Questions we get asked

The main costs are shipping, import duty, VAT, IVA testing and registration. Coming from the USA, duty is charged first at 10% of the vehicle value, then VAT at 20% on the value plus shipping plus the duty combined. A vehicle over 30 years old in original specification may qualify as a historic vehicle: no import duty, and import VAT at an effective 5% instead of 20%. We quote every line before you commit.

Yes. VAT at 20% is charged on the vehicle value plus shipping plus the duty combined, so it is calculated on top of the duty rather than alongside it. This is why the total tax is more than a flat 30% of the purchase price.

In two situations. Transfer of Residence relief can remove duty and VAT if you are moving to the UK, have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months and have owned the vehicle for more than six months. Returned-goods relief can apply to a car that was previously UK-registered and is coming back in the same state it left. We check both before you commit.

No. A written, itemised quote costs nothing and commits you to nothing. There is no deposit to get one.

Typically 8 to 16 weeks from collection to UK number plate. Ocean transit is around 4 to 6 weeks depending on the port, and customs clearance, IVA and registration take a few weeks more once it lands.

Container is enclosed, so the vehicle is protected from weather and handling, and non-running vehicles can travel. RoRo is usually cheaper but the vehicle must be driveable and it travels on an open deck. For a valuable, modified or non-running vehicle we would recommend a container.

Generally no. Customs treat goods inside a vehicle as a separate import, and loose items are a common cause of delays and inspections at both ends. Anything in the vehicle must be declared.

Anywhere in the United States. We arrange inland haulage from the seller, dealer or auction yard to whichever export port makes the most sense, which is why the quote form asks for the ZIP code rather than just the state.

Anywhere in the United States. We collect from dealers, private sellers and auctions, and arrange inland haulage to the export port. We only import clean-title vehicles, so we do not take on salvage cars.

Send us the closest match — the make, model and rough year — and we will quote against that so you know your budget before you start bidding. We can re-quote once you have found the actual vehicle.

Vehicles under ten years old need Individual Vehicle Approval before the DVLA will register them. Vehicles over ten years old do not need IVA, but they do need to pass an MOT so they can be shown to be roadworthy.

NOVA is the Notification of Vehicle Arrival to HMRC. It records that the vehicle has been imported and that the duty and VAT position has been dealt with. Without a completed NOVA the DVLA will not register the vehicle, so it is the step that gates everything else.

Yes. Left-hand drive vehicles are legal to register and drive in the UK. They need the same approval and registration process as any other import.

Lighting is the common one — headlight beam pattern, a rear fog lamp and side repeaters. US vehicles already read in miles per hour, so the speedometer change that affects European and Japanese imports usually does not apply.

Not on the road. Until the vehicle is registered it has no UK number plate for a normal insurance policy to attach to. Laid-up cover protects it off the road in the meantime, which is one reason we push imports through registration as quickly as we can.

Yes. We take on customs clearance, IVA and registration as standalone jobs without the shipping. Tell us where the vehicle is and what stage it has reached.

Yes. Pickups, RVs and motorbikes all come through, though the approval requirements and the duty treatment can differ from a passenger car, so the quote will reflect the specific vehicle.

Castle Donington, Derby. Vehicles come to our own site for approval work and registration, and you can collect from there or we can arrange delivery.