To ship a Copart or IAA car to the UAE, have it moved from the auction yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Newark, Houston, Savannah or Los Angeles, then by container to Jebel Ali in Dubai. The UAE accepts most US collision-damage salvage cars, but refuses registration for fire, flood, non-repairable and parts-only titles. Many cars are repaired in the UAE or re-exported to other countries in the region.
How do you ship a Copart or IAA car to the UAE?
- Check the import rules first. Age limits and damage rules decide which cars you can bring in. See the rules below.
- Get the US transport price before you bid. Enter the lot number in our calculator and choose the warehouse your shipping agent uses.
- Win, pay and book transport the same day. This keeps auction storage low. We collect the car from the yard and deliver it to your shipping agent's warehouse.
- Your shipping agent loads and files. They load the car into a container, file the export information (AES) and present the title to US customs at least 72 hours before sailing.
- Ocean shipping and arrival. The ship sails to Jebel Ali, UAE, where your clearing agent handles customs.
DispatchAuction handles step 3: the trip from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to the US warehouse. Your shipping agent handles the ocean part.
Which US port should you ship to the UAE from?
Cars for the UAE commonly leave from Newark, NJ, Houston, TX, Savannah, GA, Los Angeles, CA. The best choice is the port your shipping agent loads from with the best rate and sailing schedule, weighed against how far the auction yard is from it. Every extra mile on the truck in the US costs money, so a car bought in Texas usually goes out of Houston, and a car bought in the Northeast out of Newark.
Newark warehouses is selected. Enter the lot number, or choose your agent's warehouse.
What are the import rules for the UAE?
- Refused title brands for registration: fire damage, flood or water damage, non-repairable, dismantled and parts only. Check the title type on the auction listing, not just the photos.
- Allowed: most other salvage titles (typical collision damage), cars for re-export, and salvage cars imported by businesses for parts.
- Import license: the VIN is checked online and a vehicle import license is issued for registration, re-export or parts. Many shipping agents ask for it before loading a salvage car.
- Age: age limits apply to registering older cars. Confirm the current rule for the car you want with your agent.
Checked November 2026. Import rules change often, and the sources below are shipping companies and news reports, not government notices. Confirm with your clearing agent in the UAE before you bid. Sources: WCS (UAE salvage rules), automarket.ae (2026)
Container or RoRo, and how long does it take?
Salvage cars go to the UAE by container, usually three or four to a 40 ft box. RoRo needs cars that can start, steer and brake on their own. The UAE is served from both US coasts, so Los Angeles can make sense for cars bought in the West. Ask your shipping agent for current sailing times.
What documents do you need on the US side?
For every used car leaving the US, your shipping agent needs the original title and files the export information in AES, which gives an ITN number. Both go to US customs at least 72 hours before the ship sails. The title is the most common delay: auctions often mail it separately, so ask for it as soon as you pay. Our guide to exporting a car from the USA explains each document.
If we haven't picked up your car within 5 business days, we pay the auction storage charged for every day after that until pickup. The 5 business days start on the latest of three dates: the day you order with us, the day your auction balance reaches $0, and the day you send us the gate pass PIN (where the auction uses one). It doesn't apply to weather events, sublot or off-site cars, auctions that are hard to reach such as rural yards, delays the auction causes, or wrong lot or gate pass details. Send us the auction invoice within 30 days of pickup and we reimburse it. Full wording is in section 7 of our Terms.
What happens when the car arrives?
Most cars arrive at Jebel Ali, Dubai's main port. From there they are cleared and registered in the UAE, repaired and sold (Sharjah has a large market for repaired auction cars), or re-exported to other countries in the region. Your clearing agent handles the import license, customs and onward shipping.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ship a Copart car to the UAE?
Buy and pay for the car, then book transport from the Copart yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Newark, Houston, Savannah. Your shipping agent loads it into a container, files the US export paperwork and ships it to Jebel Ali, UAE.
How much does it cost to get a Copart car to the port for the UAE?
The US part depends on the distance from the auction yard to the warehouse, the car's size and whether it runs. Enter the lot number in our calculator to see the exact price. The ocean freight is quoted separately by your shipping agent.
Does DispatchAuction ship the car overseas?
No. We move the car inside the US, from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to your shipping agent's warehouse or any address you choose. Your shipping agent handles the ocean shipping.
Can I ship a salvage car from Copart to the UAE?
Usually yes for collision-damage salvage titles. The UAE refuses registration for fire, flood, non-repairable, dismantled and parts-only titles. Check the title type on the auction listing before you bid.
Can cars be re-exported from the UAE?
Yes. Many US auction cars are imported to the UAE for repair and resale or re-exported to other countries in the region. Your clearing agent arranges the import license and onward shipping.