Guidance

Tell HMRC you’re importing multiple vehicles

Use the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) online service to tell HMRC that you're importing multiple vehicles.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs
• Published: 27 June 2014
• Last updated: 31 December 2020 — See all updates

Using the NOVA online service for multiple vehicles

If you’re a VAT-registered business bringing multiple vehicles into the UK, you can attach a spreadsheet to your online notification in the NOVA online service with the details of all the vehicles, rather than entering each vehicle separately.

You should be aware that new cars, motor caravans, and light or heavy commercial vehicles brought into Northern Ireland from the EU and imports into the UK that have been purchased and made available within the EU and either arrived or began transiting to Great Britain before the end of the transition period cannot be automatically valued by the NOVA online service if you use a spreadsheet. So this may cause a delay in your notification being processed.

A new vehicle is one that has:

• entered into service within the last 6 months
• covered 6,000km or less

Alternatively, if all the vehicles’ details (except for the Vehicle Identification Number) are identical you may be able to use the multiplication facility, which is also available to non VAT-registered businesses, within the NOVA online service.

Spreadsheets for different vehicle types

Depending on the type of vehicles you’re bringing into the UK you’ll need to download and use a different spreadsheet.

Cars

Use the car spreadsheet if the vehicles have either:

• 3 or more wheels and were built to carry passengers
• roofed accommodation and side windows behind the driver’s seat

Light commercial vehicles

Use the light commercial vehicle spreadsheet if the vehicles are:

• panel vans or any other vehicles with 3 or more wheels
• primarily designed to carry goods
• have an unladen weight not exceeding 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes)

Heavy commercial vehicles

Use the heavy commercial vehicle spreadsheet if the vehicles are:

• generally used to carry goods or burden of any kind
• designed or adapted to have an unladen weight of more than 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes)

Motorcycles

Use the motorcycles spreadsheet for motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, trikes, and quad bikes.

Motor caravans

Use the motor caravan spreadsheet if the vehicles are fitted with all or most of the following items:

• a permanent sink
• cooking facilities
• seats and a table for a meal
• at least 1 bed
• a permanent fresh water tank

Agricultural tractors

Use the agricultural tractor spreadsheet if the vehicles are designed exclusively (or primarily) for agricultural purposes, even if they’re not permitted to be used on UK roads opened to public traffic.

Construction vehicles, plant and machinery and special purpose vehicles

Use the construction vehicles spreadsheet for construction and plant and machinery. This includes:

• excavators
• dumper trucks
• bulldozers
• any ‘crawler tracked’ vehicle

You can also use the spreadsheet for special purpose vehicles like fork lift trucks and street cleaning vehicles.

Published 27 June 2014
Last updated 31 December 2020 + show all updates

1. 31 December 2020

   This page has been updated because the Brexit transition period has ended.

2. 11 August 2014

   Information on the multiplication facility added to the introduction.

3. 27 June 2014

   First published.