Import desk
Importing classics, handled like the cars deserve
The car you want often lives on the wrong continent: the honest 964 is in Stuttgart, the FJ40 in Arizona, the E-Type in the Cotswolds. Getting it home is a project of straps, stamps and rules that differ sharply between Dubai, Riyadh, Doha and Cape Town, and getting any of it wrong costs real money.
We run that project end to end: from pre-purchase inspection abroad to the day the car wears local plates.
The rules, country by country, honestly
The four markets treat old cars very differently, and some widely-repeated 'rules' do not survive contact with the actual regulators. Our country pages carry the detail; the short version:
| Country | Age rules | Duty & VAT reality |
|---|---|---|
| UAE | 30-year classics: special Classic plates via RTA (verified) | 5% duty + 5% VAT |
| Saudi Arabia | 5-year cap on used imports; the cited 30-year classic exemption is NOT confirmed in official texts | confirm with ZATCA before shipping |
| Qatar | age exemption genuinely unresolved between sources | 5% duty, no VAT |
| South Africa | 40-year permit eligibility via ITAC (verified) | combined rate conflicts between sources: confirmed per car with SARS |
Prefer to just ask? Send a short message, we reply the same day.
Get an import quoteHow your car travels
- Enclosed container is the default for anything valuable: strapped at four corners, humidity-managed, nothing touches the paint.
- RoRo exists and is cheaper, and for most collector cars we advise against it: exposure, handling and no second chances.
- Air freight for the exceptional cases where weeks matter more than money.
The honest comparison, with when each makes sense, is in the shipping guide. Marine insurance is arranged per shipment, valued properly, not at customs-form fiction.
The process, end to end
- Pre-purchase inspection at origin by a marque specialist, before money moves.
- Purchase support and escrow if you are buying through us abroad.
- Collection by enclosed transporter to port, export formalities at origin.
- Container loading supervised, straps and corner protection photographed.
- Customs clearance at destination through licensed brokers, duty and VAT calculated before sailing, not discovered after.
- Registration, inspection and plates: RTA Classic plates in Dubai, ITAC permit route in South Africa, and the honest path in Riyadh and Doha per current rules.
One WhatsApp thread carries the whole journey, with photos at every stage.
What it costs
Sourced figures only, and few of them are flat: duty and VAT follow the car's declared value and the country's rules above, shipping follows route and season. What we promise: the full landed-cost math in writing before anything sails, and no surprise line items after. Ballparks for planning are quoted per car and route on WhatsApp within a day.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive a 30-year-old classic daily in Dubai?
The RTA Classic plate scheme is built for collector use and carries its own conditions; many owners keep classics as weekend cars. We walk you through the current terms before you commit to a car that does not fit your plans.
Is the Saudi 30-year classic exemption real?
It is widely cited by shipping brokers and not confirmed in any official text we or our partners have found. We treat it as unverified, plan the import on the rules that are confirmed, and check the current position with ZATCA per car.
Do you handle left-hand vs right-hand drive issues?
Yes, and they matter: South Africa is RHD country with its own rules on what may register, the Gulf runs LHD. We flag drive-side reality before you fall for the wrong-side car.
What if the car fails inspection at destination?
That is why the inspection happens at origin, before purchase and before shipping. Cars this desk moves have already passed the scrutiny that matters.
Tell us the car and the route
What it is, where it sits, where it should live. Landed-cost math comes back the same day.
Get an import quote