Car Shipping Company from Qatar to the UK 0552803439 | RoRo & Containers from Hamad Port to Southampton, Air to London

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Qatar to the UK that arranges the move of your car from its parking space in Doha to your address in London, Manchester or Birmingham. The car leaves by sea from Hamad Port on a RoRo vessel or in a container and arrives within 32 to 48 days of collection, or by air from Hamad International Airport within 3 to 6 days. Shipping a saloon by sea from your door in Qatar to the UK port starts from SAR 11,370, about QAR 11,040; a private container and air freight are priced on request. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide46ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Qatar to the UK?
2. Will the UK accept your Qatari car?
3. Services of a car shipping company from Qatar to the UK
4. RoRo car shipping from Hamad Port in Qatar to Southampton
5. Transit time for a car from Qatar to the UK
6. Car shipping prices from Qatar to the UK
7. Collecting cars from Doha and the cities of Qatar
8. RoRo or container: which one for your car?
9. Types of cars we ship from Qatar to the UK
10. Preparing the car before loading in Qatar
11. A summer visit on Qatari plates or a permanent move?
12. Exporting the car from the Qatari traffic department
13. Documents required and what is not shipped
14. UK customs on a car arriving from Qatar
15. The left-hand-drive car from Qatar in the UK: inspection and registration preparation
16. Insuring the car from Qatar until delivery
17. Delivering cars from Qatar in London, Manchester and Birmingham
18. Effects and furniture with the car, and what else we ship
19. Serving individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies
20. Land freight: what part does it play on this route?
21. Air freight for cars from Qatar to the UK
22. Steps for shipping your car from Qatar to the UK
23. Tracking the car and follow-up until delivery
24. Shipping cars from the UK to Qatar
25. Home Safe’s advice before shipping your car from Qatar to the UK
26. Common mistakes when shipping cars from Qatar to the UK
27. How do you choose a car shipping company from Qatar to the UK?
28. Home Safe’s role: why us for shipping your car from Qatar to the UK?
29. Related articles and pages
30. Tags
31. Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Qatar to the UK
32. What is the best way to ship a car from Qatar to the UK?
33. What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Qatar to the UK?
34. How much does it cost to ship a saloon from Qatar to the UK?
35. How long does a car take to get from Doha to London?
36. Is it legal to drive a left-hand-drive car in the UK?
37. Will I pay customs on my car when it enters the UK?
38. What are the Transfer of Residence conditions for a car coming from Qatar?
39. How do I obtain the export certificate and export plates in Qatar?
40. Do I need an export certificate if I am spending the summer in London and coming back?
41. Does a RoRo car go direct from Hamad Port to Southampton?
42. Can I put suitcases or belongings inside the car?
43. My car is financed by a bank in Qatar. Can it be shipped?
44. Do you ship cars by air from Hamad International Airport to London?
45. How do I follow my car after it leaves Qatar?
46. Do you bring the car back from the UK to Qatar after the summer?

Sea route: Doha → Hamad Port → the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea → the Suez Canal → the Mediterranean and Gibraltar → Southampton → your city in the UK · Expected time: 32–48 days by sea, 3–6 days by air.

Who ships a car from Qatar to the UK?

London is the oldest summer destination for the Gulf and the one most crowded with Gulf plates in July and August, so the first customers on this route are Qatari families who want their own car in Knightsbridge or Mayfair for the summer weeks. Next come Britons who worked for years in Doha and went home with a car they bought there, then students and people on scholarships who stay a year or more, then dealers and collectors selling a rare car to a British buyer. Each of them faces a different customs treatment:

The owner	Status of the car in the UK	Usual method	Their paper in Qatar
A family spending the summer in London	Temporary admission on Qatari plates	Air, or sea sent seven weeks ahead of travel	Vehicle exit permit
A Briton returning after working in Doha	Transfer of Residence relief, then registration	RoRo, or a container with household effects	Export certificate and export plates
A dealer or car collector	Import with duty and tax	Private container or air	Export certificate and sales invoice
An embassy or official body	According to its diplomatic status	Container or air	The body’s letter and an official note

Will the UK accept your Qatari car?

In most cases yes, and that is what sets the UK apart from destinations that cap the age of an imported car. No particular model year is required and there is no maximum age, and left-hand drive prevents neither entry nor registration. The real question is not “will it get in” but “in what capacity does it get in”, because the capacity decides whether you pay tax, whether you change anything on the car, and how long it stays. We settle this with you before any booking:

The question	The rule in force	What it means for your decision
Age of the car	No upper limit for import	Age only decides the type of test: under ten years or over
Side of the steering wheel	Left-hand drive is accepted	Headlights, speedometer and fog lamp changed by those who register
Gulf specification	Carries no British type approval	Individual approval test before registration
Duty and tax	10% and 20% for an importer; relief for a mover and a visitor on conditions	On an expensive car the tax can exceed the freight
Emissions in London	A daily charge on a non-compliant car	Matters to the visitor as much as to the resident

A recent, valuable car is worth the journey if its owner is a visitor or a relieved mover. An old, cheap car that would be imported with duty and tax, then modified and tested, may be better sold in Doha and replaced with a similar one over there.

Services of a car shipping company from Qatar to the UK

First we set out how we serve this route. Home Safe is a Saudi establishment registered in Jeddah, and we own no yard and no office in Qatar. Qatari shipments are carried out through partner forwarding and clearing agents of ours in Doha, who handle collection, the export formalities and port handling, while our team manages the booking, the documents and the British partner and follows up with you from one number. On that basis, this is what we arrange for you:

• Inspection before collection: photographs of the body and cabin, the odometer reading, and a condition report signed by both sides.
• A review of the customs status: visitor, mover or importer, and the Qatari and British paperwork each one calls for.
• Transport inside Qatar: a recovery truck from the house or showroom to Hamad Port or the cargo area at Hamad International Airport.
• The sea or air booking: a place on a RoRo vessel, a private or shared container, or a pallet on an aircraft.
• Clearance at both ends: the Qatari export declaration, then the British entry declaration and the notification of the vehicle’s arrival.
• Delivery and registration: a transporter to your city, and guidance to a workshop for the modifications and a test centre for those who register.

The parent service is explained on the car shipping page, and all the Gulf routes on the car shipping from the Gulf states page.

RoRo car shipping from Hamad Port in Qatar to Southampton

Hamad Port lies in the Umm Al Houl area south of Doha, between Al Wakrah and Mesaieed, and it has a terminal dedicated to vehicles alongside its container terminals. At that terminal a port driver takes the car and drives it up the ship’s ramp to the car deck, uncovered, with no wrapping or cover, and its wheels are then lashed to the deck. The ship heads for the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, passes through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, and leaves Gibraltar northwards for the English Channel and Southampton.

Stage	What happens to the car	Approximate time
From your address to Hamad Port	Inspection and photographs, then a truck to the vehicle terminal	1 day
Qatari export	Chassis number matched and the export declaration closed	2–4 days
Sailing to the UK	Direct, or with a change of vessel at an intermediate port	About 22–32 days
Discharge at Southampton	Driven to the port compound and inspected	1 to 2 days
UK customs	Temporary admission, relief or payment	2–5 days
Transport to your city	Car transporter to the address	1 to 3 days

And we say what the advertisements leave out: the RoRo ships that call at Hamad Port on their way to northern Europe are not weekly, and some lines gather Gulf cars at a hub port and then load them on another vessel. Southampton is the British port that most car carriers make for, but the actual port of arrival follows the line’s schedule at the time of booking. If the schedule has no RoRo sailing that fits your date, we offer you a container rather than leave the car waiting in the compound. The method is explained on the RoRo car shipping page.

Transit time for a car from Qatar to the UK

The sea distance from the Arabian Gulf to the south of England is among the longest we serve, as the ship rounds the whole Arabian Peninsula before it enters the Red Sea. That adds roughly a week compared with shipping from a Red Sea port to the same destination. The times below are door to door, and they are estimates that we confirm against the vessel or flight schedule on the day of booking:

Method	Door-to-door time	What governs its date
RoRo to Southampton	32–45 days	The car-carrier schedule from Hamad Port
Private 20ft container	32–44 days	The first container ship after the papers are complete
Shared 40ft container	36–48 days	A second car bound for the same port
Air freight to London or Manchester	3–6 days	The space available on the aircraft

What lengthens the time?

• Shipping lines diverting their vessels to the Cape of Good Hope route instead of the Red Sea, which adds about two weeks.
• The car reaching the UK before the relief approval number is issued, so it stays in the port at the owner’s expense.
• A traffic fine or a lien that shows on the car’s record on the day the traffic paper is requested.

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

Car shipping prices from Qatar to the UK

The price we publish for this route is that of a saloon by sea from your door in Qatar to the UK port, and it starts from SAR 11,370, about QAR 11,040. It covers collection inside Qatar, the export formalities, handling at Hamad Port and the sea freight. It does not cover what is paid in the UK: handling at the port of arrival, the broker’s fee, duty and tax where they are due, and the transporter to your city. The remaining items change with the size of the car, the method and the address, so they are priced for you once you send its details, and the figure reaches you item by item.

The car and how it is shipped	What it covers	Price
Saloon or hatchback by sea	From the door in Qatar to the UK port	Starts from SAR 11,370, about QAR 11,040
4×4 or pickup by sea	Worked out on length, width and height	Set on request
Car in a private 20ft container	Lashing, sealing and shipping to a British container port	Set on request
A place in a shared 40ft container	Half the container freight, with a second car	Set on request
Transport inside the UK	Transporter from the port or airport to the address	Set on request
Air freight for the car	From Hamad International Airport to London or Manchester	Set on request

Prices circulating in the market: what is published about this route is scarce and widely spread. Qatari service guides mention about QAR 12,000 for shipping a car to England door to port, without the arrival paperwork, and between QAR 10,000 and 18,000 for the rest of Europe depending on the scope of service. The range that used to circulate for this route in dollars is USD 2,500 to 3,500 for a small car in a shared container, USD 3,800 to 5,000 for a 4×4 or luxury car in a private container, and for air freight USD 8,000 to 10,500 for an economy car and USD 12,000 to 18,000 for a sports or luxury car. Always ask where the figure ends: at the quay or at your door.

Factor	How it moves the price
Dimensions of the car	RoRo freight is per cubic metre, so a tall, long car pays more
Shipping method	RoRo is lowest, then a shared container, then a private one, with air several times higher
Scope of service	To the port, or to the address with clearance
Delivery city	London is close to the ports and Scotland is the furthest
Season	The outbound peak before summer and the return peak at its end

How do you cut the cost?

• Book the outward and return trips in one order if the car is going for the summer.
• Collect it from the British port yourself if it is insured and cleared, and the transporter item drops out.
• Apply for the relief early: the dearest item on the trip is British port storage for a car waiting for a paper.

The items are broken down on the pricing factors page.

Collecting cars from Doha and the cities of Qatar

The card on the first image says “collection from Doha”, and in practice collection covers the whole of Qatar, since the city furthest from Hamad Port is no more than two hours away by truck. Our agent calls you the day before the appointment, and the driver arrives with the condition report. What differs from one area to another is how the car is brought out of its parking place, not the distance:

Area	Examples	What we watch for at collection
Doha: the towers and the waterfront	West Bay, The Pearl, Msheireb	Underground car parks with limited headroom, so the car is brought up to the street with the management’s permission
Doha: residential districts	Al Sadd, Al Mansoura, Al Dafna, Al Thumama	Collection outside the rush hours
Al Rayyan	Al Gharrafa, Muaither, Al Waab, Education City	Villas and compounds with wide entrances
Lusail and Umm Salal	Lusail Marina, Fox Hills, Al Kharaitiyat	Compound gates that need an entry pass for the truck
Al Wakrah and Mesaieed	Al Wakrah, Al Wukair, Mesaieed	The closest to Hamad Port, and the car can be handed over at the port itself
Al Khor, the north and Dukhan	Al Khor, Al Thakhira, Madinat Al Shamal, Dukhan	An appointment fixed two days ahead

One matter specific to the Qatari market: the rule in force, under a circular from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is that a new car is not exported before a year has passed since its local registration, and the circular is addressed to dealerships and showrooms. If your car is new, we check with you whether it is affected before we book for it.

RoRo or container: which one for your car?

On a route as long as this the difference between the two methods is not only in the price. A RoRo car is driven by one driver at loading and another at discharge, and perhaps a third if it changes vessel. A container car is secured once in Doha, its wheels are chocked and strapped to the floor of the box, and it does not move until the seal is broken in the UK. A private container is yours alone, whereas a shared one is a 40ft container that your car enters with another shipper’s car, the two splitting its freight.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private container	Shared container
Loading	Driven aboard the ship uncovered	Secured by the wheels inside a sealed box	Two cars in one box
A non-running car	Usually not accepted	Accepted and winched in	Accepted
Effects with the car	Not allowed	Possible around the car with a list	Limited
Usual port of arrival	Southampton	Felixstowe, London Gateway or Southampton	As for a private one
Suits	A running family car	Luxury and classic cars, and a mover with effects	Someone willing to wait in order to save

Lashing and dimensions are detailed on the container car shipping page.

Types of cars we ship from Qatar to the UK

The streets of Doha are full of cars rarely seen in the UK: large 4x4s with eight-cylinder engines, and sports cars built to Gulf specification. What we ship and what we point out for each type:

• Saloons and hatchbacks: the easiest types on RoRo and the lowest in freight, and they fit the narrow parking of British homes without trouble.
• Large 4x4s: charged by volume; their width may be too much for the streets and parking of older districts, and they are the most exposed to the emissions charge.
• Luxury and sports cars: a private container or air, loaded on long ramps that protect a low bumper.
• Classic cars: one that is over thirty years old and still in original condition may enter at a reduced tax with no duty, under the rule in force.
• Motorcycles: in a wooden crate or on a fixed base, by sea or by air.

Preparing the car before loading in Qatar

A car that leaves Doha in heat above forty degrees arrives a month later in rain, damp and perhaps frost, and stands between the two climates for weeks without being started. So the preparation here allows for the change of weather as well as for the shipping line’s conditions:

• Wash the car outside and underneath and clear the sand from the wheel arches, as the British port may require a dirty car to be cleaned at your expense.
• Leave about a quarter of a tank, and make sure the coolant and the screenwash can stand the cold.
• Take everything out of the cabin and the boot, including gate cards, electronic toll tags and perfumes.
• Check the battery and the tyre pressures: a flat battery at the British quay means paying for a tow.
• Photograph the car from its four corners, with the roof, the wheels and the odometer, in daylight, and hand over one key while keeping the second.

The full list is in the car shipping guide.

A summer visit on Qatari plates or a permanent move?

Most cars on this route go back. Those are neither exported from Qatar nor imported into the UK; they leave on a permit, enter on temporary admission and return to their record. The rule in force in the UK is that a non-resident may use a car registered in their own country for up to six months in any twelve, in one visit or several, for private use, and may not sell, lend or hire it out there. Someone moving to live there registers the car and goes through the test.

Item	Temporary visit	Move or import
The Qatari paper	Vehicle exit permit, with return within six months or an extension	Export certificate and export plates
Plates in the UK	Qatari; temporary plates may be required if they cannot be read in Latin characters	British, after the test
Duty and tax	Not paid as long as the car is going to leave	Paid, or the mover is relieved on conditions
Modification and test	Not required, apart from adjusting the headlight beam	Modification, then test, then registration
Insurance	A policy covering British roads for the whole visit	A British policy before registration
Who drives it	Its visiting owner	Any insured driver

Three things escape the visitor. First, a car that arrives shipped rather than driven across the border has a temporary admission relief claim lodged with customs on arrival, which the broker prepares. Second, the Qatari insurance policy does not normally cover the UK, so cover is bought there before the car leaves the port. Third, London collects a daily charge on a car that does not meet its emissions standards and a congestion charge in the centre, and a car on a foreign plate is registered with Transport for London before it enters. The customs carnet is explained on the carnet page.

Exporting the car from the Qatari traffic department

The authority is the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior; many of its transactions are completed through the Metrash app and the ministry’s website, and the rest at traffic sections and service centres. The rule in force is also that nobody leaves with a car through any border point before paying their fines. What the table shows is the practice followed, and we confirm which service is available online on the day you apply, because that changes:

Step	For a returning car	For a car exported for good
Fines and dues	Paid before the permit is requested	Paid before the certificate is requested
Bank finance	A no-objection letter from the bank	The lien on the car lifted
The application	A vehicle exit permit in the name of the owner or their proxy	An exported vehicle certificate from the traffic certificates services
Plates	Stay on the car	Removed, and export plates fitted
Insurance required	Valid in Qatar, plus a policy for the destination	Short-term insurance with the export plates
Timing	Some days before shipping	After the sailing date is confirmed, as its validity is short

After the traffic paper, our agent lodges the export declaration with Qatari customs at the port or the airport. Keep a certified copy of the registration card even after the plates are removed, because the UK asks for proof of the date the car was first registered and the date you came to own it.

Documents required and what is not shipped

There is one file, but it is read by four bodies: the Qatari traffic department, Qatari customs, the shipping line and UK customs. The chassis number is the thread that ties them together, so it is matched character by character between the registration card and the bill of lading. Arabic papers are accompanied by an English translation, and the originals travel with you or by courier, not in the glovebox.

Document	Where it comes from	Who needs it
Valid vehicle registration card	Qatari traffic department	Everyone
Qatari ID or residence permit, and passport	The owner	Everyone
Vehicle exit permit	General Directorate of Traffic	The returning visitor
Export certificate	General Directorate of Traffic	The mover and the importer
Transfer of Residence approval number	HM Revenue and Customs	The person moving residence
Purchase invoice or valuation	The seller or a valuer	The importer, and for insurance
Bank letter	The lender	The owner of a financed car
Bill of lading or air waybill	The carrier	Taking delivery of the car on arrival

These are cases that stop loading or delay it until they are dealt with:

Case	What is done about it
Outstanding fines or a lien	The car does not leave Qatar before they are settled
A fuel or oil leak	Repaired before the car enters the port
Weapons, ammunition and self-defence sprays	Prohibited in the UK
Meat, dairy products, plants and soil	Removed, as their entry is restricted
Gas cylinders and pressurised containers	Not shipped with the car by sea or by air

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

UK customs on a car arriving from Qatar

The UK is outside the European Union and has its own tariff. A car arriving from Qatar is treated like any car from abroad, whatever its country of manufacture. The rule in force is that duty is worked out on the value of the car together with its freight and insurance, and value added tax is then worked out on the total. The rates and conditions are reviewed by the British authorities, so we confirm those in force before booking.

Case	The rule in force	What we go through with you
Ordinary import	10% duty, then 20% tax	The value of the car and the invoice, and an approximate amount before shipping
Transfer of residence	Relief from both, with a prior approval number	Twelve months outside the UK, and six months of ownership and use
Temporary visit	No duty and no tax	The car leaving within the six months
Historic car	5% tax with no duty	Over thirty years old and in original condition

After release, the arrival of the vehicle is notified online within 14 days, and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not accept the registration of a car that has not been notified. Anyone who ships before the relief number is issued pays the duty and tax or waits in the port. Our service is detailed on the customs clearance page.

The left-hand-drive car from Qatar in the UK: inspection and registration preparation

Qatar drives on the right and the UK on the left, so your car will be on the “wrong” side of the road with its steering wheel next to the kerb. The law does not object, and thousands of left-hand-drive cars are registered there. But registration passes through three stops in order: modification, then test, then paperwork. The order matters, because a car that goes into the test before it is modified fails and the test fee is paid twice.

Item	State of the Qatari car	Required for registration
Headlights	The dipped beam kicks up to the right	Replaced or adjusted to dip to the left
Speedometer	Kilometres per hour	A reading in miles per hour
Rear fog lamp	Absent or on the left side	In the centre or on the right of the car
Rear indicators	Red on some specifications	Amber, separate from the brake light
Window tint	Dark on the windscreen and the front side windows	Whatever exceeds the permitted limit removed
The test	No British type approval	Individual approval for a car under ten years, and the roadworthiness test for an older one

The cards on the image sum up our part here in three: preparing the car for the test, reviewing the registration papers, and reviewing the import conditions. In practice we send the model and year of manufacture of your car to our British partner before shipping, and they tell us which modifications to expect. After arrival we direct you to a workshop to carry them out and to an approved test centre, and the registration file then goes to the agency with the customs evidence, the test certificate and the insurance. The test itself is carried out by the British authority and the decision is its own.

Insuring the car from Qatar until delivery

People confuse three different policies. The Qatari motor insurance ends when the car leaves Qatar. Cargo insurance covers it from collection to delivery as goods, not as a vehicle. And British road insurance begins when it moves on its own wheels there. The second is our concern, and we write it on the value of the car, not on its weight:

• Why it is needed: the liability of the sea or air carrier is limited to a sum nowhere near the price of a car.
• What it covers: damage in loading and discharge, fire, theft and sinking, and the car’s share of a general average loss if the ship’s master declares one.
• The condition for a claim: a written remark on the delivery report before signing, and the photographs from the day of loading.

The types of policy are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from Qatar in London, Manchester and Birmingham

Most cars on this route are bound for London, then Manchester with its Gulf community and universities, then Birmingham in the Midlands. After release the car is loaded on a British transporter from the port to your address, because a car that is unregistered or uninsured there is not driven on the road. And the driver does not hand over the key until you have walked round the car and compared it with the Doha photographs.

City	Approximate distance from Southampton	Delivery note
London	About 130 km	The central streets are narrow, so the car is unloaded at the nearest spot where the transporter may stop
Birmingham	About 210 km	Delivered within a day of release
Manchester	About 370 km	One to two days; air freight lands at its airport when a flight is available
Liverpool	About 380 km	With the cars for the north-west
Glasgow and Edinburgh	About 700 km	Two to 3 days

The distances are measured from Southampton because it is the RoRo port. A container usually lands at Felixstowe or London Gateway, east of the capital, which shortens the road to London and lengthens it slightly to the west. Ask where you are staying in London about parking before the car arrives. The address service is explained on the door to door page.

Effects and furniture with the car, and what else we ship

Someone moving from Doha to the UK does not ship a car alone. A 40ft container takes the car and the furniture of a flat around it, and all of it goes in under one relief application if its owner is a mover. Furniture is wrapped and numbered, electronic devices are boxed with protection against knocks and damp, and nothing is put inside the car itself. A note: the mains voltage in the two countries is close, between 230 and 240 volts, and the British three-pin plug is the same one that is common in Doha, so your appliances will mostly work there without an adaptor.

For those who need something else: we ship parcels and luggage by air and commercial goods by sea, and we move cars by road between the Arab Gulf states on transporters. Furniture is on the furniture shipping page, and general shipping to the UK in the article on shipping from Saudi Arabia to the UK.

Serving individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies

Individuals are the most numerous customers on the route, but organisations ship more than one car per order and need different paperwork. We arrange what suits each group:

• Individuals and families: an appointment built around your travel date, and one person who answers you from collection to delivery.
• Companies and car showrooms: a contract and an invoice, a schedule of chassis numbers, and a separate condition report for each car.
• Embassies and missions: official correspondence, and the diplomatic privilege requested from the competent British authority before the car arrives.
• Government bodies: a written timetable and stage reports, and a single contact for the whole file.

Land freight: what part does it play on this route?

Its part is inside Qatar only. The car is carried by road on a recovery truck from your home to Hamad Port or the airport, a stage of an hour or two. To the UK there is no land route that we offer: the theoretical path crosses Saudi Arabia and Jordan or Iraq, then Turkey and the whole of Europe to the English Channel, and car transporters run no regular trips on it. Nor do we send a Qatari car by road to a port in another Gulf country to be shipped from there, since crossing an extra border on export papers adds cost and time. The land freight we actually provide is between the Arab Gulf states. The methods are compared on the shipping methods comparison page.

Air freight for cars from Qatar to the UK

Every summer, Gulf cars land in London having arrived by aircraft ahead of their owners or with them. Air cuts a month and a half down to days and keeps the car away from port handling altogether. The car is handed over in the cargo area of Hamad International Airport, driven on to a flat metal pallet and strapped to it by the wheels, and the pallet is then lifted into the hold of a freighter or a wide-body passenger aircraft. It arrives at Heathrow, is cleared at airport customs, and is then carried on an enclosed transporter to the address.

• Who it is for: luxury and urgent cars, and anyone whose holiday is too short to wait for a ship.
• Airports: from Hamad International Airport to Heathrow mainly, and to Manchester when an aircraft that takes the height of the car is available.
• Delivery: to the address in London and Manchester, and to other cities by transporter from the airport.
• Safety conditions: the rule in force is fuel of no more than a quarter of a tank, a secured battery, and a dangerous goods declaration prepared by a specialist.
• Price: set on request by the weight of the car and its size on the pallet; it is several times the sea freight, and summer visitors book both directions together.

The 3 to 6 days include collection, clearance at both airports and delivery. Acceptance of a car on a particular flight depends on the aircraft type and the space available on it, so the car does not leave your home before the booking is confirmed. Our other air services are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping your car from Qatar to the UK

Eight steps, three of which begin before the truck touches your car:

1. Message 0552803439 with the make and model year, a picture of the Qatari registration card, the British city you are heading for and the date you travel.
2. We settle the status with you — visit, move or import — recommend the method, and send the price and the time.
3. The British relief application is made if you are moving, the fines are paid, and the bank letter is prepared if there is finance.
4. The appropriate Qatari traffic paper is requested once the sailing or flight date is confirmed.
5. The agent collects the car from your address with a photographed condition report, and it is taken to Hamad Port or the airport.
6. Once the car is on board and the Qatari export declaration is closed, we send you the tracking reference with a copy of the transport document.
7. It reaches the UK, where the broker lodges the entry declaration and the notification of the vehicle’s arrival.
8. It is carried to your address; you inspect it, sign and take the key, and we arrange the workshop and test appointment if you are registering.

Tracking the car and follow-up until delivery

The journey passes through four parties on three continents, and the question customers keep asking is “where is it now”. We answer it before it is asked, with a message at every change of hands:

• In Qatar: a photograph of the car in the port compound, then the name of the vessel and its sailing date.
• At sea: the position of the ship on the shipping line’s map, and an alert if the car changes vessel.
• In the UK: the discharge date, the status of the customs declaration, and the amount of any charge before it is paid.
• On delivery day: the name and number of the transporter driver and the expected time of arrival.

How follow-up works is on the shipment tracking page.

Shipping cars from the UK to Qatar

In the opposite direction a distinction must be made between a Qatari car going home and a British car being imported. The returning car left on a temporary permit, so it goes back to its record with no duty if it returns within its period. A car bought on the British market faces a basic obstacle: its steering wheel is on the right, and the rule in force in Qatar is that registration is for left-hand drive, with a right-hand-drive or converted car not accepted without prior approval from the traffic department. On top of that, a light vehicle must be no more than five years old from its year of manufacture, customs duty is 5% of the value, and there is a technical inspection before registration. So only a car that was left-hand drive in the first place is suitable for import from the UK, and we check the conditions in force before you buy. The destination page is shipping to Qatar.

Home Safe’s advice before shipping your car from Qatar to the UK

What follows sums up what customers on this route ask about when it is too late, so ask about it beforehand:

• Start from the UK, not from Qatar: find out your customs status there first, then ask for the Qatari paper that matches it.
• Do not take off your Qatari plates if the car is coming back, since returning it to the record after export is a fresh import.
• Buy British road insurance before the car arrives, as few insurers cover a foreign plate with left-hand drive.

Lashing and securing methods are on the packing and lashing page.

Common mistakes when shipping cars from Qatar to the UK

Seven mistakes, each of which cost its owner weeks or a sum they had not allowed for:

• Shipping the car before obtaining the Transfer of Residence approval number.
• Exporting a car that will come back after the summer instead of sending it out on a temporary permit.
• Comparing a price to the port with a price to the door as though they were the same thing.
• Putting the car into the approval test before changing the headlights and the speedometer.
• Lending a temporarily admitted car to a relative who lives in the UK.
• Leaving belongings in a RoRo car and then claiming for them.
• Overrunning the period of the Qatari exit permit without applying to extend it.

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

Test the company by its questions, not its promises. One that gives you a price before asking whether the car is coming back is selling sea freight, not a service. These signs help you sort them:

The sign	What it reveals
Asks about your status in the UK first	Knows that tax and paperwork follow the status
Says who carries out the work in Qatar and who receives in the UK	Does not hide the chain of agents from you
States where its price ends	No surprises at the British quay
Raises the left-hand-drive modifications unprompted	Has shipped cars that were actually registered there
Offers insurance on the value and a condition report	Accepts being held to account for what it hands over
A commercial registration and a written contract	A body with an address where it can be approached

Home Safe’s role: why us for shipping your car from Qatar to the UK?

Our role is to be the single party that brings the Doha agent, the shipping line, the British broker and the transporter together in one file that you follow from your phone. We do not promise you an office in every country, but a network of partners whom we know and hold to account, and a frank answer when your car is not worth the journey.

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 the UK
• Car shipping company from Qatar to France
• Car shipping company from Qatar to Belgium
• Car shipping company from Qatar to Switzerland
• Ports and gateways
• Sea freight

Tags

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Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from Qatar to the UK

What is the best way to ship a car from Qatar to the UK?

The method follows the car and your date. A family car in good running order suits RoRo from Hamad Port, because it carries the lowest freight. A luxury or classic car suits a sealed box that nobody opens before the British port. And anyone who needs the car in London within a week goes through Hamad International Airport.

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

RoRo, then a place in a 40ft container shared with a second car, then a private container, with air the dearest. But compare the total rather than the sea freight alone: handling at the British port, the broker’s fee and the delivery transporter are paid with all three methods, and UK tax, where it is due, is worked out on the value of the car together with its freight.

How much does it cost to ship a saloon from Qatar to the UK?

Shipping a saloon by sea from your door in Qatar to the UK port starts from SAR 11,370, which is about QAR 11,040. The figure does not include UK duties and taxes or transport from the port to your city. A 4×4, a private container and air freight are priced on request once the dimensions of the car are known.

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

By sea, 32 to 48 days from the day it is collected in Qatar to its delivery at your address; the sailing itself is about 22 to 32 days depending on the line and whether the car changes vessel at an intermediate port. By air, 3 to 6 days including clearance at both airports.

Is it legal to drive a left-hand-drive car in the UK?

Yes. Driving a left-hand-drive car is permitted and so is registering one, and nobody asks for the steering to be moved to the right. What is required of someone registering is a change to the dip of the headlight beam, a speedometer that shows miles per hour, and a rear fog lamp in the centre or on the right of the car.

Will I pay customs on my car when it enters the UK?

It depends on your status. The rule in force for an ordinary importer is 10% duty and 20% value added tax on the value of the car and its freight. Someone moving their residence is relieved of both, on conditions, if the relief approval is obtained before the car arrives. A non-resident visitor brings the car in temporarily with no duty or tax if it leaves within its period.

What are the Transfer of Residence conditions for a car coming from Qatar?

The rule in force sets three conditions: you have lived outside the UK for at least twelve consecutive months, you have owned and used the car for six months before your move, and you do not sell, lend or hire it out for twelve months after it enters. The application is made online to HM Revenue and Customs, and it produces an approval number that is written into the shipment papers.

How do I obtain the export certificate and export plates in Qatar?

From the General Directorate of Traffic, through the traffic certificates services on the Ministry of Interior website and the Metrash app or by visiting the traffic section, depending on what is available on the day you apply. Fines are paid and any lien is lifted first, short-term insurance is presented, then the original plates are removed and export plates are fitted. We only request it once the sailing date is confirmed.

Do I need an export certificate if I am spending the summer in London and coming back?

No. A returning car stays on its record and its plates; it needs a vehicle exit permit from the Qatari traffic department, and the rule in force is that it returns within six months or the permit is extended. In the UK it may be used for up to six months in any twelve with no tax and no registration.

Does a RoRo car go direct from Hamad Port to Southampton?

Not always. Car carriers between the Gulf and northern Europe sail infrequently, and some move the car to a second vessel at a hub port on the way. Southampton is the leading vehicle port in the UK, but the line may land the car at another British port according to its schedule. We write the name of the vessel and the port of arrival at the time of booking, not afterwards.

Can I put suitcases or belongings inside the car?

On RoRo nothing is left in the car except its original tool kit and the spare wheel, because it is opened and driven at more than one port. In a private container, cartons and pieces of furniture are shipped around the car, not inside it, on an English packing list that goes in with the relief application.

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

It does not move before the bank agrees. The lien is recorded against the car at the traffic department, so no export certificate is issued until it is lifted by settling the finance. For a temporary exit a no-objection letter from the lender stating the period is normally required.

Do you ship cars by air from Hamad International Airport to London?

Yes. The car is strapped to an air cargo pallet and leaves Hamad International Airport for Heathrow, and for Manchester Airport when a suitable aircraft is available. It is delivered to the address in London and Manchester within 3 to 6 days of collection. The price is set on request according to the weight and size of the car, and it is several times the sea freight.

How do I follow my car after it leaves Qatar?

On RoRo, with the booking number and the name of the vessel on the shipping line’s website; in a container, with the container and seal numbers. We send you a message at every stage: entry to Hamad Port, sailing, the Suez Canal transit, discharge in the UK, customs release, and the transporter appointment.

Do you bring the car back from the UK to Qatar after the summer?

Yes, and summer visitors book both directions together to secure a place at the end of the season. The car is collected from your address in the UK and shipped to Hamad Port or Hamad International Airport. Because it left on a temporary permit it returns to its Qatari record without a fresh import, provided it comes back before the permit period ends.