Customs Import Duty UK & VAT when importing a vehicle into the UK
Any vehicle that is being imported into the UK requires to be cleared through customs
With decades of experience dealing with UK customs, My Car Import has become experts in customs clearance, clearing vehicles through the process regardless if they have come inside or outside Europe or type of transportation.
For any imports outside of Europe, our customs handling also involves HMRC NOVA system administration. For any imports within Europe, we also assist HMRC and notify them of arrival, in order to obtain a NOVA reference for the DVLA.
Having a car import expert dealing with the process on your behalf ensures that no mistakes are made with the variety of custom clearance processes that apply to differing cars, depending on age, place of manufacture, type of vehicle, ownership and more.
Our ultimate goal is to make the whole process of importing and clearing customs as easy as possible.
Are you privately importing your vehicle?
Vehicle imports that are for a private individual are often referred to as a ‘private import’. We assist with the process of importing your vehicle and as explained above we manage the process of ‘clearing’ your vehicle into the United Kingdom.
A private import will have tax and duty applied upon entering the UK. It is not considered a private import if you are applying for tax relief through the TOR (transfer of residency) scheme.
We can help with privately importing your vehicle and assisting with the explanation of any potential tax.
Are you commercially importing your vehicle?
All of the same rules apply for the importation of vehicles for commercial use except for a VAT number is required to ensure you can claim back the VAT.
The process for paying taxes is slightly different for a commercial vehicle but we are on hand to help you with any queries.
If you require it to be registered afterwards we can also assist with that part of the process.
Are you planning to temporarily import your vehicle?
If you are planning on using your vehicle for a short period of time in the United Kingdom it does not need to be registered permanently in the UK.
In most cases, if the vehicle is only going to be in the UK for a period of six months, it can be temporarily imported.
Your vehicle will need to be insured though.
In some cases, you can insure it on your number plate but for some vehicles, they might need to be insured on the VIN.
Do we offer collection from the port after customs clearance?
Unlike shipping agents, we are a full-service vehicle importing which means we will manage the process once your vehicle arrives in the United Kingdom.
If you aren’t careful your vehicle can be stuck at the port which can actually cost you more than it’s worth. We collect vehicles regularly from the ports and are familiar with the process.
