How to import a car from the USA to the UK?

1. Find a car delivery company
2. Organise the paperwork for your car
3. Register your imported vehicle with the DVLA
4. Prepare your vehicle for UK roads

Now let’s take a closer look at these points as it’s quite a complicated process. 

1. Find a car delivery company. 
Don’t go for the lowest cost car shipping company, it can be a mistake. It’s important that your car arrives in the UK safely, quickly and with all the paperwork correctly completed.

So, look for a car shipping agency that:

• Specialises in international car shipping.
• Fully insures its transports.
• Provides detailed information in advance about all fees and taxes.
• Has good reviews and ratings from previous clients.
• Offer paperwork and insurance services as well as assistance with UK taxes and fees.

Take the choice of company very seriously, transporting a car is a very responsible business, your car may be damaged on the way and the company’s insurance will not cover the repairs. You may need to collect additional documents due to improper customs clearance process.

Shipping options
There are several ways to ship a car from the US to the UK:?

Roll on/roll-off. Cars are simply rolled into the cargo hold of the ship. This is one of the cheapest options for car shipping.

Containerised shipping. Your car is shipped with other cars in a shipping container. Several cars are loaded into the container at once, and the costs are shared by everyone using the container, so this type of transport is one of the cheapest. You will have to wait for the container to fill up before it can be loaded and shipped. The disadvantage of this method is that when loading and unloading the car into the container it can be damaged, scratched, it is recommended to take several photos of the car from all angles before loading. This way, you will be able to prove the damage on the car and claim for any damage caused during the journey.

The entire container in your location. This is the most expensive option, but it is faster as you don’t have to wait for the container to be fully loaded and it can be shipped at any time.

2. Prepare the paperwork for the car.
One of the most difficult and stressful parts of importing a car into the UK is the customs clearance and subsequent registration of the vehicle.
You will need: Import declaration, Invoice or bill of sale for your vehicle, Shipping note and bill of lading, Vehicle registration certificate or the vin/chassis number, Proof of Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA).

3. Register your imported car with the DVLA.
Once your car has passed UK Customs, you need to do two key things.

• Notify HMRC within 14 days of the car’s arrival.
• Pay the VAT and duties.
• Register the vehicle with the DVLA.

Registration involves filling in some forms and providing supporting documents. The DVLA may also ask to inspect the vehicle. Once the application has been submitted, it can take up to 6 weeks to receive your V5C registration certificate.

What documents do I need to register an imported car with the DVLA?
Before you can register an imported vehicle with the DVLA, you should prepare the following documents:

• Confirmation of Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA)
• Form B267 (for new cars)
• An original copy of the foreign registration certificate

4. Prepare your car for UK roads.
You need to prepare your car for UK roads before you can drive it. This includes getting a UK number plate, insurance and paying vehicle excise duty (VED).

For some cars from the US, you may need to make technical modifications. Modifications mainly include adjusting the signals as well as the fog lights and brake lights on the car. Cars made in the USA often have different coloured indicators built into the brake light bulbs. They also have different coloured parking lights, and cars usually don’t have side indicators or fog lights.

How much does it cost to import a car from the US or Canada to the UK?
Now let’s look at the important part – the cost of importing a car from the US to the UK. This depends on many factors, including the car you are using and whether you need to pay VAT and duties.

Here’s a rough guide to some of the costs you can expect:

• Transport company commission from £521.
• Import duty 10%.
• VAT 20%.
• DVSA inspection fee for an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) -From £199 to £294.

Use this UK import duty calculator to add up the customs fees.

After reading this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of the process of importing a car from the US or Canada to the UK.