Maybe the speedo has a second scale you did not expect, or an insurer has asked whether the car is an import and you are not sure. It is a fair question to be stuck on, because once an import is registered here it wears the same plates as every other UK car.
The good news is that a few free checks and a careful look at the car will usually tell you. Here is what to look at, and what each check can and cannot show.
- Free DVLA check needs
- The number plate
- Key comparison
- Build year vs first registration
- Q plate means
- Age or identity in doubt
- UK MOT history
- Cars from 2005 onwards
Start with the free GOV.UK vehicle check
The DVLA's free vehicle information service only needs the registration number. It shows, among other things:
- The date the car was first registered
- The year of manufacture
- The date the last V5C logbook was issued
- Tax and MOT status
- Engine size, fuel type and emissions
- Export status
It does not say in so many words whether a car was imported, and it does not show who owns it or has owned it. GOV.UK says keeper details have to be requested from the DVLA in writing.
The useful part is the gap between two dates. A car sold new in the UK is normally registered soon after it was built. If the year of manufacture is several years earlier than the date of first registration, the car very likely spent those years somewhere else, and that usually means it was imported.
What the V5C logbook tells you
The V5C is the UK registration certificate. It shows the registered keeper and the car's details, including its date of first registration in the UK. Compare that date with the build year from the DVLA check, or with the build date on the car itself, and the same gap applies.
Imported cars are registered for the first time using form V55/5, the DVLA form for used vehicles, including used imports. So the V5C you hold is the car's first UK logbook, even if the car is far older. If you are buying, ask to see the logbook and check the chassis number on it matches the car.
Read the number plate
When we register an import, it gets a number matched to its date of manufacture or first registration abroad. That is called an age-related number, and the DVLA needs dating evidence to issue one. So a 15-year-old import does not get a brand new plate, and the plate alone will not give the game away.
The exception is a Q plate. GOV.UK says the DVLA issues Q registration numbers to vehicles whose age or identity is in doubt, and the car has to pass a type approval process to get one. A Q plate does not always mean an import, but it does mean the DVLA could not confirm the car's age or identity, which is worth understanding before you buy.
Check the chassis number
Cars built for the UK and European markets carry a 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN. As general guidance, many cars built for the Japanese market use a shorter chassis number instead, often a model code followed by a serial number. If the number stamped on the car and printed on the V5C is noticeably shorter than 17 characters, that points towards Japan.
A full 17-character VIN does not rule out an import. Cars from Europe, the USA and elsewhere also use 17 characters, so treat the chassis number as one clue among several.
Signs on the car itself
Imports often give themselves away in the detail. None of these proves anything on its own, but two or three together tell a story.
Things to look for
0 of 7 done
The speedo is a good example. Japanese imports under 10 years old need a speedometer that reads in mph before they can be registered, but on older cars the conversion is not required, so plenty of older Japanese imports still read in km/h. More on this in speedo and headlight conversions.
Look at the MOT history
The free GOV.UK MOT history service shows each UK test since 2005 for cars, with the result and the mileage recorded at the time. An imported car's UK history only starts with its first UK test. A 20-year-old car whose UK MOT record starts recently has almost certainly spent most of its life abroad.
It also means the mileage recorded here only goes back so far. For anything earlier, the evidence is in the paperwork from the car's home country, so ask the seller for it.
No single check proves it. The DVLA check, the logbook, the plate, the chassis number and the car itself each give you a clue. Put them together, and if you are buying, ask the seller outright and get the answer in writing.
Why it matters
Knowing a car is an import is not a reason to avoid it. Plenty of the best cars on UK roads came from abroad. It does change a few things.
- Insurance. Insurers will ask whether the car is an import and what has been changed. Leaving it out can give them grounds to refuse a claim. See insuring an imported car, and for cars from Japan, Japanese import car insurance.
- Value. Some imports are worth more than the UK version, some less, and the paperwork behind the car affects what a buyer will pay.
- Parts. A car built for another market can need parts that are not stocked here, which affects repair times.
If any of the terms above are new to you, the glossary explains them in plain English. If you are thinking of buying a car abroad and bringing it in yourself, read buying a car abroad safely first, and how long it takes to register an imported car covers what happens once it lands.
Questions people ask
Is there a free DVLA car import check?
There is no dedicated import check, but the free GOV.UK vehicle information service shows the date of first registration and the year of manufacture. A big gap between the two usually means the car was imported.
Does the V5C say if a car is imported?
Not in so many words. The free DVLA vehicle enquiry on GOV.UK shows both the year of manufacture and the date the car was first registered here. If it was built years before it was first registered in the UK, it was very likely imported.
What does a Q plate mean?
GOV.UK says the DVLA issues Q registration numbers to vehicles whose age or identity is in doubt. It does not always mean an import, but it is worth finding out why before you buy.
Do imported cars get new registration plates?
Yes. An import gets a UK registration matched to its date of manufacture or first registration abroad, or a Q plate if its age cannot be proven.
How can I tell if a car is a Japanese import?
Common signs are a chassis number shorter than 17 characters, a speedo reading in km/h, Japanese stickers or menus, and a UK first registration date years after it was built.
Found out yours is an import, or looking at one? Our guide on whether to buy an imported car covers what to check and what it means for insurance.
Thinking of importing a car rather than buying one already here? Tell us about it on the quote form and we will price the whole job.
