This is one of the most common points of confusion in the import process. You may need an MOT before DVLA will register the vehicle, but you may not yet have a UK registration number. You may need insurance before any road movement, but many insurers ask for a registration number. You may still have foreign plates, but you are now dealing with a UK registration application.

This guide was checked against GOV.UK, DVLA and DVSA guidance in July 2026. Because this area involves road traffic law, vehicle approval, insurance and DVLA registration, treat it as a practical guide, not legal advice. If GOV.UK, DVLA, DVSA, HMRC, your insurer or the police tell you something more specific for your case, follow that.

The Rule to Start From

GOV.UK's import overview says you can be prosecuted if you use an imported vehicle on a public road before completing the import steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. DVLA's official import leaflet also says that after notifying HMRC about the vehicle, you must register, tax and insure it before using it on UK roads. The same leaflet advises you to transport the vehicle from the port or first destination, and to keep it off the road until it has been registered, taxed and insured.

That means the practical answer is:

• Do not drive it home from the port just because it has arrived.
• Do not use foreign plates as a workaround if you are a UK resident.
• Do not use the vehicle for errands, test drives, commuting or storage on the road while the V55/5 is pending.
• Do plan transport, off-road storage, VIN insurance, MOT and any approval test before the vehicle arrives.

The Correct Sequence

For a typical permanent import into Great Britain, the road-to-registration sequence is:

Can You Get an MOT Before UK Registration?

Yes. DVSA's MOT service guidance says a vehicle that is not UK registered can still be MOT tested. The MOT tester can create a new record and mark the registration as not required, then complete the other vehicle details.

In plain English: an imported vehicle does not need a UK number plate before an MOT can be recorded. The tester needs enough identity information to test the right vehicle, normally a legible VIN, chassis number or frame number.

The vehicle still has to be capable of being tested. The MOT testing guide says a tester may refuse to test if the vehicle has neither a registration mark nor a readable VIN, chassis number or frame number. It also has to be in a condition where a proper examination can be carried out safely.

Can You Drive It to the MOT?

This is where people get into trouble by turning a narrow exception into a general rule.

GOV.UK says that if a vehicle has no current MOT, you cannot drive or park it on the road, except to drive it to or from repair, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. That guidance is not a free pass for every imported vehicle movement. For an imported vehicle, DVLA's import leaflet still says to keep it off-road until registered, taxed and insured, and to transport rather than drive it from the port or first destination.

If you are considering driving to an MOT, the minimum practical checks are:

• The MOT is pre-booked.
• You drive directly to the appointment, not via errands or a longer route.
• The vehicle is insured, normally on VIN or chassis number.
• The vehicle is roadworthy enough to be used on a public road.
• The vehicle has a readable VIN, chassis number or frame number.
• You have the appointment details and insurance evidence with you.

If any of those are doubtful, transport it.

Can You Insure It Before Registration?

Yes, but it is more specialist than ordinary insurance.

DVLA's import leaflet says that for GB and NI vehicles, you need to insure the vehicle using the VIN or chassis number. This is often called VIN insurance or chassis-number insurance. It is designed for the gap before DVLA issues the UK registration mark.

Not every insurer or comparison site handles it. Try:

• a specialist import insurer
• a classic vehicle insurer, if the vehicle is old enough
• a broker who understands imported vehicles
• the British Insurance Brokers' Association route mentioned in DVLA's import leaflet

Ask the insurer exactly what the policy allows. Some policies cover storage only. Some cover transport-related risk. Some may allow direct movement to a pre-booked MOT or approval test. Do not assume.

Once DVLA issues the UK registration number, tell the insurer immediately so the policy can be updated from VIN/chassis number to the UK registration mark.

What If the Vehicle Is Not Roadworthy?

Do not drive it.

The MOT exception does not make an unsafe vehicle safe. If the vehicle has suspect brakes, steering, tyres, lights, structural condition, leaks, loose bodywork or missing equipment, move it by trailer or transporter. GOV.UK's vehicle safety guidance puts responsibility on the driver to make sure a vehicle is safe before driving. If it fails an MOT with dangerous defects, do not drive it away until those defects are fixed.

For imported cars, the common roadworthiness blockers are:

• headlights dipping the wrong way for UK roads
• missing or wrongly positioned rear fog light
• speedometer that does not display mph where required
• tyres aged, cracked or not E-marked
• brake imbalance after long storage or shipping
• no readable VIN or chassis plate
• leaking fuel, oil or coolant

For more preparation detail, use the IVA test guide if the car needs approval, or the relevant country guide if you know where the vehicle is coming from.

Foreign Plates: Do They Help?

Usually not for a UK resident permanently importing a vehicle.

DVLA's import leaflet says that if you are a UK resident, you must not drive a vehicle displaying foreign number plates. GOV.UK's temporary import rules are mainly for visitors who do not normally live in the UK and who bring a foreign-registered vehicle for temporary private use.

So if you live in the UK and are importing the vehicle permanently, foreign plates are not a shortcut around UK registration, tax, insurance and MOT/approval evidence.

IVA and MSVA Are Separate From MOT

MOT checks roadworthiness. IVA and MSVA are approval schemes. DVLA may need both MOT evidence and approval evidence, depending on the vehicle.

Cars, light goods vehicles and some personal imports may need IVA or GB conversion IVA. Motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles and some quadricycles may need MSVA.

GOV.UK's import overview gives a narrow exception for a pre-booked vehicle approval test. Treat that as a direct test journey, not general road use: the vehicle still needs insurance, must be roadworthy, and you should keep DVSA appointment evidence with you.

Be especially careful with partial MSVA. GOV.UK says partial MSVA is voluntary, so you cannot drive the vehicle to the test and must transport it instead.

Motorcycles, Enduro Bikes and Quads

Motorcycle imports create extra confusion because MOT, MSVA, V112, daylight MOTs, enduro use and tax class get mixed together.

The safest way to think about it:

• A used imported motorcycle normally uses the V55/5, just like a used imported car.
• A motorcycle not yet UK registered can still need an MOT, unless it is exempt.
• If it lacks the right approval evidence and is not exempt, it may need MSVA.
• A partial MSVA vehicle must be transported to the test.
• If the frame is stamped "not for road use" or similar, the MOT testing guide says the test station must decline to test certain motor bicycles.
• Off-road history, motocross use or a daylight MOT does not automatically prove the bike can be registered.

If you are registering a bike, start with the V55/5 motorcycle guide, then use the document checklist to make sure you have the right evidence.

Common Scenarios

"The car has landed at the port. Can I drive it home?"

Do not plan to. DVLA's import leaflet advises transport rather than driving from the port to your home or first destination. Arrange a transporter or have the shipping/import agent move it.

"The MOT garage says it needs a registration number."

It does not need a UK registration number to be MOT tested. DVSA guidance says an unregistered vehicle can still be MOT tested and the tester can create a record without a registration mark. You may need a station familiar with imports.

"I have insured it on the VIN. Can I now use it?"

No. VIN insurance solves only the insurance part. It does not replace DVLA registration, vehicle tax, MOT or approval evidence, and it does not let a UK resident drive on foreign plates for normal road use.

"DVLA has my V55/5. Can I drive while I wait?"

No. Waiting for DVLA is not the same as being registered. GOV.UK says you need the V5C to get number plates made. Keep the vehicle off-road until the registration number is issued, plates are made and fitted, and your insurance is updated.

"The vehicle is a project and not roadworthy yet. What should I do?"

Restore it off-road or at a workshop first. Transport it for testing when ready. Do not drive an unsafe vehicle to an MOT just because the appointment is booked.

Quick Checklist Before Any Road Movement

Only consider road movement if every item below is true:

• The journey is directly to a pre-arranged MOT or an allowed test/repair appointment.
• The vehicle is insured for that exact movement, usually by VIN or chassis number.
• The vehicle is roadworthy enough to be used safely on public roads.
• The VIN, chassis number or frame number is readable.
• You are not using foreign plates as a UK resident workaround.
• You have appointment evidence and insurance evidence.
• DVSA has confirmed any approval-test movement rules if the journey is for IVA or MSVA.

If you cannot tick every box, transport the vehicle.

Official Sources Used

• GOV.UK: Importing vehicles into the UK
• DVLA INF106: How to import a vehicle into the United Kingdom
• GOV.UK: Telling HMRC about an imported vehicle
• GOV.UK: Registering an imported vehicle
• GOV.UK: Temporary imports
• GOV.UK: Vehicle insurance
• GOV.UK: Check your vehicle is safe to drive
• GOV.UK: When to get an MOT
• DVSA Matters of Testing: Can I test an unregistered vehicle?
• GOV.UK: MOT testing guide, grounds for refusal
• GOV.UK: Apply for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA): cars
• GOV.UK: Apply for Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA)
• GOV.UK: How partial Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval works

Related Guides

• Complete V55/5 Guide
• What to Do After Downloading Your Completed V55/5
• What Happens After You Submit Your V55/5
• NOVA Application Guide
• IVA Test UK: Complete Guide
• V55/5 for Motorcycles
• V55/5 Document Checklist