Car import guides
Straight answers on shipping, customs, testing and registering a car in the UK – written by the team that does it every day.
- 32 guides, FAQs and case studies
- 54 country import guides
- Our own IVA, MSVA and MOT lanes
- DVLA registration in 10 working days
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Every guide in one place
Search by country, document or question, or filter by topic.
Showing all 32 guides
All 32Country guides 8Shipping 5Registration & paperwork 9Buying abroad 2Data & infographics 5Case studies 2Directories 1
- Data & infographicsNewHow many 1990s cars are left?919,219 cars built in the 1990s are still on the UK register, down from 2,356,000 in 2014. Only 22% of the survivors are taxed.Read the guide →
- DirectoriesNewUK car clubs: the complete directoryEvery owners’ club and register we can find in Britain, grouped by marque, with the ones the DVLA recognises flagged.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkNewMoving to the UK? Bring your car tax-free.ToR relief lets you import your own car with no import VAT and no duty when you move your home to the UK.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkNewMoving to the UK from the EU? How to Import Your Car Tax-Free Using ToR1The ToR1 application step by step, for anyone moving over from an EU country with a car they already own.Read the guide →
- ShippingNewWhat fits in a 20ft & 40ft shipping container?Tick off what you’re taking and watch the space fill up, with or without a car sitting in the front of it.Read the guide →
- Data & infographicsNewWhere are EU Imports came fromWhich EU countries our imports actually come from, and how the volumes split between them.Read the guide →
- Case studiesCase study: Jimny speedometerA 2026 Suzuki Jimny straight out of Japan: how the kilometres come out, the mph goes in, and the cluster ends up speaking English.Read the guide →
- ShippingWhat does it cost to ship a car to the UK?Guide prices by region, built from a sample of a year’s worth of real jobs.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkWhat documents do you need to import your car?What the DVLA and HMRC need from you, and what we produce on your behalf.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkHow to register a vehicle with a NOVA certificateWhat a NOVA is, why the clock runs for 14 days, and how we file yours.Read the guide →
- Data & infographicsNumber plates from every country we import fromAn interactive guide to reading foreign number plates from more than 30 countries – and what happens to them when the car gets UK plates.Read the guide →
- Case studiesCase study: Suzuki Jimny Nomade from JapanA five-door Jimny shipped by container to Southampton, then given a rear fog light, an mph speedometer and an IVA test before registration.Read the guide →
- ShippingRoRo vs container shipping: which is right for your car?RoRo is usually the cheapest way to ship a car that runs. A container gives more protection for valuable or non-running vehicles.Read the guide →
- Data & infographicsBritain is the EU’s biggest car export marketThe EU sent 1,290,748 cars to the UK in 2025, worth €35.8bn – nearly a third of all its car exports.Read the guide →
- Data & infographicsBritain drives on imported cars6 in 7 cars on UK roads were built abroad – around 30.95 million of the 36.2 million licensed vehicles.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting a car from JapanAuctions, shipping, testing and registration for Japanese imports – the UK’s best-loved right-hand-drive route.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting a car from the EUBringing a car in from an EU country after Brexit: import VAT, customs and getting it registered here.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting your car from the US to the UKWhat’s involved in bringing an American car to the UK, from shipping and customs to modifications and registration.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting your car from Hong Kong to the UKA right-hand-drive route and a common move for people relocating to the UK. Shipping, customs and registering it here.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting a car from Australia to the UKFrom down under to UK plates: shipping, customs and the right testing route for your car.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting a car from New Zealand to the United KingdomShipping, customs, testing and registration for cars coming from New Zealand.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting your car from the UAE to the UKBringing a car from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the UAE – shipping, customs and registration.Read the guide →
- Country guidesImporting your car from Canada to the United KingdomWhat to expect when bringing a car over from Canada, step by step.Read the guide →
- ShippingVehicle inspection guide before shipping a carA checklist of lights, brakes, suspension, tyres, seat belts and bodywork to run through before your car is shipped.Read the guide →
- ShippingCan I ship personal items inside my car?What you can and can’t leave in the car when it’s shipped to the UK.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkHow long does it take to register an imported vehicle?Where the time goes – and why our DVLA trade account gives an expected turnaround of 10 working days.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkIs a Certificate of Conformity the same as a registration certificate?Two very different documents that often get confused, and which one the DVLA actually needs.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkCan I register a left-hand-drive car?Yes – here’s what’s involved in getting a left-hand-drive car registered and on UK roads.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkCertificates of Conformity explainedWhat a CoC is, what it costs and how we order yours direct from the manufacturer.Read the guide →
- Registration & paperworkProving your car’s date of buildWhy the DVLA may need evidence of when your vehicle was built, and how we get it.Read the guide →
- Buying abroadIs it cheaper to buy a vehicle abroad and import it?Adding up purchase price, shipping, tax and compliance to see whether importing really saves you money.Read the guide →
- Buying abroadA guide to buying a European classic carWhat to check, where to look and how to bring a classic home from Europe.Read the guide →
Nothing matches that yet. Clear the search, or just ask us – every vehicle is different.
Rather we just handled it?
We take on as much or as little as you need – from a single piece of paperwork to collection, shipping, customs, modifications, testing and UK number plates.
The quick answer
Which route to registration applies to your car?
Age is what decides it, and it’s the single biggest factor in what your import costs and how long it takes. We’ll confirm which applies to your vehicle at the quotation stage.
Under 10 years old
IVA test
The vehicle needs to comply with UK type approval, either through mutual recognition using a Certificate of Conformity or through an IVA test. We test on site every week, so your car isn’t waiting weeks for a slot.
Over 10 years old
MOT and modifications
Type approval exempt, but it still needs an MOT and the modifications appropriate to its age – generally the headlights, the rear fog light and the speedometer.
Over 40 years old
No MOT required
It doesn’t need an MOT test and can be delivered directly to your UK address ahead of it being registered.
Importing a motorcycle? It takes an MSVA test instead – and we run the only privately owned MSVA test centre in Great Britain.
Find the guide for your car
The process changes with where the car is, who built it and what it is. Pick whichever you know.
United StatesBy vehicle type
Classics, campers, bikes, supercars and more.
ClassicMotorhomeCampervanMotorbikeSupercarMuscleElectricOff roadPickup truckKit carEx militaryLuxury
All vehicle types →Guides written from the workshop floor
Everything here comes from cars we’ve actually shipped, cleared, modified, tested and registered – not from rewriting someone else’s website.
25+years importing cars into the United Kingdom
~3,000vehicles cleared through customs each year
10working days expected DVLA registration turnaround
Onlyprivately owned MSVA test centre in Great Britain
Coming up
New guides on the way
We publish new guides every week. Need one of these answered today? Just ask.
- SoonThe V55/5 form, box by box
- SoonQ plates, and how to avoid one
- SoonThe IVA test explained
- SoonInsuring an imported car
- SoonThe real cost of importing from Japan
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Every vehicle is different. If yours isn’t covered here, just ask.
How long does it take to register an imported car?
Once any testing is done, our trade account with the DVLA import department gives an expected turnaround of 10 working days. The bigger variable is getting the car here – days by road from Europe, weeks at sea from Japan, Australia or the USA.
Can I register a left-hand-drive car in the UK?
Yes. Left-hand-drive cars can be registered and driven in the UK. Like any import, the car has to meet the requirements for its age – which usually means work on the headlights, the rear fog light and the speedometer.
Should I ship my car by RoRo or in a container?
RoRo (roll-on, roll-off) is usually the cheapest way to ship a car that runs. A container gives more protection, so it suits valuable or non-running vehicles. Either way, the customs and registration steps once it lands are the same.
Is a Certificate of Conformity the same as a registration certificate?
No. A Certificate of Conformity is issued by the manufacturer and confirms the vehicle was built to an approved European type. A registration certificate records the vehicle’s registration in a particular country – in the UK that’s the V5C logbook, which you get once we’ve registered the car.
My question isn’t covered – can you help?
Almost certainly. Every car and every set of circumstances is different, so the quickest route to a straight answer is our quote form – tell us the vehicle and where it is, and we’ll tell you what’s involved.