When people ask us about China these days, it is often about an electric car. They have seen a model sold there that isn't sold here, or is cheaper there, and want to know if it can be brought over and registered. It can, with the right checks first. The car is left-hand drive, almost always under 10 years old, and built for a market with its own rules, so it goes through IVA like any other newer import from outside Europe.
This guide covers shipping from China, what a Chinese-market car needs for the UK, and the checks worth doing before you buy one.
- Port
- Shanghai
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,575
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Steering
- Left-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Shipping from Shanghai
Our route from China runs from the Port of Shanghai, on the Yangtze River estuary. It has several port areas, and vehicles shipped by RoRo go through the Haitong International Automobile Terminal at Waigaoqiao. There is more on our Shanghai port page.
Cars from China travel in a shared container, a dedicated container or by RoRo. Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the sailing. A container keeps the car sealed for the whole voyage and is unloaded by our own team at our site. Our guide to container, RoRo or air compares the three.
The steps to get a car out of China depend on the car and who is selling it, so we confirm them with you when we quote. If you are shipping an electric car, mention it on the quote form.
Chinese-market electric cars
Several Chinese brands now sell cars in the UK. That can make it look as though a Chinese-market car is simply the same car bought somewhere cheaper. For registration purposes, it isn't. A car built for China was never approved for the British market, even if a UK version of the same model was, so it has to prove it meets British standards on its own.
For a car under 10 years old from outside Europe, that means an IVA test. GOV.UK allows basic IVA, a mainly visual inspection, for personal imports and for left-hand drive cars, and you will not normally need to provide documentary evidence for it. If a model report already exists for your exact model, it may be possible to use it, for a fee.
The part that varies is the manufacturer. How much help a manufacturer gives importers differs from one to the next, and with a newer car, and an electric one especially, the technical detail behind the car matters. That is why we want to see the exact model and its paperwork before you commit, not after it has sailed.
Send us the details before you buy. The make, model, year and VIN are enough for us to tell you what the car is likely to need. It costs nothing to ask, and it is the cheapest point at which to find out a car is the wrong one.
Left-hand drive changes
China drives on the right, so Chinese-market cars are left-hand drive, petrol or electric. The usual changes for the UK are:
- Headlight beam pattern corrected for driving on the left, or the lights replaced
- Speedometer reading in mph, which is required on cars under 10 years old
- A rear fog light in the centre or on the offside
On a modern car the speedometer can be a settings change, a new instrument cluster or a new dial, depending on the car. Our guides to left-hand drive cars in the UK and speedometer and headlight conversions go into the detail.
A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT rather than IVA, and one over 40 years old 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, with the DVSA visiting weekly. The car is changed and tested on our own site, so it does not wait for a slot at a government test centre.
Before you buy in China
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Our guide to buying a car abroad safely covers the wider checks, and insuring an imported car is worth reading before you buy, too.
From Shanghai to your drive
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Before you buy
Check the car
Send us the make, model, year and VIN so we can tell you what it will need.
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Before it sails
Export and loading
The car is cleared for export and loaded at Shanghai, by container or RoRo.
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4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car sails for the UK.
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On arrival
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
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At our site
Changes, IVA and registration
We make the changes, test the car on our own IVA lane and register it through our dealer-level DVLA account.
Import tax from China
China is outside the EU, so a car bought there pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty. An electric car pays the same rates as any other. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the transport, with VAT charged on top of the duty. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad, with a car you have owned for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can make the import tax and duty free. Our worked tax examples show the sums line by line.
What it costs
China falls under our rest-of-world guide. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping starts from around £3,575. That is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and the IVA work a Chinese-market car will need. Your quote prices all of it for your actual car.
See our shipping costs page or the China country page for more.
Questions people ask
Can I import a Chinese electric car to the UK?
Yes. A car built for the Chinese market was never approved for the UK, so one under 10 years old goes through IVA, after the changes a left-hand drive car needs. Send us the make, model, year and VIN before you buy.
Does a Chinese-market car need an IVA test if the same model is sold in the UK?
Usually, yes. UK approval covers the UK version, not a car built for China, so a Chinese-market car under 10 years old has to pass IVA on its own.
How long does it take to ship a car from China to the UK?
Transit from Shanghai is usually 4 to 8 weeks. After that the car clears customs, then is changed, tested and registered at our site.
How much does it cost to ship a car from China to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the rest of the world starts from around £3,575. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Is import tax different for an electric car from China?
No. An electric car pays the same as any other car bought outside the EU: 20% import VAT and 10% import duty, on the price plus transport.
Found the car? Send us the details on the quote form before you buy and we will price the whole job, from Shanghai to your drive.
