DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

Hi all,

I'm sure this has been covered before but I can't find a relevant thread via the search function.I get results for importing cars into other countries and/or from other countries (such as 'Canada to the UK' or 'UK to Portugal') or about classic cars or luxury vehicles or something like that.

If anyone can point me in the direction of a previous thread about taking a standard EU registered car with me when I move back to the UK, and getting it registered with the DVLA I'd be grateful. Likewise any advice from anyone who has done this would be appreciated.


(I am asking a professional company for a quote but I suspect that I might need to try and do it myself)

Re: DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

Have a look at this DVLA site:
Importing a vehicle
You need a certificate of conformity from the manufacturer; change the headlights and speedometer.
My SIL moved her mini from Ireland to UK and found the process stressful.
Try some of the Europe forums for advice.
HTH

Re: DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

Thanks for your reply. I should have said that I had already looked at that info (the link that you shared), but I was wondering what people's real experience was because some of that is written with the assumption that the vehicle is being imported into the UK by someone who already lives in the UK (like for example a person buying a classic car or something like that).

I'll take a look at the EU forums, though I would have thought that this forum would be more appropriate given that it's about moving back to the UK.

I'm thinking it might be a stressful experience...any idea what particularly was the issue for your sister in law?

Re: DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

THe first problem you will encounter is insurance.The moment you leave your current EU country permanently ie stop being a resident,your insurance ceases.You will need to arrange with a specialist company who cover EU reg vehicles to insure you.THis will be expensive and they will only cover you for MOT visits until you have re registered and indeed you cannot use your car at all apart from MOT visits.You will need to check with HMRC if any tax is payable.Then you will need to get a pack from DVLA and complete the forms It is a bit easier if the ehicle has previously been UK registered.Then once it is done,you will need to get plates and you can then use your car again.It is far more complicated and restrictive than France

Re: DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

Thanks for your comments.

You're right about the insurance and residency. Because we have a house in Italy, which we're keeping for the time being (it will become a second home) it's possible for us to continue to be registered as resident until the point at which we declare otherwise, so the option exists to drive it to the UK. As far as the UK is concerned, on the one hand you have to notify NOVA within 14 days of importing the car... but there's a grey area about when you're actually "resident", because that's quite a difficult term to define legally in the UK.
​​​Apparently we can spend time using the car as tourists. And in that case, just before we notify Italy that we're no longer resident we could take the car to a garage and then leave it there off road without insurance. And for that period we'd have to borrow a car. I think that's a better option than getting a temp insurance (especially as the car can't be used for a while).

HMRC tax? We'd meet the terms for tax relief as we've owned the car for a sufficient time and we wouldn't want to sell it for a while in the UK. I think you have to keep it for at least a year or 6 months or something like that.

So I think that it's possible to diy all the paperwork... but nevertheless I think it's still complicated (as you said) and the quote I have received (£399) to manage the procedure seems fairly reasonable so I'll probably do that.

​​​​​​I believe that the headlamps and rear fog light and speedo will need to be changed for my car, plus there are various fees that are unavoidable. For info for others who might read this in future the firm that does imports quoted £1600 in total as the maximum cost (might be less). Obviously you still end up with a lhd vehicle which might be costlier to insure & difficult to sell. But weighing that up against the cost of flying over and buying a UK car and then having to drive that to Italy it's not an easy decision... secondhand cars seem expensive in the UK

Re: DIY importing a car from EU to UK
 

Only experience of that is from a relative who decided to take his Spanish car back to the UK, he ended up driving it back to Spain and selling it to a dealer there, the cost of driving it back to spain, overnight stays, and plane fare to the UK was much cheaper that the cost of reregistering in the UK given the extra insurance, cost of matriculation, this was pre Brexit as well.