Dubai to US Vehicle Import Checklist
Here’s a rough breakdown of the process you’ll need to go through to import your vehicle to the United States.
Determine your vehicle’s eligibility for import to the US, or determine the need to modify the vehicle to meet US standards (if your nonconforming vehicle is eligible for modification and import)
File form HS-7 and form 3520-1 or contract with a DOT-registered importer to modify the vehicle and certify that it conforms to all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Emissions Standards
Understand the costs of importing a vehicle, including:
• Freight and insurance charges when shipping your vehicle
• Wharf, transport, storage and delivery charges after your vehicle arrives
• Duties, taxes and fees, including the gas-guzzler tax
• Cleaning the undercarriage of foreign soil
• Registration and insurance requirements in the relevant US state or territory
• Other charges such as import processing, customs brokers’, and logistics service provider charges
Select an international car import company and preferred shipping method to transport your vehicle from Dubai to the United States
Determine your vehicle’s departure and destination ports
Confirm the vehicle’s undercarriage is clean and free of foreign soil
If you wish to register your vehicle for road use in the United States, your vehicle should bear the International Registration Marker or, if you are a US resident, you will need to register your vehicle with the DMV in your state of residence
More information on the process of importing a vehicle to the United States can be found here.
