sign	What it shows
Asks about the purpose of the shipment before the model	Knows the difference between an exit permit and an export certificate
Names the French port and justifies the choice	The price is worked out to your city, not to any quay
Mentions the duty, the tax and the 846 A certificate	Has a real broker in France
Says plainly where its office is and who collects the car in Qatar	Does not hide from you who actually carries your car
Writes a condition report and offers insurance for the value	Accepts being held to account for what it hands over

Common mistakes when shipping a car from Qatar to France

Seven mistakes recur on this route, and each of them costs time or money:

• Handing in the Qatari plates for a car going for a single summer.
• Obtaining the export certificate before the ship is confirmed, so that it expires with the car still in the yard.
• Landing a Paris-bound car at Marseille-Fos because the sea rate is lower.
• Shipping a car for registration without working out the registration tax and the conformity costs.
• Presenting an invoice with a low value to French customs, so the valuation is redone and the car is delayed.
• Leaving belongings in a car going by RoRo, or undeclared effects in the container.
• Relying on the Qatari insurance policy to drive in France.

Why choose Home Safe as your car shipping company from Qatar to France?

Because we do not claim what we do not have. We tell you that we are a Saudi establishment working in Qatar through agents, we name the port, the method and the paper for you, and we write the price to the front door. We build on our existing line from Saudi Arabia to the same French ports.

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

Related articles and pages

• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France
• Car shipping company from Qatar to Switzerland
• Car shipping company from Qatar to Belgium
• Car shipping company from Qatar to Spain
• Car shipping from Saudi Arabia
• Car shipping from the Gulf states

Tags

car shipping company from Qatar to France, car shipping from Qatar to France, cost of shipping a car from Qatar to France, car shipping from Doha to Paris, car shipping from Doha to Marseille, car shipping from Qatar to Lyon, sea car shipping from Hamad Port to Le Havre, RoRo car shipping from Qatar to France, car container from Qatar to France, classic car shipping from Qatar to France, motorcycle shipping from Qatar to France, air freight for cars from Hamad International Airport to Paris, exporting a car from Qatar to Europe, car customs in France, registering a Gulf car in France, car shipping from France to Qatar

Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Qatar to France

Which is the best car shipping company from Qatar to France?

The one that starts the conversation from Paris rather than from Doha: will the car be registered in France or come back after the summer, which of the two ports is nearer your address, and who lodges its declaration with customs there. Home Safe is a registered establishment that manages this with its agents in Qatar and its partners in France; the follow-up number is 0552803439.

What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Qatar to France?

Sea freight, and within it RoRo or a place in a 40ft container shared by two cars. But cheapness is counted to the front door: a car bound for Paris that lands at Marseille-Fos pays for about 800 km on a road transporter, which wipes out what was saved at sea. Ask for the price to your French city.

How much does it cost to ship a car from Qatar to France?

The price on this route is set on request, because it moves with the shipping line’s rate from Hamad Port, with the French port and with the size of the car. What circulates in the market for sea freight is between USD 1,800 and 2,500 to the port, and from USD 4,500 for air. For comparison, RoRo on our line from Jeddah port starts from SAR 2,800.

How long does a car take from Doha to Paris?

By sea through Le Havre, 32 to 45 days from handover in Doha until it comes off at your address; through Marseille-Fos to the southern cities, 28 to 38 days. By air from Hamad International Airport to Charles de Gaulle, 3 to 6 days. We fix the time against the actual schedule on the day of booking.

Do I give up my Qatari plates if I am only spending the summer in France?

No. A car that will return leaves Qatar on a vehicle exit permit and keeps its plates and registration as they are. The rule in force in the European Union is that a person resident outside it may use a car registered outside it for six months in any twelve without duty or tax, with insurance that covers France.

What customs charges are paid on the car in France?

The rule in force for a passenger car arriving from outside the European Union is customs duty of 10% on its value plus freight and insurance, then value added tax of 20% on the total. Neither is paid by someone entitled to transfer-of-residence relief, nor by someone who brought the car in temporarily and took it out within its period.

Can a Gulf-specification car be registered in France?

Yes, but only once its conformity is shown. A Gulf car does not usually carry a European certificate of conformity, so it goes through individual approval at the competent regional authority, and a change to the lamps and evidence of its emissions level may be required. Then come the roadworthiness test and the registration tax.

What is the difference between landing at Le Havre and at Marseille-Fos?

Marseille-Fos is on the Mediterranean, reached directly by a ship coming out of the Suez Canal, and serves Marseille, Lyon, Nice and Toulouse. Le Havre is on the English Channel; sailing there adds about a week, but it is only 200 km from Paris. We choose it from the delivery address first.

How is a classic car shipped from Qatar to France?

In a private container of its own. It is pushed inside with the engine off, lashed by its tyres with fabric straps, and its details are photographed before the door is sealed. The rule in force in France is that a car over thirty years old that has stayed original is treated as a collector’s item, with no customs duty and a reduced rate of value added tax. Our agent there confirms the classification before shipping.

Do you ship motorcycles from Qatar to France?

Yes. The motorcycle is secured upright on a wooden base with straps on the handlebars and the rear frame, and a crate or wooden box is built around it; it then travels in a shared container or by air. Its fuel is drained to a small amount and its battery disconnected. The duty rate on motorcycles in the European Union differs from that on cars according to engine size, so we confirm it for your model.

Can the car be shipped by air from Hamad International Airport?

Yes. The car is handed over in the cargo area of Hamad International Airport, strapped to an air cargo pallet, and flown to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, then carried on a covered transporter to Paris, or to Lyon with one more day. The time is 3 to 6 days, and the price is set on request once the weight, dimensions and fuel type are known.

Can I put luggage or furniture in with the car?

On RoRo nothing is accepted inside the car except the spare wheel and the tool kit. In a private container, cartons and belongings can be shipped beside the car if they are written into a detailed inventory lodged with French customs and are secured outside the cabin.

My car is financed by a bank in Qatar. Can it leave?

It leaves after the bank agrees, not before. The lien is recorded against the car at the General Directorate of Traffic, so no export certificate is issued for it until the lien is released. For a temporary exit, a no-objection letter from the lender stating the country and the period is normally required.

How do I follow my car from Hamad Port to France?

You get a message from us at every stage: collection of the car, its entry into Hamad Port, the sailing of the ship, its arrival at the French port, the end of clearance, and the transporter appointment. Between messages you can open the shipping line’s website with the container number or the bill of lading number to see where the ship is.

Do you bring the car back from France to Qatar?

Yes. A summer car is collected from your address in France before you travel, and returns by sea from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos or by air from Paris, going back onto its Qatari record if it returns within the period of its permit. A car bought in France enters Qatar as an import, and the rule in force is 5% duty and that a light vehicle be no more than five years old.