Your import checklist

Know what your car will need before you commit.

1. 1See what your car will need
   Next up

   Its year and type decide approval, MOT, vehicle tax and duty. Run it through the checker so nothing surprises you later.

   Open the checker
2. 2Work out the landed cost

   Duty is charged on the price plus transport and insurance to the UK port, and VAT on that plus the duty. Put in your own numbers.

   Use the calculator
3. 3Ask HMRC for an Advance Tariff Ruling
   May apply

   At 30 years or more it may count as a collector’s piece, with nil duty and 5% VAT. That is never automatic and mass-produced cars often fail. Ask before you import, as a ruling cannot be issued once the car is with customs.

   See how HMRC decides
4. 4Ask insurers what they need to cover it

   Policies for imports vary, so ask early what they want to see and when cover can start.

   Read the insurance guide

Check the car and the paperwork before you pay.

5. 5Confirm it has a clean title

   We only import clean-title vehicles. A branded or rebuilt title is a reason to walk away, and a seriously damaged vehicle cannot be registered here.

   How to spot the others
6. 6Check the VIN history and for any lien

   Run the full VIN, look for liens and read the photos closely. If there is a lien, the lender has to release it in writing before the car can leave.

   Check it before you pay
7. 7Get the bill of sale and the original title

   You need both in your hands. The price on the bill of sale feeds the customs value, and DVLA may ask for the original title to show when it was built.

   Buying in the USA

Get it out of the USA and across the Atlantic.

8. 8Complete the US export filings

   A used vehicle needs its export information filed through AES, and the title and documents presented to US Customs, before it leaves. We arrange this with our US shipping partners.

   US export paperwork
9. 9Choose container or roll-on roll-off

   Both sail from the east or west coast. Each suits different cars, so compare them before you book.

   Compare the two
10. 10Confirm marine insurance for the voyage

    Check your quote says the car is insured while it is at sea, and for how much. Marine insurance is included in our shipping quotes.

    How shipping works

Clear customs and make it road-legal.

11. 11Make the UK customs declaration and pay duty and VAT

    Duty is 10% on a car (bikes and pickups can differ) and VAT is 20% on value plus duty. Both must be paid before DVLA will register it.

    UK customs guide
12. 12Notify HMRC through NOVA within 14 days

    Tell HMRC the car has arrived. You cannot register it until this is done, and late notification can be fined. Engines of 48cc or less are exempt.

    About NOVA
13. 13Book the MOT

    It needs an MOT from its third anniversary. DVLA asks for evidence of one on a car over three years old.

    What the test involves
14. 14Register with DVLA using form V55/5

    Send the form with your NOVA confirmation, proof that duty and VAT are paid, proof of approval if it applies, the original title and your identity documents.

    Registration, step by step
15. 15Pay vehicle tax at registration

    Vehicle tax is paid when you register it.

    Tax and the 40 year rule
16. 16Insure it before you drive it

    You must have cover from a UK-authorised insurer before it goes on a UK road.

    Insuring an import