--- title: "The car import checklist | Shipping a Car" url: https://shippingacar.co.uk/car-import-checklist/ description: "A tickable checklist for importing a car to the UK from any country: before you buy, costs, paperwork, shipping, arrival, testing, registration and the road." --- - [Home](https://shippingacar.co.uk/) - [Guides](https://shippingacar.co.uk/blog/) - The car import checklist # The car import checklist The whole import on one page, in eight stages from buying the car to driving it on UK plates. Tick things off as you go. By My Car Import, 19 October 2026 ยท 6 minute read The fear with an import is not any single step. It is forgetting one, and finding out when the car is already at sea or sitting in a port. A list fixes that. This is the whole import on one page, from choosing the car to driving it on UK plates, split into stages. Tick things off as you go and the page will remember where you got to in this browser. It works for any country. If your car is coming from Japan, the [Japanese import checklist](https://shippingacar.co.uk/japanese-import-checklist/) adds the Japan-specific items. Stages 8, from buying to driving Tell HMRC Within 14 days of arrival Biggest single check The build date Before it ships Paperwork and ToR approval ## 1. Before you buy Most of the cost and work is decided here. The build date sets the test and the tax, and the paperwork decides whether the car can be registered at all. Before you buy 0 of 9 done - Build date checked: under 10 years from outside Europe usually means an IVA test - Build date checked: over 30 years means 5% VAT and no duty - Where the car was built, as well as where it is now - The seller can provide the registration document or title - Chassis number on the car matches the paperwork - No finance outstanding, or a plan to clear it - Any modifications listed, with who did them - Condition checked in person, or by an agent or inspector - Seller and any shipping agent checked against known scams Read [buying a car abroad safely](https://shippingacar.co.uk/buying-a-car-abroad-safely/) and [car shipping scams](https://shippingacar.co.uk/car-shipping-scams/) before money changes hands. If the car was built outside the EU but is being bought inside it, [rules of origin](https://shippingacar.co.uk/rules-of-origin-and-duty-on-eu-cars/) explains why it may still pay duty. ## 2. Cost it properly The bill has four parts, and the surprises come from leaving one out. Tax is worked out on the price plus the cost of getting the car here, with VAT charged on top of any duty. The full cost 0 of 7 done - Shipping, from our guide prices or a quote - Import tax: 20% VAT, plus 10% duty on most cars from outside the EU - UK changes: lights, fog light, speedo as needed - Testing: IVA, MOT or both - Registration and plates - Insurance once it is registered - Transfer of Residence checked, if you are moving to the UK The [shipping costs](https://shippingacar.co.uk/shipping-costs/) page has our guide prices, and the [import tax calculator](https://shippingacar.co.uk/import-tax-calculator/) runs the tax. A quote from us prices every line above. ## 3. Paperwork Getting documents to us before the car ships is what keeps customs short at this end. Some countries add their own, all listed in [documents to ship a car](https://shippingacar.co.uk/documents-to-ship-a-car-to-the-uk/). Documents to send us 0 of 7 done - The car's current registration document from the country it is in - Proof of purchase: the invoice or bill of sale - Photo ID: passport or driving licence - The old V5C, if the car was once UK-registered - Any export certificate or title your country needs - HMRC Transfer of Residence reference, if you are moving here - A GB EORI number, if a business is importing the car **Transfer of Residence comes first.** If you are relying on it, apply to HMRC before the car ships. We need the reference to clear the car tax free. The conditions are in [Transfer of Residence](https://shippingacar.co.uk/transfer-of-residence/). ## 4. Before it ships A car that leaves in good order is less likely to need work at this end. How it travels also sets a few rules, set out in [container, RoRo or air](https://shippingacar.co.uk/container-roro-or-air/). Getting the car ready 0 of 9 done - Shipping method chosen: shared container, sole container, RoRo or air - Marine insurance decided - Lights, brakes, tyres and seat belts checked - No fluid leaks - Fuel kept low - Battery charged - Car photographed all round, inside and out - For RoRo: car runs and drives, and is empty - Belongings agreed with us, if travelling by container [Preparing your car for shipping](https://shippingacar.co.uk/preparing-your-car-for-shipping/) has the full inspection list, and [marine insurance](https://shippingacar.co.uk/marine-insurance/) explains the cover. ## 5. At sea Time at sea is usually 1 to 4 weeks within a continent, 4 to 8 weeks between continents, and around 6 to 10 weeks from Australia and New Zealand. There is less for you to do here, but a couple of things are worth having ready. While it travels 0 of 4 done - Bill of lading received or confirmed - Funds ready for the import tax - Any missing documents sent to us - Decide: collect from Castle Donington, or have it delivered [The bill of lading](https://shippingacar.co.uk/bill-of-lading-explained/) explains why that document matters, and [how long shipping takes](https://shippingacar.co.uk/how-long-does-it-take-to-ship-a-car-to-the-uk/) breaks down the timings. ## 6. On arrival This stage is ours when we handle the import. We are HMRC CDS authorised agents with our own customs staff, and container cars come to our private facility in Castle Donington, where our own team unloads them. When it lands 0 of 4 done - Import declaration made and tax paid - NOVA made, within 14 days of arrival - Car unloaded and checked against your photos - Any damage recorded straight away The detail is in [customs clearance](https://shippingacar.co.uk/customs-clearance-for-imported-cars/) and [NOVA explained](https://shippingacar.co.uk/nova-explained/). If anything is damaged, [damage in transit](https://shippingacar.co.uk/damage-in-transit-and-marine-insurance-claims/) covers what to do. ## 7. Changes, testing and registration The car stays on our site through all of this. The changes are made in our workshop, then it is tested on our own lanes, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register it within 10 working days of a pass. To UK plates 0 of 7 done - UK changes made: headlights, rear fog light, mph speedo as needed - Certificate of Conformity found, if the car uses one - IVA test passed, if needed - MOT passed, if the car is over 3 years old - Dating evidence gathered, for an older car - Registration application made on form V55/5 - Number plates made and fitted See the [IVA test](https://shippingacar.co.uk/iva-test-explained/), [MOT for imported cars](https://shippingacar.co.uk/mot-for-imported-cars/) and [form V55/5](https://shippingacar.co.uk/registering-an-imported-car-v55-5/). If a test does not go to plan, [what happens if an import fails its test](https://shippingacar.co.uk/what-happens-if-my-import-fails-its-test/) explains the next steps. ## 8. On the road GOV.UK says an import cannot be used on a public road until these steps are done, except to reach a pre-booked test. Once the car is registered, a few last things make it legal and sorted. Ready to drive 0 of 5 done - Vehicle tax paid - Insured on its UK registration, with the import and changes declared - Recall check run, and with the home-market maker if needed - ULEZ status checked, if you drive in London - Import paperwork kept together in one folder [Insuring an imported car](https://shippingacar.co.uk/insuring-an-imported-car/), [road tax](https://shippingacar.co.uk/road-tax-for-imported-cars/), [recalls](https://shippingacar.co.uk/recalls-on-imported-cars/) and [ULEZ](https://shippingacar.co.uk/ulez-and-imported-cars/) each have their own guide. For the story behind each stage, read [how to import a car to the UK](https://shippingacar.co.uk/how-to-import-a-car-to-the-uk/). ## Questions people ask The car's current registration document, proof of purchase and photo ID, plus any export documents its country needs. If you are moving here and claiming Transfer of Residence, you also need your HMRC reference before the car ships. The build date. It decides whether the car takes an IVA test or an MOT, and whether it pays 5% VAT as a car over 30 years old or the standard rates. Within 14 days of arrival. This is NOVA, and the DVLA will not register the car without it. When we handle your import, we make the NOVA for you. Usually not, if the car is for your own personal use. A business importing a car needs a GB EORI number. Yes, in the browser you are using. Ticks are stored on your device only, so they will not follow you to another phone or computer. Want us to take most of these boxes off your hands? Tell us about the car on the [quote form](https://shippingacar.co.uk/quote/). Shipping is half the job ## Then My Car Import puts it on UK plates. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, so when the container is unloaded the car is already where it needs to be. It goes straight into testing and registration on the same site, with no extra transport and no waiting for a test slot somewhere else. [Quote for the whole import](https://shippingacar.co.uk/quote/) [Registration at My Car Import](https://mycarimport.co.uk) - **One of only seven** privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain - **The only privately owned** MSVA test centre in Great Britain - A **dealer-level DVLA account**, so we register imported cars within 10 working days - **In-house conversions** and test preparation, from lights to speedos ## More guides - [How to import a car to the UK, step by step The same ten steps every time, in the same order. The whole import on one page, with a link to the detailed guide for each step. Read it](https://shippingacar.co.uk/how-to-import-a-car-to-the-uk/) - [What to do if your shipped car is delayed Most shipping delays have an ordinary cause, from a rolled booking to a paperwork hold at the port. How to work out where your car is stuck, what to ask your agent and when storage charges become a risk. Read it](https://shippingacar.co.uk/what-to-do-if-your-shipped-car-is-delayed/) - [Temporarily importing a car for a show or event A car coming for a show and going home again need not pay UK import tax, as long as the right customs route is set up before it arrives. Read it](https://shippingacar.co.uk/temporarily-importing-a-car-for-a-show-or-event/) ## Tell us about your car Where it is, what it is and when you need it here. We will price the whole import, from collection abroad to UK registration with My Car Import, not just the boat. Rather talk it through? Call 01332 810442