Importing a car from Korea to the UAE: 5% duty, 5% VAT and the age limit

How long does a car from Korea take to reach the UAE

The sea leg Pusan — Jebel Ali is 21 days on the published schedule of the direct HMM Korea Middle East Express service. With purchase and preparation in Korea (10–14 days) and clearance at the port (3–7 days), the whole journey is 35–45 days. Container services with transhipment are slower — up to 40 days at sea alone.

What is the import duty on a car from Korea to the UAE in 2026

The duty is 5% of the CIF value and VAT is 5% of value plus duty. Together that is about 10.25% of the customs value, the lightest load of the seven countries. There is no excise on cars in the UAE: the list of excise goods is closed and vehicles are not on it. There is no recycling fee.

• All four rows are level B: the GCC Secretariat's common tariff is not readable in the open, and the rows were read in the UAE's integrated-tariff mirror of it. The list of excise goods was read by description rather than page by page.

Which cars will not get into the UAE

Dubai does not admit cars older than 10 years from the year of manufacture — in 2026 that means model year 2016 and newer. A car 25 years or older may qualify under the collectors' provisions. We have not yet gathered the GCC-spec certification requirements for Korean cars, and for cars from Korea that may matter more than the tax.

• We are still checking the GCC-spec requirements for Korean cars. If this matters to you, ask us and we will check it for your car.

What does it cost to bring a car from Korea to the UAE — examples

The state takes AED 5,195 on a Hyundai Avante 1.6, AED 8,422 on a BMW 420i and AED 16,287 on a Genesis GV80 2.5T. That is the whole tax side: 5% duty plus 5% VAT, and nothing else is charged on bringing a car into the UAE. We price delivery and the broker for this country on request, so there is no turn-key total here.

• We will price this once we have delivery and broker rates for this country. The state charges above are complete and checked against the law.
• The customs value is taken to equal the Encar asking price. Dealer parking and the Korean costs are not included in it. If customs require freight to be included, the duty and the fees go up.
• Clearance goes through an accredited broker at Jebel Ali, and duty and VAT are paid before the car leaves the port. A broker is compulsory; we will choose one for your deal. Clearance needs the original Bill of Lading, the invoice, a passport and a UAE residence visa.

What is the duty on an electric car from Korea to the UAE

There is no discount. All four national lines under code 8703 80 00 00 carry 5%, VAT is the same 5% and there is no excise — the same 10.25% as a petrol car. Heading 8703 80 has no age columns; the only restriction is the general ban on cars older than 10 years.

What do you need from me to start

Full name in Latin letters, passport details, citizenship with address and phone, the delivery city and engine power: without these details we cannot prepare the documents. Clearance at Jebel Ali also needs the original Bill of Lading, the invoice and a UAE residence visa. The port requires them and will not release the car without them.