We are industry experts when importing vehicles into the UK, so rather than attempting this process alone, we strongly recommend utilising our services to make life considerably easier for you.
Shipping from Canada either happens from Vancouver or Toronto, and we organise the whole process from collection, inland trucking, shipping, customs, testing and registration. Get a Quote from us for a tailored and inclusive quote to import your car from Canada to the UK.
We have great agents in Canada who help with exporting and shipping your vehicle to the UK, will arrange collection of your vehicle from your address or the address of the person you have purchased it from if needed.
We offer enclosed or open transport services to meet all requirements and budgets. We will then have the vehicle transported to the nearest port.
After your car’s arrival at our depot, we will then load it into its shipping container with the utmost care and attention. Our agents on the ground in the Canada have been handpicked because of their experience and attention to detail when detailing with cars. They will make sure your car is fastened in the container ready for transport to the UK.
We provide marine insurance which covers your vehicle up to its full replacement value during transit.
When importing a car from Canada to the UK, you can do so completely tax free should you have owned the vehicle for at least six months and have lived outside the EU for over 12 months.
If these criteria don’t apply then vehicles built in the EU are subject to £50 duty and 20% VAT, based on the amount you paid for the vehicle, with those built outside of the EU coming in at 10% duty and 20% VAT.
Most vehicles that are over 30 years old will qualify for 5% import VAT and no duty when being imported, providing they haven’t been significantly modified from their original use and are not intended to be your daily driver.
On arrival in the UK, your vehicle will be subject to a number of tests and modifications in order to ensure it reaches UK highway standards.
Modifications mainly include adjustments to the signal lights on the vehicle. US and Canadian manufactured vehicles tend to have different coloured indicators, which are often integrated into the brake light bulbs. They also have different coloured side lights and regularly have no side indicators or fog lights.
We will convert your car to UK standards using the latest in-house LED light technology, allowing us to complete all necessary changes and maintain your car’s styling.
Vehicles imported from Canada that are under ten years old will then need to undergo an IVA test before the DVLA will approve registration. As the only company in the UK with a privately operated IVA testing lane for passenger vehicles, which is approved by the DVSA and ISO certified, the time it takes to complete this feature of the import is considerably quicker than using other vehicle importers as your vehicle never needs to leave our site and we control the testing schedule.
An IVA test isn’t required for vehicles over ten years old, however it will need to pass an MOT so must be roadworthy in terms of signal lights, tyre wear, suspension and brakes, which we will of course check, in order to be fit to be driven on UK roads.
If the vehicle is over 40 years old it is MOT exempt and can be delivered directly to your address in the UK and be registered remotely.
Any questions that you might have about importing your vehicle from Canada to the United Kingdom
Our shipping agents will instruct you on what to do when you go ahead with your quotation. The export process varies from country to country but the short answer is yes, we can help.
The export process is relatively simply in most countries but it can seem confusing at a first glance.
We’ll collect your car from anywhere in Canada and then get it to the port for you. It will be insured during the process and once on a vessel, it is covered by marine insurance.
In the United Kingdom, we can also move the vehicle around through a network of trusted vehicle transporters.
This depends on the time of year, and the current market conditions. We will always try to source you the best price for shipping your vehicle to the United Kingdom.
Generally speaking, it is more than shipping from say, the East Coast due to the further distance.
It depends on where the vehicle is. Shipping from Canada from the west coast takes a little longer due to the orientation of the shipping lines. It makes a journey through the Panama canal usually which means it has to go down the entire west coast of America.
If the vehicle is closer to say, New York, it can be as little as two weeks. The port it is shipped from decides the length of time that the vessel will be at sea.
As most of the vehicles from Canada to fall into the US car spec they’ll most likely have the usual things like red indicators.
We offer a one of a kind service to modify your vehicle so that it is compliant.
All of the aspects of lighting are taken care of on your behalf so that it is legal and ready to drive.
If your fresh Canadian import needs a little work, don’t worry. We have a full team of mechanics on site ready to help with a wide range of services.
Aside from lighting conversions we regularly do full vehicle rebuilds and general maintenance.
The benefit of this being under one roof is a great price, and an all inclusive service.
Our experts in American vehicles understand that they are always going to be slightly different to anything else and we know exactly what we are doing.
Over the years we have helped many customers from Canada to import a range of classics and understand they might require restoration on arrival in the United Kingdom or they simply need onwards delivery to you.
Whatever you are importing we can assist with the entire process.
This entirely depends on the amount of customers we are working with in the general region.
We often try to group shipments together to save you money. Thus it can be straight away or a few weeks.
There is always the option of a solo 20ft container if you’re in a hurry though!
We offer the complete import service
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