Importing vehicles into the UK
Bringing a vehicle back to the UK
You must register a vehicle when you reimport it to the UK if it has been:
- registered in the UK before
- exported to another country
You should:
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Tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) within 14 days that the vehicle has arrived in the UK.
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Pay any VAT and customs duty that you owe.
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Register and tax the vehicle with DVLA - they’ll give you a registration number so you can get number plates made up.
You do not have to get vehicle approval.
You must also insure your vehicle before you drive it on UK roads.
If your vehicle is damaged, rebuilt or modified, check if you can register it in the UK before you import it.
When you register a reimported vehicle
Once your vehicle has passed its MOT, you should register and tax the vehicle. You will not need to pay the £55 fee.
You must send the following original documents:
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evidence showing any changes that have been made to the vehicle, for example an invoice to show colour or engine changes
-
the original foreign registration certificate (you will not get this back)
If you do not have the original foreign registration certificate, send a letter to DVLA to explain why you don’t have it.
Do not send photocopies or faxed copies.
If your vehicle is off the road
When you reimport your vehicle to the UK, you need to take it off the road if you cannot or do not want to get an MOT. For example, if you do not want to tax your vehicle because you plan to sell it or because your vehicle is not roadworthy yet.
If your vehicle is off the road, you need to make a statutory off road notification (SORN).
You still need to register the vehicle if you make a SORN. You’ll then receive a vehicle log book (V5C).