Importing a car into the UK: 14 days for NOVA, approval and £55 to DVLA

A car brought in from abroad does not become British the moment it clears the port. Until every step is done, driving it on a public road is an offence: GOV.UK warns plainly that you can be prosecuted. The one exception is driving to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. Here is the order of play, with the deadlines, the forms and the money.

How long do you have to tell HMRC?

Fourteen days from the moment the vehicle arrives. The deadline is hard: until HMRC has been told, DVLA will not register the car. The system is called NOVA, the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals. GOV.UK says you may be fined if you are late, without naming a figure.

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Who files the notification depends on the situation. VAT-registered companies submit a NOVA declaration online; businesses importing many vehicles may use a spreadsheet instead. If the car was shipped, the declaration is made within the same 14 days by the shipping company, a customs agent or HMRC's CARS team — they will need the C88 and E2 documents (or the MRN), proof of purchase or a current valuation, and a document confirming the VIN or chassis number.

A private individual who drove the vehicle in through the Channel Tunnel or on a ferry must contact the CARS team within those 14 days, by email at ecsm.nchcars@hmrc.gov.uk or by post. HMRC will say whether VAT or customs duty is due. One detail matters: any import taxes have to be paid before the NOVA declaration can be made at all.

Vehicles with an engine of 48cc or less — or 7.2kW or less if electric — can be registered without telling HMRC first.

When is VAT and duty payable, and when is it not?

GOV.UK does not publish the rates. They depend on the type of vehicle and where it is imported from, and are confirmed by the shipping company, a customs agent or the HMRC customs helpline. What is clear is the base VAT is charged on: the total cost of the vehicle together with accessories, delivery, extra charges and the customs duty itself. Duty applies to vehicles imported into England, Wales and Scotland from outside the UK.

Northern Ireland has its own rule for cars brought in from the EU: VAT is usually charged only on vehicles that are new. A vehicle counts as new if it has been driven less than 6,000km — about 3,728 miles — or has been in use for no more than six months.

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Anyone moving to the UK with their own car may qualify for transfer of residence relief, in which case no VAT and no customs duty is paid. The qualifying criteria sit in the guide on making an import declaration, and they are worth checking before the car is shipped rather than after.

What is vehicle approval and what does it cost?

Vehicle approval shows the car meets British safety and environmental standards. An unregistered vehicle goes through IVA, individual vehicle approval. A vehicle that was approved and registered in the EU has its own route, GB conversion IVA. A motorcycle, a three-wheeler or a smaller four-wheeler goes through MSVA. A vehicle already registered in the UK can take voluntary approval.

DVSA's statutory normal IVA inspection costs £199 in working hours and £294 outside them, with a re-inspection at £40 and £59. Working hours are Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm and Friday 8am to 4:30pm. The voluntary route is dearer because VAT is included: £256.78 in working hours and £379.37 outside them.

What goes to DVLA, and how long until the plates?

Registration costs £55, and the vehicle is taxed at the same time. DVLA takes originals only: proof of vehicle approval, form V267 if the vehicle is new, evidence of the collection date such as the supplier's invoice, and the original foreign registration certificate, which is not returned. If the vehicle has been structurally modified beyond the manufacturer's specification, form V627/3 is added. Photocopies and faxed copies are not accepted.

The V5C registration certificate can then take up to six weeks to arrive. Until the car is registered, taxed and insured it stays off the road — bar that one trip to a booked test.

Which cases fall outside the standard route?

Damaged and salvaged vehicles: GOV.UK advises checking whether such a car can be registered in the UK at all before importing it. Temporary imports of under six months follow separate rules and apply to people who do not usually live in the UK. A UK resident may move a vehicle between Great Britain and Northern Ireland freely if it is registered in either country and is for personal or household use rather than sale, and DVLA must be told about any change of address.

Commercial importers of new vehicles who use a secure registration scheme do not follow this process.