The Channel Islands feel like home turf. The cars are right-hand drive, the roads drive on the left and the ferry lands in Portsmouth. So it surprises people that a car coming over to stay still has to go through customs and pick up UK plates. It is one of the shorter jobs we do, and the paperwork is ours to handle.
- Ports
- St Helier and St Peter Port
- Price
- Priced per job
- Transit time
- Usually 1 to 4 weeks door to door
- Import tax
- Import VAT due, duty confirmed on your quote
This guide covers both bailiwicks. The rules are the same for a car from Jersey or Guernsey; only the port changes.
How the car gets here
Cars from Jersey leave from St Helier, where car ferries use the Elizabeth Terminal. Cars from Guernsey leave from St Peter Port, which has RoRo ramps for cars and lorries. Both islands have ferry services into Portsmouth, and Guernsey sailings also run to Poole.
The crossing itself typically takes around 4 to 6 hours, depending on the route. Allow more time than that overall, because collection, booking the sailing and customs all sit around it. Door to door, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks, and your quote gives the timing for your car.
You can drive the car over yourself or have us move it. Either way we clear it through UK customs as HMRC CDS authorised agents and bring it to our site in Castle Donington. Our St Helier and St Peter Port port pages have more on each harbour.
Why customs still applies
Jersey and Guernsey are Crown Dependencies, not part of the UK. HMRC treats the Channel Islands as outside the UK for VAT purposes, so a car arriving from the islands to stay is an import and needs a customs declaration.
The islands do share a customs arrangement with the UK, and HMRC has a specific way of declaring goods that are already in free circulation there. In practice that usually means import VAT is the tax to plan for, rather than customs duty.
Import tax from the Channel Islands
Import VAT is 20%, worked out on the price you paid plus the cost of transport. If your purchase invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
Whether any duty is due depends on the car's history, so we check it for each car and confirm it on your quote rather than guess here. A car over 30 years old qualifies for the historic rate of 5% VAT and no duty. Our worked tax examples show what the rates mean in pounds.
Was the car UK-registered before
If your car started life on the mainland, it may be able to come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and a copy of the old V5C logbook. See bringing a UK car back home.
Moving to the UK yourself
If you are moving your home to the UK, Transfer of Residence relief may cover the car. HMRC's conditions are that you have lived outside the UK for at least 12 months, owned and used the car for at least 6, and apply before the car ships. Tell us early and we will check how it applies to a move from the islands before anything sails.
Ask before you book the ferry. If you are claiming Transfer of Residence or bringing a former UK car home, the paperwork needs to be in place before the car lands, not after.
NOVA and the 14 day rule
HMRC needs to be told within 14 days that a car has come into the UK permanently. This is the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals, or NOVA, and without it the DVLA will not register the car. We submit it for you as part of clearing the car through customs.
Testing and registration
Island cars are built for driving on the left, so the headlight work that left-hand drive cars from the continent need does not usually apply. We still check the speedometer reads in mph and that the car has a rear fog light, the two things that most often need attention.
Before it can go on UK plates, the car needs to show it is fit for British roads:
- Under 10 years old: a Certificate of Conformity, or an IVA test if one is not available
- 10 to 40 years old: an MOT
- Over 40 years old: no MOT needed
We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so testing happens on the same site as any work. Once the car is ready, our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register imported cars within 10 working days. Our guide to the Certificate of Conformity explains the newer-car route.
Your Channel Islands paperwork
0 of 6 done
What it costs
We do not publish a guide price for the Channel Islands, because short crossings like this are priced per job. Whether you drive it over or we move it, and what the car needs at this end, make a real difference. The estimator below gives you a feel for the import VAT.
For how shipping prices are built up more generally, see what affects the cost of shipping a car.
Questions people ask
Do I pay import tax on a car from Jersey or Guernsey?
Usually import VAT at 20%, worked out on the price paid plus transport. We confirm whether any duty applies on your quote. Cars over 30 years old pay 5% VAT, and Transfer of Residence or a returning UK car can mean nothing to pay.
Why does a car from the Channel Islands need customs clearance?
Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the UK, and HMRC treats them as outside the UK for VAT. A car arriving to stay is an import and needs a declaration. We make it for you as HMRC CDS authorised agents.
How long does it take?
The ferry crossing typically takes around 4 to 6 hours. Door to door, allowing for collection, the sailing and customs, European moves usually take 1 to 4 weeks.
Can I drive the car over myself?
Yes. HMRC must be told within 14 days of the car arriving, and the car needs clearing through customs. We can do both and then register it once you land.
Does an island car need new headlights?
Not usually, because Channel Islands cars are built for driving on the left. We check the speedometer reads in mph and that there is a rear fog light.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the crossing, customs and registration together.
