You have found the car you want, and it is either sitting abroad or already on a forecourt here with UK plates. The question is whether to bring one in yourself or let someone else do it. One sounds like a lot of work, the other sounds like paying for someone else's.
Both are sensible routes, and neither is right for everyone. We import cars for people every day, so we have an interest here, but the honest answer depends on the car, your timescale and how much you want to be involved.
What each route really involves
Importing it yourself
You find and buy the car abroad, then it is shipped, cleared through customs, changed for UK roads, tested and registered. "Yourself" rarely means doing every step by hand. GOV.UK says the import declaration for a shipped car is made by a shipping company or customs agent, and most people hand the rest to a company like ours too.
What it does mean is that you choose the car, you own it from the start, and you take on the wait and the decisions. The full sequence is in how to import a car to the UK.
Buying from a UK importer
Someone else has already done all of that. The car is here, registered, with a V5C, and you buy it much as you would any used car. It might come from a specialist importer, a general dealer or a private owner who imported it years ago.
Side by side
| Feature | Import it yourself | Buy from a UK importer |
|---|---|---|
| Choice | Anything on sale in the export market | Whatever is in stock here |
| Seeing the car first | Often bought unseen, or through an agent or inspector | View and drive before you pay |
| Time to drive it | Weeks: shipping, customs, testing, registration | Usually as soon as the sale is done |
| Paperwork | You hold every document from the start | Depends on what the importer kept and passes on |
| UK changes | You know what was done and who did it | Ask what was done, by whom, and whether it was tested |
| Your protection | Depends on the seller and the country | A trader must sell as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose |
| Price | You pay each cost directly | One price, which includes the importer's costs and margin |
The case for importing it yourself
The biggest reason is choice. If the exact car, spec or colour you want was never sold here, or good ones are scarce, the export market may have far more to pick from. That is why so many people look at JDM cars or American models.
You also see the whole history yourself. For a Japanese car that means the auction sheet, which Japanese auction grades explains, and the export certificate. For an American car it means the title. Nothing is filtered through someone else.
And you know exactly what has been done to make it road legal, because you asked for it. When we handle the import, the changes are made in our own workshop and tested on our own lanes, so the car comes to you with a clear record.
The case against importing it yourself
The wait is real. Time at sea is usually 4 to 8 weeks between continents and around 6 to 10 from Australia and New Zealand, and customs, testing and registration follow. If you need a car next week, this is not the route.
You often buy without seeing the car in person. An agent or an independent inspection helps, and buying a car abroad safely covers how to do it well. Distance is also what fraudsters rely on, so read car shipping scams before you send any money.
The tax is paid at the border before the car can be registered, so your money is tied up for a while. If the car turns out to need more work than expected, that is found here, after you own it. Your rights if something is wrong depend on who sold it to you and where.
No surprises is the aim. When you import through us, a person on our team prices the whole job, including the import tax, before you commit. If something about the car changes the price, we tell you first.
The case for buying here
You can see it, sit in it and drive it before you pay. For many people that alone settles it. The car is already registered, so the import work is finished and you can drive away.
Buying from a trader also brings protection. Trading standards advice is that a trader must sell a car that is as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, and must not mislead you. A private seller only has to sell it as described.
The case against buying here
Choice is limited to what someone else decided to bring in. For popular models that may be plenty. For rarer ones, you may wait a long time for the right car to appear.
You also rely on someone else's work. The UK changes may have been done well, or done cheaply, and the paperwork may or may not have been kept. And the price naturally covers the importer's own costs and margin, which is fair for the work, but means you are paying for convenience.
Questions to ask a UK importer
Before you buy an imported car here
0 of 8 done
Our guide to checking whether a car is an import shows how to confirm most of this for free, and should you buy an imported car covers the wider pros and cons.
Which suits you
Import it yourself if you want a specific car that is hard to find here, you are happy to wait, and you like knowing every document and every change. It suits enthusiasts and people who have already found the car abroad.
Buy from a UK importer if you want to see the car first, need it soon, or want the protection of buying from a trader. It suits people who care more about the car than the process.
Either way, once the car is properly registered it is taxed, tested and insured like any other. Grey and parallel imports explains how the route a car took affects ownership, and parts and servicing covers life afterwards.
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to import a car yourself?
It depends on the car. Importing yourself means paying shipping, import tax, UK changes, testing and registration directly. A UK importer's price covers those plus their margin. The fair test is a full quote compared with UK adverts for the same car.
Do I have to do the customs paperwork myself?
No. GOV.UK says the import declaration for a shipped car is made by a shipping company or customs agent. We are HMRC CDS authorised agents and make the entry ourselves.
How long does importing a car yourself take?
Time at sea is usually 4 to 8 weeks between continents, or around 6 to 10 from Australia and New Zealand. Customs, any changes and testing follow, and we register imported cars within 10 working days of a pass.
What protection do I have buying an import from a UK dealer?
Trading standards advice is that a trader must sell a car as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose, and must not mislead you. A private seller only has to sell it as described.
Can I buy a car abroad without seeing it?
Many people do, through an agent or an independent inspection. Check the paperwork and the seller carefully, and never pay a stranger's "shipping agent". Our guides on buying abroad safely and car shipping scams go through it.
Found a car abroad? Send it over on the quote form and we will price the whole import, so you can compare it fairly.
