Importing a pickup truck to the UK

A full-size American pickup is a big thing to bring to a small island. People worry about whether it will fit on a ship, whether it will pass a test, and whether the tax man will treat it as a car or a van. The answers depend mostly on one number, its weight, and once you know that the rest is quite predictable.

This guide covers the Ford F-150, RAM, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra and their relatives from America, as well as right-hand drive trucks such as the Toyota Hilux from Japan or Australia.

Key number

3,500kg gross weight

Under 10 years

IVA or Certificate of Conformity

Import tax, non-EU

10% duty + 20% VAT

Registration

About 10 working days

Shipping a truck

Trucks go by container or RoRo, just like cars, with marine insurance available for the crossing. A container comes to our own facility in Castle Donington rather than a port warehouse, and our team unloads it.

The difference is space. A crew-cab truck with a long bed takes up far more room on a ship or in a container than a saloon, and it is priced that way. Whether yours goes in a container or by RoRo depends on its exact size, so give us the model, cab and bed length when you ask for a quote.

From America it is weeks at sea. The guide price on our shipping costs page is for a typical car, so expect a truck to come in above it. Our guide to the cost of shipping from the USA explains why size matters so much.

The 3,500kg line

Almost everything in a pickup import depends on whether its gross vehicle weight is above or below 3,500kg. That is the figure on the truck's certification label, the most it is allowed to weigh fully loaded, not what it weighs on the drive.

The IVA test for cars and light vans covers vehicles up to 3,500kg. Some of the largest American trucks go over that once fully specified, and heavier-duty versions are the ones to check. Above the line, a truck is treated as a heavy goods vehicle, with its own approval route, annual testing and licence.

Testing by age

A truck under 10 years old needs UK type approval, either on a Certificate of Conformity or through an IVA test. American trucks were never built for the European market, so in practice that usually means IVA.

Over 10 years old, type approval falls away and an MOT takes its place, along with the usual age-related work. Over 40 years old, no MOT or approval test is needed at all.

We test in our own lanes, so a truck that arrives at our site is modified, tested and registered there. Our dealer-level DVLA account gives an expected turnaround of 10 working days for registration. There is more on the test itself in the IVA test explained.

Changes for UK roads

A left-hand drive American truck needs its headlights changed so they dip the right way, a rear fog light and a speedometer that reads in mph. We do this work on site before the test.

Trucks from Japan and Australia are right-hand drive, so they generally avoid the headlight work. Our guide to converting an American car for UK roads covers the lighting changes in more detail, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with one.

Import tax

A truck from outside the EU pays 10% import duty and 20% VAT, worked out on the price of the truck plus the cost of getting it here. The UK Trade Tariff lists 10% duty for goods vehicles up to 5 tonnes, the same as for cars. From the EU it is 20% VAT, and a truck over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty.

If you have lived abroad for more than 12 months and owned the truck for more than 6, you may be able to bring it in tax free under Transfer of Residence. Try your own figures on the import tax calculator.

Car or van once it is here

This is where pickups get complicated, because different taxes draw the line in different places. It is worth understanding before you buy, particularly if a business will own the truck.

• Vehicle tax depends on how the DVLA classes the truck. GOV.UK lists a flat yearly rate for light goods vehicles registered since March 2001 and up to 3,500kg, which is £360 for 12 months at the time of writing.
• For company car tax, HMRC changed its approach from 6 April 2025. Most double cab pickups are now treated as cars for benefit in kind, whatever their payload, with transitional rules for some trucks bought or ordered before that date.
• HMRC notes that the benefit in kind change does not affect how vehicle tax is worked out.

We can tell you how the import side works. For the business tax side, speak to your accountant before you commit, as the rules depend on how the truck is used.

Before you buy

The last one is not a joke. Measure your drive and any garage, and think about car parks before the truck is on a ship. For buying abroad more generally, see buying a car abroad safely.

Questions people ask

Got your eye on a truck? Send us the details on the quote form and we will check the weight and price the whole job.