Shipping a car from Egypt usually means one of two things. You are moving back to the UK with a car you have used out there, or you took a British car to Egypt and now need it home. Either way, the worry tends to be the Egyptian end. It needs doing in the right order, and after that the job is a standard left-hand drive import or a returning UK car.
This guide covers the route from Alexandria, the paperwork, the work at our end and the tax.
- Port
- Alexandria
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,575
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Steering
- Left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Shipping from Alexandria
Our route from Egypt runs from the Port of Alexandria, on the northern Mediterranean coast west of the Nile Delta. It is controlled by the Alexandria Port Authority. Its Western Harbour includes a RoRo and passenger terminal, and a separate port at El-Dekheila handles container shipping. There is more on our Alexandria port page.
We collect from your address or dealer in Egypt and truck the car to the port. Depending on its value, we quote for open or enclosed transport to the docks. If you want enclosed, say so on the quote form.
Container or RoRo
Cars from Egypt travel in a shared container, a dedicated container or by RoRo. In a shared container your car goes in with other customers' cars, so you share the cost. A dedicated container is yours alone, which suits a valuable car or a move with belongings. RoRo means the car is driven on and off the ship, so it has to run.
In a container the car is sealed in for the voyage and unloaded at our yard by our own team. Our guide to container, RoRo or air compares the three.
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing. Your normal car insurance will not cover the car at sea, so we recommend our marine insurance, which covers it up to its full value if it is damaged or lost in transit.
The Egyptian paperwork
An Egyptian-registered car has to be cleared for export and its registration dealt with before it sails. The steps vary with the car and your circumstances, so we confirm exactly what applies when we quote rather than guess here.
A foreign car in Egypt is a different case. UK government travel advice says you may not be allowed to import a vehicle into Egypt at all, and a car brought in temporarily needs a carnet de passage from the Automobile Association. If your car went in on a carnet, tell us when you ask for a quote, because the paperwork on its way out matters as much as the shipping.
Your Egypt paperwork
0 of 6 done
Our list of documents to ship a car to the UK explains what each one is for at this end.
From Alexandria to your drive
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Before it sails
Collection and export
We collect the car, take it to Alexandria and get it loaded, by container or RoRo.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car crosses the Mediterranean and heads north to the UK.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
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At our site
Changes and testing
Our team makes the changes the car needs and tests it on our own IVA or MOT lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your UK plates.
Left-hand drive changes
Egypt drives on the right, so cars bought there are left-hand drive. They are legal to drive here once registered, after a few changes:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced so they dip for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph, on cars under 10 years old
- A rear fog light, where the car does not have a suitable one
Our guides to left-hand drive cars in the UK and speedometer and headlight conversions cover the detail. A British car coming home usually needs none of this.
Testing and registration
A car under 10 years old takes an IVA test. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, with similar changes made first. A car over 40 years old needs no MOT, so it can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly. The car is changed and tested on the same site, then registered through our dealer-level DVLA account. The IVA test explained guide covers the test.
Import tax from Egypt
Egypt is outside the EU, so a car bought there normally pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the transport, with VAT on top of the duty. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can make it tax and duty free, with HMRC approval before the car arrives.
A car that was registered in the UK before may come back tax free, with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C. That can apply to a British car that went out to Egypt and is now coming home. Our guide to bringing a UK car back home explains it.
Talk to us before the car moves. Whether it is an Egyptian car or a British one on a carnet, the cheapest time to sort the paperwork is before the car reaches the port. Our guide to moving to the UK with your car covers the wider move.
What it costs
Egypt falls under our rest-of-world guide. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping starts from around £3,575. That is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work. Your quote prices your actual car and route.
See our shipping costs page for how the figures are built, or the Egypt country page.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Egypt to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing. Customs, changes and testing follow, and registration is within 10 working days once the car has passed.
Which port do cars ship from in Egypt?
Our route runs from the Port of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast, which has a RoRo terminal in its Western Harbour and a container port at El-Dekheila.
Can I ship my British car home from Egypt?
Yes. If it went into Egypt on a carnet de passage, tell us when you ask for a quote. A car registered in the UK before may also return tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Egypt to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the rest of the world starts from around £3,575. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Do I pay import tax on a car from Egypt?
Usually 20% import VAT and 10% duty. A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty, and Transfer of Residence can make it tax free if you are moving to the UK.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Egypt to your drive.
