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How to Register an Imported Motorcycle With the DVLA

Published 10 October 2026 · 7 min read

An imported motorcycle under 10 years old with no Certificate of Conformity needs a full Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) test before the DVLA will register it, and a two-wheeled bike costs £85 to test in working hours. After the pass you send DVSA's approval certificate to the DVLA with the £55 registration fee, and the V5C registration certificate takes up to 6 weeks to arrive.

Importing a bike and want the DVLA paperwork checked before it goes in? Get a free price for your DVLA registration pack.

Does an imported motorcycle need an MSVA?

Only if it needs vehicle approval and has no approval from another scheme. GOV.UK says MSVA is for motorcycles, 3-wheeled vehicles and light 4-wheeled vehicles that are under 10 years old, have not been registered before in the UK, and do not have ECWVTA (European whole vehicle type approval) or provisional UK type approval. Without a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the manufacturer, a bike has no such approval, so it needs a full MSVA (see how partial MSVA works).

Age matters. GOV.UK's guidance on getting vehicle approval says that if your vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago, you might not need approval. When you apply to register, the DVLA asks for proof of approval "if the vehicle is under 10 years old, unless it's exempt" (new registrations). Check the bike's first registration or manufacture date before anything else, because it decides whether this whole section applies.

Which approval route fits your bike?

It depends on whether the bike has a CoC and what that CoC says. The routes on GOV.UK are these:

Your bike	Route
Not registered in the EU, or no CoC	Full MSVA (the other option for a vehicle not registered in the EU is IVA)
CoC showing ECWVTA, set up only for right-hand-side roads	Partial MSVA: £10 plus £2 VAT, £12 in total
CoC that says the vehicle suits left-hand-side use	No partial MSVA. GOV.UK says it needs a GB conversion IVA instead
Registered in the EU, with approval	European Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer; for left-hand drive also a certificate of GB conversion IVA (£100 fee)

Sources: GOV.UK, motorcycle single vehicle approval; GOV.UK, getting vehicle approval; GOV.UK, how partial MSVA works. Read on 10 October 2026.

The partial MSVA checks three things: the dipped headlamp pattern is suitable for driving on the left, the speedometer shows miles per hour (or mph and km/h), and on a moped with one mirror it sits on the right (offside). If you are unsure which route applies, GOV.UK points you to the Vehicle Certification Agency at vehicleimporting@vca.gov.uk.

What must you do before you book the test?

Deal with HMRC first, and keep the bike off the road. GOV.UK's import steps for a bike you bring in yourself are: tell HMRC within 14 days of arrival, make an import declaration only if HMRC tells you to pay VAT and customs duty, make a Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) declaration, get vehicle approval, then register and tax the vehicle, and insure it before riding on UK roads. For a shipped bike the order starts with the import declaration and paying VAT and duty at the border.

GOV.UK also warns that you can be prosecuted if you use your vehicle on a public road before you complete these steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. The DVLA will not register the bike until you have told HMRC and had confirmation that the NOVA application is processed, paid any VAT and duty, and have proof of vehicle approval (registering an imported vehicle).

How do you book the MSVA test and what does it check?

You apply to DVSA, who inspect the bike at a test station you choose. Online you need the vehicle identification number (VIN) or chassis number; you can also apply by post to the DVSA Approvals Team in Swansea (apply for MSVA). If the bike has no VIN, GOV.UK says to write to VC15A/MASET, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ZZ before the inspection. Choose from the approved test stations on the DVSA station map. After you apply, DVSA emails you the outcome, usually within 10 working days, and you cannot use the motorcycle on the road until it has passed.

The procedures and standards the examiners follow are set out in the MSVA inspection manual. The pages above do not list what is checked on a full test, so read the manual or ask the test station before the day. A two-wheeled inspection is shown as about 60 minutes.

How much does an MSVA test cost?

£85 in working hours or £109 outside them for a two-wheeled motorcycle or sidecar. The DVSA fee table for motorcycles (last updated 13 December 2022) defines working hours as Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm and Friday 8am to 4:30pm. A paid re-inspection is £17 in working hours or £41 outside them, and a duplicate or replacement certificate is £12. You must give at least 3 clear working days' notice to change or cancel a test, or you pay for it again.

Do not pay for approval on a badly damaged bike. GOV.UK says a seriously damaged vehicle, which cannot be repaired, cannot be registered or taxed with the DVLA, and vehicle approval fees are not refunded.

What happens if the bike fails?

You can have it re-inspected, or appeal. The fee table lists free and paid re-inspections, and GOV.UK says that to appeal you complete form MSVA17 and return it to the original test station within 14 days of the original decision. You pay the test fee again, and it is refunded if the appeal succeeds.

What happens after the bike passes?

DVSA issues a Minister's Approval Certificate (MAC), and you need it to register the vehicle. After a partial MSVA you receive a Ministers Approval certificate, and GOV.UK says you must present it to the DVLA with the original Certificate of Conformity. Keep the original: the DVLA wants proof of approval as part of the registration application, not a photocopy.

What does the DVLA need, and how much is the fee?

The registration fee is £55 and you must tax the bike when you register it (GOV.UK). Use form V55/4 for new vehicles and form V55/5 for used vehicles, which GOV.UK lists as including used imports (register a vehicle). Send with the application:

• payment for vehicle tax and the £55 fee, where you have to pay it;
• proof of vehicle approval (the MAC) if the bike is under 10 years old and not exempt;
• the original foreign registration certificate showing the manufacture date. You will not get it back. If you have none, the DVLA might accept other proof such as a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club;
• 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 bike has been structurally modified beyond the manufacturer's specification;
• MOT evidence if the bike is over 3 years old (a copy of your MOT history is acceptable, and it is not returned for a motorcycle);
• a photocopy of your photocard driving licence, or one document proving your name and one proving your address.

GOV.UK says to send originals, not photocopies or faxes, for the import documents, and to pay the correct postage. The DVLA might ask to inspect the bike. A bike is due its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration (getting an MOT).

How long until 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. Check every detail on it when it arrives. Until it comes, the bike stays off the road unless it is on its way to a pre-booked test.

What does it cost in total?

On GOV.UK's figures, a two-wheeled bike that needs a full MSVA costs £140 in approval and registration fees before vehicle tax: £85 for the test plus £55 for the DVLA. These are the government fees only.

Item	Cost
MSVA test, two-wheeled, working hours	£85
DVLA registration fee	£55
Total fees	£140
Not included	Vehicle tax, any VAT and customs duty, MOT, any modifications, insurance, transport to the test

Calculated from the GOV.UK figures above. Read on 10 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can I ride my imported motorcycle to the MSVA test?

GOV.UK warns you can be prosecuted for using an imported vehicle on a public road before you finish the import steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. Its partial MSVA guidance, though, says you must transport the vehicle to the test centre and cannot ride it there. Ask the test station before you decide.

Does a motorcycle over 10 years old need an MSVA?

Not always. GOV.UK says that if a vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago, you might not need approval. The MSVA scheme itself is for vehicles under 10 years old, so check the first registration or manufacture date before you book.

What if my imported motorcycle fails the MSVA?

GOV.UK says you can appeal for a re-test within 14 days of the original decision, using form MSVA17 returned to the original test station. You pay the test fee again, and it is refunded if the appeal succeeds.

Sources: GOV.UK, importing vehicles into the UK; getting vehicle approval; registering an imported vehicle; motorcycle single vehicle approval; vehicle approval test costs: motorcycles; new registrations. All read on 10 October 2026.