Croatia and Slovenia are at the far side of the Alps from us, and that distance makes some people expect a long, awkward job. It isn't. Both are in the EU, so the car comes by road rather than sea, and the paperwork at this end is the same as from Germany or France. The part that catches people out is the registration they leave behind.
We cover both countries in one guide because the route and the tax are the same. Where the local paperwork differs, we say so.
- Usual method
- Road transport
- Price
- Priced per job
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks door to door
- Import tax
- 20% VAT, no duty if EU or UK-built
How the car gets here
We can collect from your address anywhere in Croatia or Slovenia and bring the car to the UK by road. Ljubljana sits on the way north from Zagreb, so the two countries share much of the same journey west to the Channel. Or, if you would rather drive the car over yourself, we can clear it through UK customs once you land.
Door to door, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks, depending on when a transporter runs the route and what else it is collecting. RoRo and container are options too. We give you a realistic collection window when we quote.
| Feature | Road transport | Drive it yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Who moves the car | We collect and deliver | You drive to the UK |
| Plates for the journey | Not needed on a transporter | Needs valid plates and insurance for the drive |
| UK customs | We clear it | We clear it once you land |
| Best for | Most cars, and anything valuable | A car you are using for the move itself |
Deregistering in Croatia
A Croatian car is deregistered (odjava) at any vehicle inspection station (stanica za tehnički pregled vozila), in person or through an authorised representative. You hand in the registration certificate (prometna dozvola) and the plates, and show ID.
For cars, vans and some other categories, the official guidance also asks for either a certificate that the car was scrapped or a statement of where the car is kept. Ask the station which applies to an exported car. The same stations issue export plates, if the car is being driven out.
Deregistering in Slovenia
In Slovenia, the owner deregisters the car (odjava vozila) at a registration organisation and hands in the plates at the same time. Deregistering on its own does not change who owns the car.
The part to watch is the charge on deregistered vehicles. For cars, light vans and some light vehicles it first falls due two years after deregistration and can run for ten years, at 25% of the annual levy and at least 25 euros. Historic vehicles are exempt.
It stops if you show the Slovenian side that the car has been registered in another country, or an export declaration confirming it left the EU customs territory. So once the car is on UK plates, keep a copy of its V5C to send back.
Finish the paperwork you leave behind. In both countries, the cleanest move is a car that is properly deregistered at home before, or as, it leaves. We confirm the details for your car when we quote.
Import tax
Croatia and Slovenia are in the EU, so a car coming from either pays 20% import VAT when it lands, worked out on the price plus the transport. There is no duty if it was built in the EU or the UK. A car built elsewhere pays 10% duty on top, so check where yours was actually made.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. If you have lived abroad for more than 12 months and owned the car for more than 6, Transfer of Residence means no import tax at all, with HMRC approval before the car moves. A car that was registered in the UK before may also come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C. The import tax calculator gives a quick figure.
Customs and NOVA
We clear the car through UK customs ourselves as HMRC CDS authorised agents. HMRC has to be told within 14 days that the car has arrived, through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals, and the DVLA will not register it without that. We submit it as part of clearance. Our NOVA guide explains it.
Making it UK road legal
Cars from Croatia and Slovenia are left-hand drive and set up for driving on the right. The usual changes are:
- Headlights adjusted or replaced so they dip for driving on the left
- A speedometer reading in mph
- A rear fog light, where needed
Our guide to speedometer and headlight conversions explains the work, and left-hand drive cars in the UK covers living with one.
Testing and registration
A car under 10 years old needs to prove it meets UK standards. For an EU-built car with its type-approval data, a Certificate of Conformity can often do that. Otherwise it takes an IVA test, and we confirm which applies when we quote. Our Certificate of Conformity guide explains why it matters.
A car over 10 years old needs an MOT, usually after rear fog light work. Over 40 years old, no MOT is needed. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. The IVA test explained guide covers the test.
Your Croatia or Slovenia paperwork
0 of 6 done
Not every UK insurer will cover an imported car, though specialists do. Our guide to insuring an imported car is worth reading before it arrives.
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for Croatia or Slovenia, because European routes are priced per job. Where the car is, when the transporter runs and what the car needs at this end all play a part. The estimator gives the tax side, and our guide to importing a car from Europe covers the wider picture.
See the Croatia and Slovenia country pages for the short version.
Questions people ask
How does a car get from Croatia or Slovenia to the UK?
Usually by road. We collect from your address and bring it west to the Channel, or you can drive it over yourself and we clear it through UK customs.
How long does it take?
European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks door to door. We give you a collection window when we quote, and registration is within 10 working days once the car has passed its test.
Where do I deregister a car in Croatia?
At any vehicle inspection station, in person or through an authorised representative, with the registration certificate, the plates and ID. The stations also issue export plates.
Will I keep paying a charge on a deregistered Slovenian car?
Slovenia charges on deregistered cars from two years after deregistration. It stops if you show the car has been registered in another country, so keep a copy of the UK V5C.
Do I pay import tax on a car from Croatia or Slovenia?
Usually 20% import VAT, with no duty if it was built in the EU or UK. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT, and Transfer of Residence can make it tax free.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job.
