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How to Register an Imported Car With the DVLA, Step by Step

Published 10 October 2026 · 6 min read

You register an imported car with the DVLA last, after HMRC has processed your NOVA, any VAT and customs duty is paid and the car has vehicle approval. Then you post the registration application with a £55 fee and the original documents, and the V5C log book can take up to 6 weeks to arrive.

The order matters, because the DVLA will not register the car until the steps before it are finished. This guide follows the order things really happen in, using GOV.UK, and says what the DVLA may inspect and what holds an application up.

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What is the order of steps for an imported car?

Tell HMRC, pay what is due, get vehicle approval, then register and tax the car. GOV.UK's import steps differ slightly by how the car arrives:

Car shipped to you	Car you bring in yourself
1. Import declaration, made by a shipping company or customs agent	1. Tell HMRC within 14 days that the car has arrived
2. VAT and customs duty paid at the border	2. Import declaration, only if HMRC says VAT and duty are due
3. Tell HMRC within 14 days that the car has arrived	3. NOVA declaration (Notification of Vehicle Arrivals)
4. Vehicle approval	4. Vehicle approval
5. Register and tax the car with the DVLA	5. Register and tax the car with the DVLA
6. Insure the car before driving it on UK roads	6. Insure the car before driving it on UK roads

Source: GOV.UK, importing vehicles into the UK. Read on 10 October 2026.

Our guide on where a valuation fits in the HMRC and DVLA order covers the HMRC side in more detail.

What must be finished before the DVLA will register it?

Three things: HMRC confirmation, tax paid and proof of approval. GOV.UK says you must tell HMRC and get confirmation that your NOVA application is processed, pay any VAT and customs duty you owe, and have proof of vehicle approval.

The first of these is a hard stop. On the telling HMRC page, GOV.UK says you have 14 days to tell HMRC after you bring a vehicle into the UK permanently, that you may be fined if you are late, and that you cannot register the car until HMRC has confirmed your NOVA is processed. HMRC also needs any import taxes paid before it can make the NOVA declaration. If a shipping company brought the car, ask it for the customs paperwork early, because the NOVA needs the C88 and E2 documents or your Movement Reference Number.

Does the car need vehicle approval?

Usually yes if it is under 10 years old, and the route depends on where it was registered. GOV.UK's approval page says you need approval to tax a car first registered on or after 1 March 2001 with EU type approval. Cars and minibuses with 8 or fewer passenger seats that are over 10 years old are exempt, and the exemptions page lists the rest. If you have no approval, you send the DVLA a letter with your application explaining why.

• Registered in the EU: get a European Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer. A left-hand drive car also needs a certificate of GB conversion IVA, which costs £100.
• Not registered in the EU: apply for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA). For a 2-wheeled, 3-wheeled or smaller 4-wheeled vehicle it is Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) instead; see our guide on registering an imported motorcycle.

GOV.UK also says seriously damaged vehicles cannot be registered or taxed, and that approval fees are not refunded if you try. If you are unsure about GB conversion IVA, the page gives the Vehicle Certification Agency address, vehicleimporting@vca.gov.uk.

Which form do you use to register an imported car?

Form V55/5 for a used import and V55/4 for a new one. GOV.UK's registration page says V55/4 covers new vehicles, including new imports, and V55/5 covers used vehicles, including used imports. With the form you send:

• payment for vehicle tax and the £55 registration fee;
• a photocopy of your photocard driving licence, or copies of one document proving your name (such as a passport) and one proving your address (such as a utility bill from the last 3 months);
• proof of vehicle approval if the car is under 10 years old, unless exempt;
• MOT evidence if the car is over 3 years old.

On top of that, an import needs the extra documents on the registering an imported vehicle page. They must be originals:

• proof of vehicle approval;
• the original foreign registration certificate, which shows the manufacture date and is not returned;
• evidence of the collection date, such as the supplier's invoice;
• form V267, the declaration of newness, if you are registering a new vehicle;
• form V627/3, if the car has been structurally modified beyond the manufacturer's specification.

Do not send photocopies or faxes of these. Pay the correct postage, because GOV.UK says to. Our full list is in the guide to the documents for registering an imported vehicle.

What may the DVLA inspect, and what causes delays?

The DVLA might ask to inspect the car. GOV.UK says on the registration page that this can happen after you apply, and on the registering a vehicle page that if it does, the DVLA writes to you and the inspection is free. Applications stall for reasons the official pages make clear:

• NOVA not processed yet. The DVLA cannot register the car until HMRC has confirmed it.
• Photocopies instead of originals. The foreign registration certificate must be the original. If you have lost it, other proof of the manufacture date may be accepted, such as a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club.
• No proof of vehicle approval for a car that needs it.
• A seriously damaged car. It cannot be registered or taxed.

Checking every item against the list before you post is the cheapest way to avoid a letter asking for something you could have included. The DVLA cannot guarantee a return date for your documents.

When do you get the V5C and number plates?

The V5C can take up to 6 weeks to arrive, and you need it before number plates can be made up. That is the wording on the registering an imported vehicle page. So do not book a plate maker or plan a first drive on a date you cannot control. If you ask for special delivery, GOV.UK says to send a prepaid, self-addressed special delivery envelope with your application.

Do you need an MOT and vehicle tax?

Tax is paid when you register, and an MOT is needed once the car is 3 years old. The £55 fee comes with the vehicle tax payment in the same application. On MOT, GOV.UK says a car needs one by the third anniversary of its registration, so a car over 3 years old when imported needs MOT evidence with the application (see the MOT rules). You can drive the car on a public road to a pre-booked MOT or approval test before it is registered, and not for anything else. See vehicle tax for the rule that every vehicle used on the road must be taxed.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive an imported car before it is registered?

Not on a public road. GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted for using the vehicle on a public road before completing the import steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test.

Do I need an MOT before I register an imported car?

If the car is over 3 years old, GOV.UK lists MOT evidence among the things to send with the registration application.

What if I do not have the original foreign registration certificate?

The DVLA might accept other proof of the manufacture date, such as a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club. Photocopies and faxes of the certificate are not accepted.

Sources: GOV.UK, importing vehicles into the UK; registering an imported vehicle; telling HMRC; getting vehicle approval; exemptions from vehicle approval; registering a new vehicle. All read on 10 October 2026.