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After my own experience with importing a car and being unable to find all of the information I could easily regarding dealing with things I figured that I may as well created a thread to simpify things to the best of my knowledge. It's not as hard as it seems but as always it pays to be on your toes.
There is one caveat with below. This information will only apply to cars over 10 years old, which should be fine for us RRers
.
In a nutshell you will need the following information in order to get your car a UK numberplate:
Sounds easy right? It is. A few areas however require more investigation.
! ) NOVA ; Notification of Vehicle Arrival
It is paramount that this is done ASAP. Why?
-Without it you don't stand a chance of importing it ; DVLA won't let you.
-It's how HMRC determine how much (if any tax that you pay on the vehicle.
But what does this entail? Obviously it's a way of telling HMRC that your vehicle has arrived into the country. This can be done online. You'll need to provide paperwork like the export certificate etc, Logbook etc.). From this and depending on where the car has come from HMRC will decide how much duty you pay. As a rule of thumb:
-Cars from within the EU ; VAT only applied to the total price. That is the cost of the car and the shipping cost.; I cannot confirm whether this rate is reduced for older cars.
-Cars from outside of the EU ; Duty and VAT will be applied onto the total price. I've heard of many figures for the Duty ; some claim it's only a 5% for old cars with others claiming they got hit by 10%. It's an area I am not too familiar with TBH!
However, alot of shipping companies who ship the cars in will actually process the NOVA for you and can add it into their final fee. Many shipping companies will even have a fee calculator for this in mind.
Another thing. If you are importing the car yourself ensure that the NOVA is done within 14 days. Why? After this the DVLA will begin fining you around £5 a day for every day it is late after this. Sounds cheap but this could add on quite a bit onto if a car has been sat in the UK for an age without it.
Once the NOVA has been done you will either get a certificate through the post or an Online confirmation with the confirmation no. Print off this confirmation and keep it safe. Remember that the DVLA will refuse the application without this.
So. You have your NOVA. Happy days. But what about the rest?
2 ) Car Documents
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Without these your car may well end up becoming a Q plate and needing an IVA. After all, it's proof to the DVLA or what the car is and the smaller details like the size of the engine etc. But don't despair. There are a number of forms that the DVLA will accept as proof of what the car is. This includes:
-An Export certificate
-Car Logbook from wherever the car is from
-Documentation from the car manufacturer of what the car is. This is generally easy to obtain but some cars can be tricky to obtain information for. Australian built Toyotas are one example ; You have to go to Toyota Australia to obtain the information.
-Comfirmation from a known owners club etc. It may pay to ring the DVLA and possibly even the owner's club if this is your only option. If your documents are all in another language with no translation present this may be an avenue worth pursuing.
In my case I had the export certificate which I sent off the DVLA.
3) MOT Certificate
This is a form of approval for the car. That is to check that the car is roadworthy, that it actually exists and has a VIN plate.
"But how can you MOT an unregistered vehicle" I hear you ask? Simple. It's done off the VIN no.
NOTE : You can apply for MOT Exemption when you apply for the registration. However, there is a very good chance that you can delay your application as it seems more cars are getting inspected when a V55/5 is applied for in this way.
If you want a more hassle free and quicker apporach, and you know the car is fine, it may well be worth getting the car MOT'd beforehand.
4) Proof of collection (Invoice)
This is pretty much as it sounds. It's something to show when you collected the vehicle. In this case I used the sales invoice. Some claim the Export Certificate would have sufficed, but if you are like me, and want a hassle free expereince, an invoice is probably the easiest way to prove 'collection' of the vehicle.
5) £55 Registration Fee
This fee can be paid as follows
-Postal Order ; Who still uses these?
-Cheque
I went with the latter. You can also tax your car at this stage if you know for certain for tax band it falls under. In my case it was free as my car was tax exempt. But the Import Pack (the V55/5 Form) has a list of all of the tax rates. Of course you can always tax it separately when you get the V5 back.
6) Proof of insurance on the car (this can be done via the VIN only) ; this also only applies to Northern Ireland
I don't know why but this is a pre-requisite for NI cars as well.
7) V55/5 Form
First thing is first. Order an Import pack from the DVLA online. Why? If you use an outdated V55/5 your application will be rejected. The pack also contains instructions on how to fill out the form etc.
I thought I would leave the best until last. The V55/5 Form. Many a rejected application seems to be down to filling the form out incorrectly and confusion on the part of the DVLA. It's not worded in the best way so it is hard to know what to fill out. With this in mind I will now give a Layman's version of what you fill out for the 2016 form, the latest version.
However, the new Import Packs have far better instructions than they used to
Below are the numbers to the boxes that you need to fill out on the form.
Top Right Box : State Country Vehicle Purchased From : This will be where the car came from before the UK.
2) Tax Class ; This will be either PLG or Historic. The latter is for cars over 40 years old
3) Period of Tax applied for. This could be 6 months or a year. Or leave it blank if you don't want to tax it just yet.
4)Registration Fee : Tick the doc and then fill out how much tax is payable for your car if you wish to tax it at this point. Remember to add this value onto the £55 Registration fee when you sign your cheque
5) Manufacturer : This is Toyota, Honda, Ford etc.
6) Make : e.g : Mustang, Carina, CROWN etc.
7) Model : This is optional. Of course if your car is a DL or a Ghia etc. put it down
8) Type of Body : You have a few choices here. It could be Two Door Saloon, Estate, 3/5 Door Hatchback, Coupe, Sports, Convertible etc.
9) Wheelplan : For cars this is 2 Axle Rigid
10) Colour : Just a basic description here. If it's Laguna Seca Blue just put down Blue. If it's red and white, just put down Red and White. For cars with 3 colours or more put down "Multicoloured"
18) No of seats : How many seats does the car have including the driver?
27) Year of Manufacture : The DVLA will generally accept the first registration date for this from where the car was from. Otherwise the owner's club route may prove handy.
29) Date from which the tax will start ; Today's date will do
30) Type of Fuel : Petrol, Diesel, LPG, Electric etc. will do
31) VIN No. Put in the fill VIN no.
32) Engine No. If you don't have this don't despair. If you do put it down
.
45) Date of Original Registration : This will come from either the Export certificate or the Logbook.
48) Partial Postcode : Put in the first part of the Postcode from where you live.
49) Name and Address : Your details basically.
50) Date of Birth/Contact Details : Fill in this info. If the application has an issue this is how the DVLA will contact you.
51) Is the Vehicle Exempt from Type Approval : Here Write the following : "The car is older than 10 years old ; thus exempt from Type Approval)
55) Mileage : Put down the figure on the speedo
56) Declaration. Here tick the relevant boxes. In my case it was MOT Certificate. Remember to sign and date the form too. A few forms have been returned due to people forgetting!
A long list? It's longer than it looks but as always take your time filling out the form. The Certificate of Conformity will not apply to a car older than 10 years old.
I also typed out a letter detailing what I wanted them to do and the forms, NOVA Info etc. that I had. Why? It's a bit more pleasant and for them it probably helps with organisation ; you have given them a check list of what you have sent in essence.
That's it?
Yup, that is it! I rang the DVLA a week after I sent the form off. I did this as they had assigned the car a reg plate by this point and also to ensure that they had the Info. My logbook came through within two weeks.
Another thing. Don't be tight on the postage. Send it by 1st Class recorded. That way they can't claim it got lost, and they use the tracking no. to see where it is in the processing line ; keep a hold of the tracking no.
Anyway, it's time for an image or two:
There is one caveat with below. This information will only apply to cars over 10 years old, which should be fine for us RRers
.In a nutshell you will need the following information in order to get your car a UK numberplate:
- NOVA Confirmation No.
- Car Documentation/Confirmation
- MOT Certificate
- Proof of Purchase/Invoice
- £55 Registration Fee
- Proof of insurance on the car (this can be done via the VIN only) ; this also only applies to Northern Ireland
- V55/5 Form
Sounds easy right? It is. A few areas however require more investigation.
! ) NOVA ; Notification of Vehicle Arrival
It is paramount that this is done ASAP. Why?
-Without it you don't stand a chance of importing it ; DVLA won't let you.
-It's how HMRC determine how much (if any tax that you pay on the vehicle.
But what does this entail? Obviously it's a way of telling HMRC that your vehicle has arrived into the country. This can be done online. You'll need to provide paperwork like the export certificate etc, Logbook etc.). From this and depending on where the car has come from HMRC will decide how much duty you pay. As a rule of thumb:
-Cars from within the EU ; VAT only applied to the total price. That is the cost of the car and the shipping cost.; I cannot confirm whether this rate is reduced for older cars.
-Cars from outside of the EU ; Duty and VAT will be applied onto the total price. I've heard of many figures for the Duty ; some claim it's only a 5% for old cars with others claiming they got hit by 10%. It's an area I am not too familiar with TBH!
However, alot of shipping companies who ship the cars in will actually process the NOVA for you and can add it into their final fee. Many shipping companies will even have a fee calculator for this in mind.
Another thing. If you are importing the car yourself ensure that the NOVA is done within 14 days. Why? After this the DVLA will begin fining you around £5 a day for every day it is late after this. Sounds cheap but this could add on quite a bit onto if a car has been sat in the UK for an age without it.
Once the NOVA has been done you will either get a certificate through the post or an Online confirmation with the confirmation no. Print off this confirmation and keep it safe. Remember that the DVLA will refuse the application without this.
So. You have your NOVA. Happy days. But what about the rest?
2 ) Car Documents
Without these your car may well end up becoming a Q plate and needing an IVA. After all, it's proof to the DVLA or what the car is and the smaller details like the size of the engine etc. But don't despair. There are a number of forms that the DVLA will accept as proof of what the car is. This includes:
-An Export certificate
-Car Logbook from wherever the car is from
-Documentation from the car manufacturer of what the car is. This is generally easy to obtain but some cars can be tricky to obtain information for. Australian built Toyotas are one example ; You have to go to Toyota Australia to obtain the information.
-Comfirmation from a known owners club etc. It may pay to ring the DVLA and possibly even the owner's club if this is your only option. If your documents are all in another language with no translation present this may be an avenue worth pursuing.
In my case I had the export certificate which I sent off the DVLA.
3) MOT Certificate
This is a form of approval for the car. That is to check that the car is roadworthy, that it actually exists and has a VIN plate.
"But how can you MOT an unregistered vehicle" I hear you ask? Simple. It's done off the VIN no.
NOTE : You can apply for MOT Exemption when you apply for the registration. However, there is a very good chance that you can delay your application as it seems more cars are getting inspected when a V55/5 is applied for in this way.
If you want a more hassle free and quicker apporach, and you know the car is fine, it may well be worth getting the car MOT'd beforehand.
4) Proof of collection (Invoice)
This is pretty much as it sounds. It's something to show when you collected the vehicle. In this case I used the sales invoice. Some claim the Export Certificate would have sufficed, but if you are like me, and want a hassle free expereince, an invoice is probably the easiest way to prove 'collection' of the vehicle.
5) £55 Registration Fee
This fee can be paid as follows
-Postal Order ; Who still uses these?
-Cheque
I went with the latter. You can also tax your car at this stage if you know for certain for tax band it falls under. In my case it was free as my car was tax exempt. But the Import Pack (the V55/5 Form) has a list of all of the tax rates. Of course you can always tax it separately when you get the V5 back.
6) Proof of insurance on the car (this can be done via the VIN only) ; this also only applies to Northern Ireland
I don't know why but this is a pre-requisite for NI cars as well.
7) V55/5 Form
First thing is first. Order an Import pack from the DVLA online. Why? If you use an outdated V55/5 your application will be rejected. The pack also contains instructions on how to fill out the form etc.
I thought I would leave the best until last. The V55/5 Form. Many a rejected application seems to be down to filling the form out incorrectly and confusion on the part of the DVLA. It's not worded in the best way so it is hard to know what to fill out. With this in mind I will now give a Layman's version of what you fill out for the 2016 form, the latest version.
However, the new Import Packs have far better instructions than they used to
Below are the numbers to the boxes that you need to fill out on the form.
Top Right Box : State Country Vehicle Purchased From : This will be where the car came from before the UK.
2) Tax Class ; This will be either PLG or Historic. The latter is for cars over 40 years old
3) Period of Tax applied for. This could be 6 months or a year. Or leave it blank if you don't want to tax it just yet.
4)Registration Fee : Tick the doc and then fill out how much tax is payable for your car if you wish to tax it at this point. Remember to add this value onto the £55 Registration fee when you sign your cheque
5) Manufacturer : This is Toyota, Honda, Ford etc.
6) Make : e.g : Mustang, Carina, CROWN etc.
7) Model : This is optional. Of course if your car is a DL or a Ghia etc. put it down
8) Type of Body : You have a few choices here. It could be Two Door Saloon, Estate, 3/5 Door Hatchback, Coupe, Sports, Convertible etc.
9) Wheelplan : For cars this is 2 Axle Rigid
10) Colour : Just a basic description here. If it's Laguna Seca Blue just put down Blue. If it's red and white, just put down Red and White. For cars with 3 colours or more put down "Multicoloured"
18) No of seats : How many seats does the car have including the driver?
27) Year of Manufacture : The DVLA will generally accept the first registration date for this from where the car was from. Otherwise the owner's club route may prove handy.
29) Date from which the tax will start ; Today's date will do
30) Type of Fuel : Petrol, Diesel, LPG, Electric etc. will do
31) VIN No. Put in the fill VIN no.
32) Engine No. If you don't have this don't despair. If you do put it down
.45) Date of Original Registration : This will come from either the Export certificate or the Logbook.
48) Partial Postcode : Put in the first part of the Postcode from where you live.
49) Name and Address : Your details basically.
50) Date of Birth/Contact Details : Fill in this info. If the application has an issue this is how the DVLA will contact you.
51) Is the Vehicle Exempt from Type Approval : Here Write the following : "The car is older than 10 years old ; thus exempt from Type Approval)
55) Mileage : Put down the figure on the speedo
56) Declaration. Here tick the relevant boxes. In my case it was MOT Certificate. Remember to sign and date the form too. A few forms have been returned due to people forgetting!
A long list? It's longer than it looks but as always take your time filling out the form
. The Certificate of Conformity will not apply to a car older than 10 years old.I also typed out a letter detailing what I wanted them to do and the forms, NOVA Info etc. that I had. Why? It's a bit more pleasant and for them it probably helps with organisation ; you have given them a check list of what you have sent in essence
.That's it?
Yup, that is it! I rang the DVLA a week after I sent the form off. I did this as they had assigned the car a reg plate by this point and also to ensure that they had the Info. My logbook came through within two weeks.
Another thing. Don't be tight on the postage. Send it by 1st Class recorded. That way they can't claim it got lost, and they use the tracking no. to see where it is in the processing line ; keep a hold of the tracking no.
Anyway, it's time for an image or two:
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