Importing and Exporting Vehicles

When vehicles are imported to the United Kingdom they must be registered with the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). This must be done as soon as possible. Brand new vehicles can be driven to the UK and registered as 'new' assuming they:

• are registered within two weeks of collection - this may be extended to one calendar month at peak periods, e.g. before March 1st and September 1st,
• only have reasonable delivery mileage – 'reasonable' means driven from pick-up points to the United Kingdom via direct routes,
• have not been previously permanently registered,
• have been stored before registration and are current models - or are models that ceased production within the last two years.

Previously used imported vehicles, less than ten years old, must meet certain standards as part of the DVLA's registration process. These are the:

• European type approval standards,
• UK construction and use,
• road vehicle lighting legislation.

Cars, motorcycles, and light goods vehicles - first registered in other European Member States - must have certificates issued by the Vehicle Certification Agency under the Mutual Recognition scheme. This ensures their specifications are suitable for the UK, e.g. lighting. Vehicles initially registered in countries outside the European Union must pass the comparable IVA, SVA or MSVA tests.

By Stephen Turvil, motoring.co.uk