Car Shipping Company from the UAE to France 0552803439 | RoRo & Container from Jebel Ali to Le Havre & Fos, Air to Paris

If you are looking for a car shipping company from the UAE to France, what you need is usually one of two things: your car with you for the summer holiday and then back home, or your car moving with you to be registered there. Home Safe organises both: by sea from Jebel Ali Port to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos within 30 to 45 days door to door, or by air from the UAE’s airports within 3 to 6 days. Shipping a saloon by sea as far as the French port starts from SAR 5,820, about AED 5,700, and the remaining items are set on request. For bookings and enquiries: 0552803439.

In this guide47ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from the UAE to France?
2. Before the price: in what capacity does your car enter France?
3. What does Home Safe handle, and how does it work from the UAE?
4. Shipping cars by sea from Jebel Ali Port in the UAE to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos
5. Transit time for a car from the UAE to France, and express shipping
6. Price of shipping a car from the UAE to France
7. Collecting cars from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates
8. RoRo or inside a container: how do we match the shipping method to each car?
9. Wrapping luxury and classic cars and preserving their value
10. Types of vehicle we ship from the UAE to France
11. Preparing the car before collection day
12. Summer travellers’ cars from the UAE to France: shipped for the season, then returned
13. The tourism certificate and the export certificate: the two UAE papers
14. Documents for shipping the car to France, and what is not accepted
15. French customs and transfer-of-residence relief
16. Registering a Gulf car in France: conformity, testing and registration tax
17. Insuring the car from the UAE until delivery in France
18. Delivering cars from the UAE in Paris, Cannes and Lyon
19. Temporary storage for the car before shipping or after arrival
20. Shipping cars for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies
21. Is there a land route from the UAE to France?
22. Air freight for cars from the UAE to France
23. Steps for shipping the car from the UAE to France
24. Tracking the car and following it up until delivery
25. Shipping cars from France to the UAE
26. Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to France
27. How do you choose a car shipping company from the UAE to France?
28. Common mistakes when shipping cars from the UAE to France
29. Why Home Safe for shipping your car from the UAE to France?
30. Related articles and pages
31. Tags
32. Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from the UAE to France
33. What sets a car shipping company from the UAE to France apart from a general shipping company?
34. How much does it cost to ship a car from Dubai to France?
35. How many days does the car need to get from Jebel Ali to France?
36. Which should I choose: Le Havre or Marseille-Fos?
37. Do I need an export certificate if the car is coming back after the summer?
38. How long can my UAE car stay in France without customs charges?
39. Do I pay charges on the car if I am moving to live in France?
40. Can a Gulf-specification car be given French plates?
41. Can I ship a car that has bank finance on it?
42. Is it all right to put suitcases in the car?
43. Is air freight for a car available from the UAE to France?
44. Who receives the car in France if it arrives before I do?
45. Do you insure the car at sea?
46. Do you bring the car back from France to the UAE?
47. When should I book to find my car in France at the start of the holiday?

The car’s path by sea: the door of your home in one of the emirates → the Jebel Ali quay → Hormuz, then the Arabian Sea → Bab el-Mandeb and Suez → Fos in the south or Le Havre in the north → your French address · Approximate duration: 30–45 days on the water route, and 3–6 days when flown.

Who ships a car from the UAE to France?

France is one of the European destinations people from the UAE head for most in summer, and it has an Arab and French community that moves between the two countries for work. So this route brings together owners with different needs, each with a shipping method and paperwork of their own. These are the main groups:

Owner	What they usually ship	The method closest to them	The car’s status in France
A family spending the summer in Paris or on the Riviera	A family 4×4 or a luxury car	Private container ahead of travel, or air	Temporary admission on UAE plates
A French or European resident whose work in the UAE has ended	The car they have used for years	Container with the household goods, or RoRo	Transfer-of-residence relief, then registration
A car enthusiast, showroom or auction	A sports car, a classic or a rare edition	Single-car container or air	Temporary display, or sale and import
A company, embassy or government body	Official cars and a small fleet	According to number and date	According to the body’s status

Before the price: in what capacity does your car enter France?

France does not turn a car away for its age or because it is built to Gulf specification. What it does is treat the car according to its owner’s intention. A car that has come in order to go back is asked for neither duty nor conformity. A car that has come to stay is taxed, and then questioned on its conformity with the European standard before it is given plates.

Capacity	What is paid on entry	What is required afterwards	The UAE paper
A visitor returning after the holiday	Nothing, as long as it leaves within its period	Insurance covering France and an air-quality sticker for the cities that require it	Tourism certificate
The car of someone transferring residence	Exempt if the conditions are met	Conformity, roadworthiness test and registration	Export certificate
A car bought by or sold to a resident of France	Duty of 10%, then tax of 20%	Conformity, test and registration tax	Export certificate
A collector’s car more than thirty years old	Reduced duty and tax, by decision of customs	A registration document specific to collector’s cars	Export certificate

What does Home Safe handle, and how does it work from the UAE?

Home Safe is a registered Saudi establishment based in Jeddah. We own neither an office nor a warehouse in the UAE, and we do not claim to. Shipments on this route are carried out on the ground by Emirati freight and clearance agents under contract to us, and received in France by a clearance and transport partner. Managing the file, pricing and follow-up stay with our team, and our number is your point of reference from the first question to the last signature. The work we commit to is divided into these tasks:

• Assessing the car before booking: whether it runs, its dimensions and value, whether it carries fines or a mortgage, and whether its model can be registered in France without difficulty.
• Transport inside the UAE: a flatbed takes the car from your address to the agent’s yard and then to the port or airport.
• Direct or consolidated shipping: a container for your car alone that moves as soon as it is ready, or a place in a shared container or on a RoRo vessel at lower cost.
• Paperwork in both countries: the export declaration in the UAE, and the import declaration or temporary admission file in France.
• Securing and protection: lashing by the tyres, a cover for the paintwork where needed, and a numbered seal on the container.
• Handover: a car transporter runs from the quay or the airport to your street, and you go over the car with the driver before taking the key.

Our car shipping page describes the whole service, while car shipping from the Gulf lists the lines we run out of the neighbouring Gulf countries.

Shipping cars by sea from Jebel Ali Port in the UAE to Le Havre and Marseille-Fos

Jebel Ali Port, south-west of Dubai, is the exit point for most cars leaving the UAE, as it has container terminals linked by direct services to Europe and a quay where car carriers berth. From there the ship heads for the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, enters the Red Sea and passes through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. The first French port on its way is Marseille-Fos, west of Marseille. For anyone bound for the north of France, the ship carries on through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic to Le Havre on the English Channel.

Stage	Place	Approximate time	What happens
Collection	Your address in any emirate	One day	Condition report and photographs, then loading on a flatbed
Preparation and exit papers	The agent’s yard and Jebel Ali customs	3–5 working days	Lashing inside the container or handover to the RoRo quay, and the export declaration
Sailing to Marseille-Fos	The Gulf, then the Red Sea, Suez and the Mediterranean	About 18–24 days	A direct sailing or one change of vessel
Sailing to Le Havre	The same route, then Gibraltar and the Atlantic	About 23–30 days	Longer by sea and shorter by road to Paris
French clearance	The customs office at the arrival port	3–5 working days	Import or temporary admission declaration, and a chassis number check
Final transport	From the port to the city	One to 3 days	Car transporter, then inspection and handover

Containers have regular sailings from Jebel Ali to both ports. RoRo vessels, however, do not all call at France: some discharge at a neighbouring European port, and the car then completes the journey to France on a road transporter. That is why we write the name of the vessel and its port of discharge in your booking confirmation. If the lines divert their route to the Cape of Good Hope, the voyage lengthens by about two weeks. The gateways we ship through are on the ports and gateways page.

Transit time for a car from the UAE to France, and express shipping

Keeping to a date is not achieved by a promise but by a written schedule in which the customer knows the last day to hand over the car, the last day for it to enter the port and the date the ship sails. We send that schedule with the quotation. The fastest sea option is a private container to Marseille-Fos, because it waits for neither another car nor a particular RoRo vessel.

Method	Door to door	When the car moves
Private container to Marseille-Fos	30–35 days	On the nearest sailing once the papers are ready
Private container to Le Havre	35–40 days	On the nearest sailing once the papers are ready
A place in a shared container	35–45 days	When the container is completed by a second car
RoRo vessel	35–45 days	According to the rotation of car carriers to Europe
Air freight to Paris	3–6 days	After the air carrier confirms the space

What lengthens the transit time?

• A traffic fine or unpaid toll charges that show up when the certificate is requested and halt the application.
• The spring months and early summer, when demand crowds the ships bound for the Mediterranean.
• August in France, when offices and transport firms go off on their annual holidays.

The transit times of our other routes are on the transit times page.

Price of shipping a car from the UAE to France

We price in Saudi riyals because we are a Saudi establishment, and we write the equivalent in dirhams beside the headline figure. The price shown below is where our service starts from the door of your home in the UAE to the French port for a running, empty saloon. Everything else we work out car by car, because container rates move and the distance after the port varies. French customs duty and tax are paid to the French treasury at their actual amount, and we write them on a separate line.

Service	Price	Note
Saloon by sea as far as the French port	Starts from SAR 5,820, about AED 5,700	RoRo or a place in a shared container, according to availability
Medium or large 4×4	Set on request	According to length and height with the roof rack
Private 20ft container for one car	Set on request	According to the shipping line’s rate on the booking day
40ft container for two cars or a car and belongings	Set on request	The rate is split between the two cars
Transport from the port to the French city	Set on request	According to distance and type of transporter
Air freight for the car	Set on request	By weight, dimensions and fuel type

Prices quoted in the market: what is published in the UAE market for shipping a car by sea to France is between AED 6,200 and 6,900, in 28 to 37 days, without the destination country’s charges. For shipping cars to Europe in general, figures of AED 5,000 to 7,500 are given for RoRo and AED 8,000 to 12,000 and above for a 20ft container, with a higher band between AED 10,000 and 15,000. Also quoted for this route were AED 8,000 to 12,000 for a small car, 11,000 to 15,000 for a medium 4×4, and 14,000 to 18,000 for luxury and large cars. The gap between these figures comes down mostly to the point at which the price ends: the port, or the door of the house after clearance.

Factor	Its effect on the price
Class of car	Sea freight is charged on volume, so a long 4×4 costs more than a saloon
RoRo or container	RoRo is lower, and a private container adds the hire of the box, loading and lashing
Port of discharge	Marseille-Fos is a shorter sailing, and Le Havre saves a long road leg for anyone bound for Paris
Emirate of collection	Dubai and Sharjah are closer to Jebel Ali than Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain
One way or return	Booking both directions in one order lowers the charge for each

How do you cut the cost?

• Choose RoRo for an ordinary family car, and leave the private container for the car that warrants it.
• Share a 40ft container with a relative or friend bound for the same city.
• Book sea freight early instead of air freight in the last week.

The detail of what goes into any quotation is on the pricing factors page.

Collecting cars from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates

We do not ask you to bring the car to the port. The agent sets an appointment, the driver arrives with a flatbed, and the car is inspected and photographed in front of you; you then sign the condition report and keep your copy.

Emirate	Examples of collection areas	What is taken into account
Dubai	Business Bay, Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches, Nad Al Sheba, Al Quoz, Al Warqa	The closest emirate to the port, where collection is usually possible the day after booking
Abu Dhabi and Al Ain	Al Khalidiyah, Al Bateen, Yas Island, Mohammed Bin Zayed City and the districts of Al Ain	About an hour and a half to Jebel Ali, and the car may leave from Khalifa Port if its schedule suits
Sharjah and Ajman	Al Taawun, Al Qasimia, Al Rahmaniya, Al Nuaimiya	We avoid the rush hours on the road to Dubai
Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah	Al Dhait, Al Marjan Island, Fujairah city, Khor Fakkan	Further from the port, so their inland transport is costed in the quotation

RoRo or inside a container: how do we match the shipping method to each car?

Matching starts with the size of the car. We take its length, width, height and ground clearance, and then decide. A RoRo vessel is a floating multi-storey car park: the car is driven into it uncovered, just as it is, lashed to its deck and driven out again in France. A container is a steel box closed on the car in the UAE and not opened until clearance. In front of and behind its wheels we fix wooden chocks nailed to the floor.

Point of comparison	RoRo	Private container	Shared container
Condition of the car	Must run and be driven	A non-runner is accepted, winched in	Must run in most cases
Belongings	Not allowed	Beside the car and on an inventory	Not allowed, or limited
Departure date	Tied to the RoRo vessel	The most flexible	Waits for the container to fill
Best suited to	Family and economy cars	Luxury, sports and classic cars	Anyone wanting protection at a shared cost

Each option has a page that sets it out in detail: RoRo car shipping, then container car shipping, and anyone after the length, width and height figures will find them under container sizes.

Wrapping luxury and classic cars and preserving their value

The value of a luxury car lies in its paint, leather and wheels, and the value of a classic in the originality of every part. A single scratch on the door of a rare car costs more than the whole shipping charge. So we add layers of protection for these cars, inside and out, before the container is closed:

• Outside: a padded fabric cover that lets air through, and soft guards on the mirrors and the corners of both bumpers.
• Inside: covers for the seats, the steering wheel and the door sills, so that loading leaves no mark on leather or carpet.
• Securing: wide straps that hold the tyres alone, so nothing is pulled against the body or the suspension arms.
• Isolation: a gap and cushions between the car and the walls of the box, and moisture-absorbing bags hung inside it.
• The final check: a full video of the car lashed down and a photograph of the seal number reach you before the container leaves.

An ordinary container does not control its temperature, and a climate-controlled box is a special request we price separately. As for France: the rule in force is that a car more than thirty years old, of a model no longer made and kept in its original state, may be classed as a collector’s item with reduced duty and tax, and the decision rests with customs. All the lashing methods are on the packing and lashing page.

Types of vehicle we ship from the UAE to France

Family, luxury and sports cars make up most of what is shipped on this route, and it is open to others. With each class we look at something different:

Class	The usual method	What we look at
Family car and saloon	RoRo or shared container	Whether its value justifies the shipping cost if it is to be registered there
4×4 and seven-seater	RoRo or high-cube container	Overall height, the roof rack, and engine size in the face of the registration tax
Luxury	Private container or air	The insured value and the suspension system
Sports	Single-car container or air	Ground clearance and the approach angle into the container
Classic	Private container	Papers proving its history and its original condition
Electric and hybrid	Container, or RoRo with the line’s approval	Battery charge level and the carrier’s requirements
Motorcycle	Wooden crate by sea or air	Draining the fuel and disconnecting the battery

Plant and large lorries have the heavy equipment shipping page.

Preparing the car before collection day

A car that reaches the loading yard ready is shipped on the first vessel; one that arrives with a full tank and a boot full of belongings is delayed by a day or two. What we ask for is simple:

• A wash outside and in, as scratches can be neither seen nor recorded on a dusty car.
• Fuel at around a quarter of a tank, which is the condition of the shipping lines and airlines.
• Removal of everything that is not part of the car: the toll tag, the dash cam, perfumes, and child seats unless they are listed.
• One key handed to the driver, the second staying with you along with the original papers.

The rest of what to know before shipping is in the car shipping guide.

Summer travellers’ cars from the UAE to France: shipped for the season, then returned

Many Emirati families spend two or three months between Paris and Cannes, and want the car they know rather than a long hire. Such a car leaves the UAE on a tourism certificate, enters France under temporary admission, stays with you throughout the holiday, and is then returned by us to its file after the summer. The rule in force in the European Union is that a private means of transport registered outside it, in the name of a person living outside it, may be used there for personal purposes for up to six months free of duty and tax. We go through the temporary admission conditions with you item by item before the car moves:

Item	The rule in force	What we do
Who is entitled	A person whose normal residence is outside the European Union, with the car in their name or an authorisation from its owner	We match the registration to the ID and passport
Use	Personal, so the car is not sold, hired out or handed to a resident of Europe	We write that in the quotation so that no one is caught out
Period	Up to six months, and the tourism certificate in Dubai runs for six months	We book the return before the earlier of the two dates
Declaration on arrival	For a car arriving as freight, the port’s customs office decides the form of declaration	Our partner submits the file, and a customs carnet or a guarantee may be required
Insurance	A policy covering third-party liability in France, or temporary frontier insurance	We arrange it before the car leaves the port
Air-quality sticker	Required in Paris, Lyon and other cities, and it applies to foreign cars	We guide you through applying for it before arrival

The return is part of the booking, not a later service. Before your stay ends we collect the car from your French address, and our partner proves its exit to customs so that the temporary admission file is closed; it then sails from Marseille-Fos or Le Havre, or flies from Paris. In the UAE the return-from-tourism certificate is submitted, and the car goes back to its traffic file with no import charges. The customs carnet is issued in the UAE by the automobile club, and it is explained on the triptik carnet page. We confirm the conditions in force before shipping.

The tourism certificate and the export certificate: the two UAE papers

In the UAE no car leaves a port or an airport without one of two papers, and both are issued by the vehicle licensing authority of the emirate where the car was registered. In Dubai that is the Roads and Transport Authority, and Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates have their own. The table sums up the practice in force; channels and fees change, so we check what applies in your emirate when you book:

Item	Tourism certificate	Export certificate
For	A car that travels and returns	A car leaving for good
Plates	Stay on the car	Handed in, and export plates issued
Fines	Paid before applying	Paid before applying, along with toll and parking charges
Financed car	No-objection letter from the bank	Mortgage release letter after settlement
Insurance	The current policy, then insurance in France	Short-term export insurance requested with the certificate
On return	Return-from-tourism certificate	No return except by a fresh import

Export insurance in Dubai lasts only a few days, so we apply for the certificate after the sailing date is fixed, not before. Once the paper is issued, the agent lodges the export declaration with customs at Jebel Ali or the airport.

Documents for shipping the car to France, and what is not accepted

A mistake in a single paper holds the car at the port for days at a daily storage charge. That is why we check photographs of the documents before we send the flatbed. The originals stay with you or go by courier to our partner in France, and are not put in the car.

Document	Where from	Why it is required
Vehicle registration card	The licensing authority in the emirate	The basis of booking, clearance and later registration
Tourism or export certificate	The licensing authority in the emirate	A condition of leaving the UAE
Passport and Emirates ID	The owner	Matching the owner’s name on every declaration
Purchase invoice or valuation	The dealership, the showroom or an approved valuer	Setting the value for customs and insurance
Bank letter	The finance provider	No objection, or mortgage release
Proof of the move to France	Employment or tenancy contract, or a change-of-residence certificate	To apply for relief, with a signed inventory
Bill of lading or air waybill	The shipping line or the air carrier	To release the car on arrival

And these are things a car is not shipped with:

What is not accepted	The reason and the remedy
A car under seizure, with fines or with a mortgage in place	No exit paper is issued for it, so these are settled first
A visible fuel or oil leak	The carrier refuses it, and it is repaired before loading
Gas cylinders, spare fuel or flammable materials	Dangerous goods that are taken out of the car
Weapons, ammunition and fireworks	Strictly prohibited
A radar detector	Having it in the car is an offence in France, so it is removed

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

French customs and transfer-of-residence relief

A UAE car that enters France to stay is, in the eyes of customs, goods from outside the European Union. Our partner lodges the import declaration at Le Havre, Marseille-Fos or the arrival airport. Duty is calculated on the value of the car together with its freight and insurance, and tax is calculated on the result. Once the amount is paid or the relief accepted, the customs certificate for the vehicle is issued, and without it the registration file cannot be opened.

Item	The rule in force	Clarification
Customs duty	10% for passenger cars	On the value with freight and insurance
Value added tax	20%	On the value after adding the duty
A visitor’s car	No duty and no tax as long as it will leave	Temporary admission on its conditions
The car of someone transferring residence	Relief from duty and tax	On the conditions set out below

An example in figures: a car worth AED 150,000 with freight bears duty of AED 15,000, then tax of AED 33,000 on 165,000, making a total of AED 48,000 paid in its euro equivalent. That is before the registration tax. Someone moving their home to France avoids this sum if they meet the following:

• Previous residence outside the Union: at least twelve months before the move, proved by the UAE residence visa and an employment contract or housing bills.
• A car genuinely in use: in their name and in their use for at least six months, the registration date being the evidence.
• Time limit: the rule in force is that the car arrives and is cleared within twelve months of the date of the move.
• One-year restriction: no sale, hire, loan or pledge within twelve months of its entry.
• A single owner: if the car is shipped with the household furniture in one container, the owner must be the same.

These are rates and conditions in force that are reviewed, so we confirm what applies before loading. The clearance service is explained on the customs clearance page, and anyone shipping furniture with the car will find the details on the furniture shipping page.

Registering a Gulf car in France: conformity, testing and registration tax

UAE cars have the steering wheel on the left and a speedometer in kilometres, which matches France. But they were built for the Gulf market, not the European one, so as a rule they do not carry the certificate of conformity that French registration asks for. Customs clearance is half the journey; registration is handled by the owner or a specialist firm there, and we tell you what awaits your model:

Stage	What is required	What it helps to bring from the UAE
Conformity	The maker’s EU conformity certificate where your model was ever given one; failing that, a one-off approval granted by the regional body in charge	The owner’s handbook, the chassis number and the manufacturer’s data
Possible modifications	Headlights of the European pattern, a rear fog lamp, proof of exhaust and noise values, and removal of dark front tinting	The service record from the dealership
Roadworthiness test	A recent report for a car more than four years old	Tyres, brakes and exhaust in sound condition
Registration tax	A regional charge according to the engine’s fiscal horsepower, and a tax on emissions and weight that falls with the car’s age	The date of first registration as shown on the registration card
Registration document	An online application, with temporary plates until the permanent ones are issued	A certified translation of the registration card and the export certificate

What many people miss is the emissions tax. The eight-cylinder engines common in the UAE may attract a registration tax greater than the shipping charge and the customs duty put together if the car is recent. So ask for an estimate for your model first.

Insuring the car from the UAE until delivery in France

UAE motor insurance was designed for road accidents, and it does not operate while the car is lashed in a container in the middle of the sea. The shipping line limits its liability in the bill of lading to a small sum. Anyone wanting protection for the value of their car asks for cargo insurance with the booking:

• Start and end of cover: from signing the collection report in the UAE to signing the delivery report in France.
• What it includes: total loss and partial damage caused by a transport accident, fire, a fall during handling or heavy seas, according to the type of policy.
• Premium: the figure quoted is between 1% and 3% of the insured value, and the actual rate is written in the quotation.
• In case of damage: the remark is written on the delivery report before signing, photographs are taken at once, and we file the claim for you.

The types of policy are on the cargo insurance page.

Delivering cars from the UAE in Paris, Cannes and Lyon

Delivery to the home or the workplace is the last link, and it is where planning shows its worth. A car leaving Marseille-Fos heads east to Cannes and Nice, or north up the Rhône valley to Lyon. One leaving Le Havre reaches Paris in hours. For each car we choose the port that shortens its road leg. An imported car is not driven before it is registered, so it is carried to the address. A summer traveller’s car is collected by its owner at the port if they wish, or we deliver it to their hotel or home.

City	The most suitable port	Approximate distance	Delivery note
Paris and its suburbs	Le Havre	About 200 km	The central streets are narrow, so we agree an unloading point with room for the transporter
Cannes	Marseille-Fos	About 220 km	In the summer season the appointment is coordinated with the hotel or the building’s management
Lyon	Marseille-Fos	About 300 km	On the Rhône axis, delivered the day it leaves the port or the next
Nice	Marseille-Fos	About 250 km	Garages in seafront buildings have low ceilings, so the car is unloaded in the street
Marseille	Marseille-Fos	About 50 km	Collection from the port yard itself is possible
Bordeaux	Either port	About 630–650 km	The furthest of the six cities, and two days are allowed for it

We also deliver to Lille, Strasbourg, Nantes, Montpellier and Monaco next to Nice by prior arrangement. The delivery appointment is notified at least a day ahead, and it can be changed before the transporter is loaded. The key is handed over after the inspection: you walk round the car with the driver, the UAE report in your hand, check the scratches and the odometer reading, and then sign. The service is explained on the door to door page, and the destination details on the shipping to France page.

Temporary storage for the car before shipping or after arrival

Sometimes the owner travels before the sailing date, or the car reaches France before they do. In both cases the car is kept in a closed, monitored yard with our agent in the UAE or our partner in France, for as long as you need. The storage fee is written in the quotation by the day or the week, so it surprises no one. The storage service in general is on the storage page.

Shipping cars for individuals, companies, embassies and government bodies

An individual’s order is one car and one date. An institution’s order is different: official correspondence, invoices in specific names, and sometimes several cars a year. Each has its own arrangement:

• Individuals: one clear quotation, a collection date that suits the family’s travel, and updates on WhatsApp.
• Companies and car showrooms: a schedule of chassis numbers, volume pricing, and an annual agreement for those who ship regularly.
• Embassies and consulates: a diplomatic car enters France under an exemption requested from the competent French authority before it arrives, and we prepare its file with the mission.
• Government bodies: adherence to the body’s forms and letters, and a written report at every handover and receipt.

Company shipments other than cars are on the commercial shipping page.

Is there a land route from the UAE to France?

In theory yes, and in practice we do not ship on it. The road crosses Saudi Arabia, then Jordan or Iraq, then Turkey and the Balkans, with insurance and transit declarations for every country, and no car transporters run on it to fixed dates. The sea is cheaper and more dependable, and the air far quicker. Anyone wanting a middle course sends the car by sea and brings it back by air. The full comparison is on the shipping methods comparison page, and our sea services on the sea freight page.

Air freight for cars from the UAE to France

When time is worth more than the difference in price, the car flies. The UAE’s airports are global cargo hubs, with daily flights between them and Paris, some of them on dedicated freighters. The car is handed over in the cargo area at Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum Airport or Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. There it is secured by its wheels on an air cargo pallet and lifted into the aircraft. At Charles de Gaulle Airport it is cleared, then delivered in Paris or carried on a covered transporter to Cannes.

• For whom: luxury and urgent cars, and a car with a date at a show, a race or an auction.
• Transit time: 3–6 days from collection to delivery in Paris, and one to two days more to Cannes.
• Aviation requirements: the car is classed as dangerous goods because of its fuel and battery, so a declaration prepared by a certified specialist goes with it.
• Preparation: little fuel, no more than a quarter of a tank, no leaks, and the alarm disabled. Electric and hybrid cars have conditions set by the carrier.
• Price: set on request, charged on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater, and several times the sea rate.

Nice airport, close to Cannes, and the Lyon air route are served by passenger flights depending on the season and the carrier, and acceptance of a car on them depends on the aircraft type. So we fix the flight first and then set the collection date. Volumetric weight is worked out on the volumetric weight calculator page, and the other air services are on the air freight page.

Steps for shipping the car from the UAE to France

From the first message to the handover of the key there are eight steps, and at each one you know what is required of you and what is required of us:

1. You message us on 0552803439 with the make and model of the car and a photograph of its registration card, your emirate, your city in France, and whether the car is returning or staying.
2. We review the car’s position with French customs and send a quotation with the method, the port, the transit time and the items.
3. You confirm the booking, and we reserve the space on the ship or aircraft and send the schedule of dates.
4. You pay the fines, the tourism or export certificate is obtained, and the bank letter is brought if needed.
5. The agent collects the car from your address with a condition report and photographs.
6. The car is loaded and the exit papers lodged, and the container or waybill number reaches you.
7. The car arrives at Le Havre, Marseille-Fos or Paris, and our partner submits the customs file.
8. It is carried to your address; you inspect it, sign, and receive the key and the papers.

Tracking the car and following it up until delivery

We do not promise you a dedicated app or a live map. What we provide is three things. The first is the container or waybill number, which you enter on the website of the shipping line or the air carrier to see the latest movement. The second is the name of the vessel, whose position is available on ship-tracking websites. The third is our WhatsApp messages at each stage:

• When the car enters Jebel Ali Port or the airport and its papers are stamped.
• When the ship sails, with the expected arrival date.
• On berthing in France and the start of clearance.
• When the car is loaded on the transporter, with the approximate delivery time.

Anyone asking outside these stages gets an answer during working hours, from 7 am to 11 pm. The tracking method is on the shipment tracking page.

Shipping cars from France to the UAE

We serve the opposite direction with the same partners. A summer traveller’s car on its way back needs no more than the return-from-tourism certificate. A car bought in France is struck off the French register, an export declaration is lodged for it, and it is shipped from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos to Jebel Ali. The rule in force in the UAE is customs duty of 5% on the value with freight and insurance, value added tax of 5%, and then a technical inspection before registration. It is said that some emirates do not register a used car more than ten years old unless it is a classic. We check that for your model before you buy. The destination page: shipping to the UAE.

Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to France

This is the gist of what we have learnt from customers’ questions on this route, and we say it before booking, not after:

• Settle first whether the car is returning, and do not ask the licensing authority for any certificate before that.
• Choose the port of discharge by your city, not by the nearest sailing.
• Apply for the air-quality sticker before you travel if you are bound for Paris or Lyon.
• Check the chassis number and the owner’s name on every paper before handing it over.
• Book the space on the ship well ahead of the summer season.

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

Quotations on this route look alike in their words and differ in their substance. Do not judge by the first price; look at these signs:

Sign	What it indicates
It asks whether the car is returning before it mentions a price	It knows that paperwork and taxes follow from the answer
It names the port of discharge and ties it to your city	It has costed the road leg inside France
It separates its charge from French duty and tax	It will not surprise you with a second bill on arrival
It talks to you about conformity and registration tax if you are importing	It knows what comes after the port, not just the sea
It gives you a condition report and photographs on collection day	It accepts being asked about any damage
It states its commercial registration and who acts for it in the UAE and France	It is open about how it works

Common mistakes when shipping cars from the UAE to France

Seven mistakes we see repeated, and avoiding them costs nothing:

• Deregistering and exporting the car for the sake of a three-month holiday.
• Bringing the car in temporarily and then offering it for sale in France, so that the charges fall due with a penalty.
• Going past the six months without taking the car out or regularising its position.
• Landing a car bound for Cannes at Le Havre because its ship has an earlier date.
• Exporting a recent car with a large engine without working out the French registration tax.
• Filling the car with suitcases on a RoRo vessel.
• Accepting a quotation that ends at the quayside as though it ran to the door.

Why Home Safe for shipping your car from the UAE to France?

We do not promise you what we do not have. We say what we do: we manage the file from Jeddah, we work through agents we know in the UAE and France, we write the price and the transit time before you pay, and we answer you after delivery.

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

Related articles and pages

• Car shipping company from Saudi Arabia to France
• Car shipping company from the UAE to Switzerland
• Car shipping company from the UAE to the UK
• Car shipping company from Kuwait to France
• Car shipping company from Qatar to France
• Shipping from Saudi Arabia to France

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Frequently asked questions about shipping cars from the UAE to France

What sets a car shipping company from the UAE to France apart from a general shipping company?

It knows the difference between a car going for the summer and a car going to be registered in France, and it asks you which before it prices. Home Safe is a registered Saudi establishment that runs the route through agents in the UAE and partners in France, and its number is 0552803439.

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

Shipping a saloon by sea from your address in the UAE as far as the French port starts from SAR 5,820, about AED 5,700. A 4×4, a private container, transport from the port to your city and air freight are set on request. French duty and tax are not part of the shipping charge.

How many days does the car need to get from Jebel Ali to France?

By sea, between 30 and 45 days from the door of your home in the UAE to your French address. Landing at Marseille-Fos is about five days shorter than landing at Le Havre. By air, between 3 and 6 days including clearance at both airports.

Which should I choose: Le Havre or Marseille-Fos?

The city decides. Le Havre is about 200 km from Paris, so it is for cars bound for the capital and the north. Marseille-Fos is on the Mediterranean, so it is for cars bound for Cannes, Nice, Marseille and Lyon.

Do I need an export certificate if the car is coming back after the summer?

No. A returning car leaves on a vehicle tourism certificate, so its plates and registration stay as they are. The export certificate is for someone leaving with the car for good; with it the plates are handed in and the car’s file in the emirate is closed.

How long can my UAE car stay in France without customs charges?

The rule in force in the European Union is that a private car registered outside it, in the name of a person living outside it, may be used there for up to six months free of duty and tax. The tourism certificate in Dubai also runs for six months in practice. We work out the exit date with you and book the return before it.

Do I pay charges on the car if I am moving to live in France?

A car imported for good bears duty of 10% and then value added tax of 20%. Someone moving their normal residence after at least a year outside the European Union applies for relief, provided they have owned and used the car for at least six months. We confirm the conditions in force before shipping.

Can a Gulf-specification car be given French plates?

Yes, once conformity is shown. If its model has no European certificate of conformity from the manufacturer, it goes through individual approval with the competent regional authority, and lighting changes and proof of emissions may be required. Then come the roadworthiness test and the registration tax, calculated on emissions and weight.

Can I ship a car that has bank finance on it?

For temporary travel it is enough for the bank to agree with a no-objection letter attached to the tourism certificate application. For a final export the finance must be settled and the mortgage release letter received first, as no export certificate is issued for a mortgaged car.

Is it all right to put suitcases in the car?

On a RoRo vessel nothing is accepted in the car except its tool kit and spare wheel. In a private container, suitcases and cartons are shipped beside the car, not inside it, after being entered on an inventory submitted to French customs.

Is air freight for a car available from the UAE to France?

It is available from Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum Airport and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi. The car arrives at Charles de Gaulle Airport and is delivered in Paris, or continues on a covered transporter to Cannes. The time is 3 to 6 days, and the price is set on request.

Who receives the car in France if it arrives before I do?

A person you name and authorise in writing, holding a copy of your passport. If you have no one there, the car stays in a closed yard with our partner for a storage fee written into the quotation.

Do you insure the car at sea?

We offer cargo insurance for the value of the car that we agree, from the hour of collection in the UAE to the hour of delivery in France. The figure quoted for its premium is between 1% and 3% of the value depending on the cover, and we write the actual rate in the quotation.

Do you bring the car back from France to the UAE?

Yes. We collect it from your French address before the temporary admission period ends, prove its exit to customs, and it returns by sea or air to its file in the UAE without a fresh import.

When should I book to find my car in France at the start of the holiday?

For sea freight, about ten weeks before you travel, because space on the ships tightens in spring with so many summer travellers’ cars. For air freight, two to three weeks ahead.