Import a car into the UK

[neocon]

Anyone ever done this themselves?

Say the car arrives in Southampton dock, how soon do you have to collect it, presumably you get charged for parking?

Since it can't be driven without an MOT, how do you get that done in the port?

 

[neocon]

The low loader sounds like a good option.

 

[neocon]

I bought an unregistered import last year. As it had already been imported I didn’t need to deal with the shipping, port or import tax. I collected it from the importer with a trailer. My understanding is that all of the import charges need to be paid before the car can leave port. A few weeks after the charges are paid you’ll get a document which confirms this which you’ll need as part of the registration process. It’s very unlikely you’ll be able to legally drive it away from the port.

First off it needed an MOT. As I wanted to drive it to the test station it also needed insuring. Getting insurance on an unregistered car is possible but it needs to be insured against the chassis number. Only a few insurers offer this (I used Adrian Flux). You will also need proof of insurance to register it so will need to deal with this regardless of how you get it to the MOT.

Once insured and I’d done all of the work to get it to a point where it had a chance of passing an MOT (I needed to fit a fog light, numberplate lights, seatbelts and door mirrors. Speedo conversion from kph to mph is not a requirement) I was legally permitted to drive it to a pre-booked MOT without number plates or tax. Particularly fun in my case as this involved driving straight past the county police HQ and I was fully prepared to get stopped but wasn’t.

Once the MOT was dealt with (Failed initially on emissions due to a dodgy coil) I had to fill out the vehicle registration application form and send that off along with copies of various documentation (Copy of MOT and insurance, ID, original log book from the country of origin, proof that import taxes had been paid as well as a cheque for a years tax plus £90 registration fee.). Registration in my case was simplified by the fact that it was an older vehicle which pre-dates a lot of the current type approval requirements. Newer cars will need more paperwork.

Then you wait a few weeks, V5 arrives in the post and you can buy number plates, fit them, inform your insurer of the registration number and finally drive it.

In my case I picked up the vehicle in September, was ready to apply for registration just before Xmas and was finally on the road in mid-January.

Did you do a GB conversion IVA? Or just the MOT?

 

[neocon]

Aaaaye, lost count now, it becomes an addiction

I always get a shipping agent to sort the last part, costs buttons and saves the most hassle. I then usually get it transported to my garage for MOT. It doesn't cost me much but I have used the same shipping agent and transporter for a while.

You could insure it on the chassis number and book the MOT beforehand but I've not done that I years so might not be valid nowadays. You didn't need to tax it, buy you did need to display the chassis number

Shipping agent is a great resource, cheap but does all the duty payments and hmrc adjustment rubbish so that it can be released from port.

Of all of the import process, this part is the most annoying

A few things to add:

1. 10 years or older, just need the MOT, I have always went this way, IVA for anything newer, bit more complex and risky depending on what you import, but possible
2. You dont need insurance to get it registered (only NI)
3. Its much longer than 2 weeks for the V5 to arrive, it can be hit and miss. Generally I find a nicely worded covering letter gets you sorted quickly, followed up by a few phonecalls. 4 to 6 weeks is about right now. Blame working at home or Covid etc etc
4. The first registration pack can look daunting at first, but its really quite simple as 70% doesnt apply. Im happy to help if needed, should take 20mins to do.
5. Watch out for the first tax fee as part of the application, it can be annoying to locate and if it crosses the April change-over, your application is sent back to you as the price changes (nothing you can do really)
6. The first registration is £55. The total fee is that £55 plus whatever tax you choose, typically based on engine size at these ages, under 1500cc and above or thereabouts
7. Generally to get the MOT, you only need a fog light, some imports do have them, Subaru usually do.
8. Speedo converters are generally available for most imports but not all. Newer stuff will be CANBUS and can be a bit hit and miss but generally 90% of stuff will be do-able. Make sure whoever does the MOT makes sure to mark it as KM's if its still in them as its a common mistake
9. You need the Export Certificate and a translation of it to get it registered, keep copies for records as once the originals are sent, you dont get these back

Thanks for that detailed account