Moving from Canada to the UK, the car tends to be the decision people put off longest. It is left-hand drive, it was built for North American roads, and the fear is a big tax bill followed by a long list of work. For someone moving home, the tax is often nil, and the work is a known list. This guide sets out how to fit the car into the move.
For ports, shipping methods and costs in more detail, see our guide to shipping a car from Canada. This page is about timing and the move itself.
- Time at sea
- 2 to 6 weeks
- Guide shipping price
- From £2,175
- Tax if you are moving
- Often nil under ToR
- Left-hand drive
- Legal, lighting work needed
Bring it or sell it
Start with the tax, because it usually decides the question. Under Transfer of Residence the car comes in with no import VAT and no duty. Without it, a car from Canada pays 20% VAT and 10% duty on its value plus the shipping, and the sums look very different.
Then think about the work. Canadian cars are built to North American lighting rules, so almost every one needs some lighting changes before its test. Tell us the exact model on the quote form and we will tell you what to expect, so the decision is made on real numbers.
Last, get a UK insurance quote. Left-hand drive cars can be insured here, but prices vary between insurers, and it only takes a few minutes to find out where you stand. Our guide to left-hand drive cars in the UK covers day-to-day life with one.
Transfer of Residence from Canada
To bring the car in tax free, you need to have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months in a row, owned and used the car for at least 6 months, and be moving here to live for at least the next 12 months. The car has to arrive within 12 months of your move.
If you have a cottage or second place in Canada, note that GOV.UK says relief does not cover goods brought from a second or holiday home. The car needs to be the one from your main home.
You apply to HMRC online with form ToR1, before the car ships. HMRC gives you a reference, and we put it on the customs declaration to clear the car tax free. Our guide to Transfer of Residence covers the relief in full.
Your ToR evidence
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Keep one bill in your name. HMRC wants proof of your Canadian address dated within the last 3 months. If you cancel every utility before you apply, you can be left without it. Use exactly the same name on every document and on the form.
East coast or west coast
Where the car is changes the timing more than anything else. We collect from anywhere in Canada through our Canadian agents, from a home or a dealer, with open or enclosed transport, and the car is insured while it is moved to the port. Ports include Halifax, Saint John, Montreal, Quebec, Hamilton, Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
A car leaving the west coast has further to go, because the ship routes through the Panama Canal before it crosses the Atlantic. Across the country, the sea leg is around 2 to 6 weeks. Our guides to British Columbia and Ontario or Quebec cover each side.
| Feature | RoRo | Container |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Generally faster | Can take a little longer |
| Car must run | Yes | No |
| Sealed in transit | No | Yes |
Once the car is on the ship, marine insurance covers it to its full replacement value. Your Canadian policy will not cover it at sea, so do not cancel one before the other is in place.
Before you leave Canada
The Canadian side
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If there is still a loan or lease on the car, talk to the lender before you book. Our guide to shipping a car with finance outstanding explains why it matters.
How the move lines up
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Months before
Decide and check ToR
Confirm the 12-month and 6-month rules, get a quote and a UK insurance quote.
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Before it ships
Apply for ToR
Send form ToR1 to HMRC. If the car goes ahead of you, say so on the form.
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Collection
To the port
Our Canadian agents collect the car and take it to the port, insured on the way.
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2 to 6 weeks
At sea
Longer from the west coast, because the ship goes through the Panama Canal.
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On arrival
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car with your ToR reference and tell HMRC it has arrived.
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At our site
Lighting, test, plates
Lighting work, an IVA or MOT on our own site, then DVLA registration within 10 working days of a pass.
Making it legal here
Your car does not need converting to right-hand drive. What changes is the lighting, because Canadian and UK rules differ:
- Amber rear indicators, because North American cars usually flash red at the back
- Side markers at the front of the doors
- A rear fog light
- Headlights adjusted or replaced for driving on the left
A car under 10 years old also needs a speedometer that reads in mph, which is a more common job on Canadian cars than American ones. It then takes an IVA test. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, and one over 40 needs no MOT. Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain. Our guide to converting an American car for UK roads goes through each change, and the same rules apply to Canadian cars.
The first months in the UK
Until the car is registered, taxed and insured, it cannot be used on a public road here, apart from driving to a pre-booked test. GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted otherwise, so plan another way to get around while the car is at sea and in our workshop.
Have UK insurance ready for the day it is registered, then tax it. Our guides to insuring an imported car and road tax for imported cars cover both. For 12 months after your move, a car that came in under ToR cannot be sold, lent, hired out or used as security, or the VAT and duty can become payable.
What it costs
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from Canada starts from around £2,175. That is shipping only. It does not include registration, testing, import tax or the lighting work, which varies a lot from car to car. Our cost guide for Canada explains what moves the figure, and a car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty if ToR does not fit.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import tax when moving from Canada to the UK with my car?
Not if you qualify for Transfer of Residence: 12 months living outside the UK, 6 months owning and using the car, and moving your home here. Apply to HMRC before the car ships. Otherwise it is usually 20% VAT and 10% duty.
Does my Canadian car need converting to right-hand drive?
No. Left-hand drive cars are legal here. It will need lighting work: amber rear indicators, side markers, a rear fog light and headlights set up for driving on the left, plus an mph speedo on cars under 10 years old.
How long does it take from the west coast?
Longer than from the east, because the ship routes through the Panama Canal. Across Canada the sea leg is around 2 to 6 weeks, before customs, work, testing and registration.
Should the car go before me or after me?
Either works. Apply for ToR before it ships, tell HMRC on the form if it will arrive first, and make sure it lands within 12 months of your move.
Is the car insured on the way?
Yes. It is insured while it is moved to the port, and marine insurance covers it to full replacement value once it is on the ship.
Planning the move? Tell us the car and your dates on the quote form and we will set out the plan, from your driveway in Canada to UK plates.
