Export new cars to Bahrain from Dubai

Importing brand-new vehicles into Bahrain is straightforward for most buyers. Per Trade.gov, Bahrain is party to the GCC Unified Customs Union agreement and also maintains a U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. Under the FTA, industrial products including motor vehicles are duty free for U.S.-origin goods. For vehicles from non-FTA origins, Bahrain applies a five percent import duty on most commodities under the GCC Unified Customs Tariff, which entered force in January 2017.

Duty and Tax Treatment

Brand-new vehicles from the UAE (where Beyond Autos operates in Jebel Ali Free Zone) will typically face Bahrain's standard five percent import duty, unless your vehicle qualifies under FTA provisions. The GCC agreement also imposes a Selective Tax on luxury goods and items deemed harmful to health or the environment—rates for these are set by the GCC Committee for Financial and Economic Cooperation. Invoices must detail correct value and origin; the customs authority endorses the statistical declaration at entry.

Documentation and Clearance

Your consignee must present a commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list, and certificate of origin at the port of entry. Bahrain's customs authority will require proof that duties have been paid or, if the shipment entered another GCC state first, certificates from that entry point. The customs declaration is prepared either manually or by computer and must be approved at the customs entry point with local invoices attached. Goods imported into the GCC are granted duty-free treatment if the importer presents certificates proving customs duties were already paid at the first entry point; otherwise, the final destination customs authority collects the duty.

Verify with the destination's customs authority before shipping — duty rates vary by engine size, fuel type, and buyer category.