Importing Of Used Vehicles From Gcc

[Abu Raihaan]

Dear AL Community,

Just curios to find out if we can import personal used vehicles from GCC countries to SL.

The 1st fact is yes the Arabs drive on the wrong side of the road (LHD- Left Hand Drive), however im planning to convert it to RHD if possible.

Also heard that there is a permit given out to Sri Lankans working abroad to import vehicles, this would be an added bonus if it is the case enabling for duty consessions.

I've currently bought a Mitsubishi Outlander 2014 Brand New here in Doha, it's almost 1/3 of the price of what's in SL.

It's a 2.4L four cylinder it's a nice ride considering it to be a compact SUV, However has not much potential offroading capability though.

BTW I've also test driven the 3.0L V6 GT, my word that deffinitely feels great but little costlier.

Therefore my mind works on buying the 3.L V6 GT for self here and shipping out the (2.4L currently at hand) to SL for my family use.

looking forward for your inputs.

[iRage]

You can import a car from anywhere you want as long as it is RHD, or converted in to such by the time the vehicle gets registered (at one point it was that you can clear a LHD vehicle but couldn't register it until RHD or something but who knows that might have changed)

Yes there is a permit scheme for Sri Lankans working abroad to bring the cars hat they have personally used in the country they were working in. It has been extensively discussed just do a search. Even with this permit the prevailing duties and taxes apply (so you don't get a lower duty/tax rate or anything). Only advantage is that you can bring down a car that is up to 5 or 10 years old depending on how long you owned it abroad (thus customs valuation for tax/duty calculation is lower).

If you read the previous threads and do the calculations you will realize that with all these govt. officers/doctors/etc..permit cars around it might not be worth it except for certain types of cars, etc...(cars older than 2 years even more for cars that can be imported under govt.off/doctor permits, unique/special models, etc...) So you really need to do some calculations and projections beyond just comparing sticker prices at dealerships in both countries.

Edited December 11, 2014 by iRage

[Hoonigan]

iRage is right, I personally did the rounds when in Colombo back in 2012 when I bought my Wrangler. The permit you are referring to is the Blue permit. You need to have the vehicle registered under your name for a before shipping if the car is under 5 years old and 3 years if the vehicle is 5-10 years old. And there's a list of criteria you need to meed other than this as well.

There was gift permit issued earlier which you can use to ship in a new vehicle but it's no longer given and even then it would make more sense to buy one from Japan or UK directly.

To convert to RHD, you'll need to get the vehicle to Dubai as this is not done in Qatar (at least I've never heard of a place that does it and I've tried) and the only benefit of the Blue permit is the ability to import a vehicle up to 10 years old thereby getting a higher rate of depreciation. The depreciation table was revised not too long ago further reducing this benefit. If you add up all the expenses, you'll find better alternatives available back home.

[Magnum]

iRage is right, I personally did the rounds when in Colombo back in 2012 when I bought my Wrangler. The permit you are referring to is the Blue permit. You need to have the vehicle registered under your name for a before shipping if the car is under 5 years old and 3 years if the vehicle is 5-10 years old. And there's a list of criteria you need to meed other than this as well.

There was gift permit issued earlier which you can use to ship in a new vehicle but it's no longer given and even then it would make more sense to buy one from Japan or UK directly.

To convert to RHD, you'll need to get the vehicle to Dubai as this is not done in Qatar (at least I've never heard of a place that does it and I've tried) and the only benefit of the Blue permit is the ability to import a vehicle up to 10 years old thereby getting a higher rate of depreciation. The depreciation table was revised not too long ago further reducing this benefit. If you add up all the expenses, you'll find better alternatives available back home.

Correct me if im wrong, as far as I know even if u imported a 10 year old car, it will only be depreciated up to the year it would be allowed without the permit

[Hoonigan]

Correct me if im wrong, as far as I know even if u imported a 10 year old car, it will only be depreciated up to the year it would be allowed without the permit

No if it is 10 years old, it gets the specified rate of depreciation for 10 years.

[Rumesh88]

No if it is 10 years old, it gets the specified rate of depreciation for 10 years.

Yes that has been the basis. I remember a person packing a Mini (must be a Mk IV or V) in a box - yes, I repeat, in a wooden box - and shipping it along with his other belongings to Colombo from Qatar in early 90' s after converting it to RHD. He did it himself and I helped him to fix its alternator which was busted. The car had only 8000 miles on odo for it was not allowed registration in Qatar at that time once it was brought from UAE. He bought it for QR 500. I was in Doha at the time and asked how he was going to clear it - imagine no permit, no bill of laden for a car etc.,. It took him one month to do all the paper work here and he paid only Rs. 35K - half of that being demurrage charges - to clear it. Things may have changed by now but nothing prevents you from doing it.

[iRage]

Well my mom cleared her car June of last year...the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan was asking for letters that contradicted each other which was a bit f a hassle but at the Sri Lanka end it was a cake walk. The permit was issued like the next day (she had to go in person with passport, etc..) and clearing was pretty much straight forward. The vehicle was depreciated for 5 years (since it was a 2008).

As for anecdotal stories...around 2006ish a person I knew packed his car in to his container full of personal belongings. Again..had to shuffle papers back and forth and got slapped with a fine and the entire container got stuck in the port until he was able to get the proper documentation and permit; but still was able to get the car out eventually

[Hoonigan]

I forgot to mention, you can import a LHD apparently, with a special approval from RMV(as I remember). I was told about this in 2012 at Import and export control. I suppose that was how the Ford Raptor at the Motor Show got in.

Doing it by the book as I found out had little benefit for a relatively new vehicle which led me to abandon the idea. But things do get done in SL via alternative methods so not all hope is lost

[iRage]

I forgot to mention, you can import a LHD apparently, with a special approval from RMV(as I remember). I was told about this in 2012 at Import and export control. I suppose that was how the Ford Raptor at the Motor Show got in.

Doing it by the book as I found out had little benefit for a relatively new vehicle which led me to abandon the idea. But things do get done in SL via alternative methods so not all hope is lost

...in 2013 the case was you could import a LHD but had to convert it prior to "registration"; not sure if the whole registering as a LHD with special approval was implied by that or not. True there is always away to make regulations flex in SL. THen again, it has to be for the right car; if not the hassle and risk is simply not worth it...

[The Don]

Well I know that even if you bought the LHD car from a customs auction, RMV would not register it until it was converted to RHd...

[xXx]

As for anecdotal stories...around 2006ish a person I knew packed his car in to his container full of personal belongings. Again..had to shuffle papers back and forth and got slapped with a fine and the entire container got stuck in the port until he was able to get the proper documentation and permit; but still was able to get the car out eventually

Was he trying to smuggle the car in to the country? Wouldn't it be cheaper to send the car in a RoRo and the personnel stuff in a box?

Edited December 12, 2014 by xXx

[iRage]

Was he trying to smuggle the car in to the country? Wouldn't it be cheaper to send the car in a RoRo and the personnel stuff in a box?

It would have made more sense if he was trying to smuggle it in....this was a case of pure ignorance. Besides the car wasn't anything worthwhile smuggling; a AUS (or UK) spec Mitsu Challenger. Sometimes when we get deployed (and re-deployed back home) we get to take a container of personal belongings (everything from food to furniture to toilet paper) where in some duty stations they even allow cars to be brought in the container. So some people actually do it to save on cost and going through two different clearing procedures. So this guy just presumed the same thing would apply when coming back to SL.

When you have things like furniture sometimes it is cheaper to get an entire container (even if to leave it mostly empty) rather than shipping a crate/box.

[Kavvz]

Err...does the change in regulations about selling permits apply to these blue permits? ( To be blunt: Do these blue permits carry any monetary value if they are sold? - assuming they can be legally sold that is...)

[Hoonigan]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="Kavvz" data-cid="269743" data-time="1418613965"><p>

Err...does the change in regulations about selling permits apply to these blue permits? ( To be blunt: Do these blue permits carry any monetary value if they are sold? - assuming they can be legally sold that is...) </p></blockquote>

As I remember both the blue and gift permit vehicles had to stay with the importer for 5 years. Things may have changed though.

[iRage]

Last year too what Hoonigan said applied. The car had to be under the permit holder's name for at least 5 years.