You searched for a form code, so let's start with the table. Each row links to the official source and to the section below that explains it properly.

Code	What it is	Who it's for	Issued/processed by
V55/5	Application for first vehicle tax and registration of a used motor vehicle	Used imports, older never-registered vehicles, vehicles returning after export (GOV.UK)	DVLA
V55/4	The same application for a new motor vehicle	Brand-new vehicles, new imports, newly built kit cars (GOV.UK)	DVLA
V355/5	8-page guidance notes for filling in the V55/5	Anyone completing a V55/5 (GOV.UK)	DVLA
V355/4	Guidance notes for the V55/4	Anyone completing a V55/4 (GOV.UK)	DVLA
NOVA	Notification of Vehicle Arrivals — telling HMRC the vehicle is in the UK	Every permanent import, within 14 days (GOV.UK)	HMRC
CoC	Certificate of Conformity — manufacturer's proof of type approval	EU-registered imports (GOV.UK)	Vehicle manufacturer
IVA	Individual Vehicle Approval — a physical inspection	Imports not registered in the EU, unless exempt (GOV.UK)	DVSA
MSVA	Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval	2-wheel, 3-wheel and some smaller 4-wheel vehicles (GOV.UK)	DVSA
INF54/1	Withdrawn DVLA leaflet: "Vehicle First Registration Fee"	Historical — see the current fee page	DVLA (archived)

V55/5 — the form for used vehicles

The V55/5 is the DVLA application for first vehicle tax and registration of a used motor vehicle. GOV.UK's vehicle registration guidance says to use it for:

• used imported vehicles — any vehicle previously registered in another country, however new it looks
• older vehicles that have never been registered — barn finds, classics with lost paperwork
• vehicles that have been brought back to the UK after being exported

The current form is a 2-page PDF published on the official V55/5 page, which DVLA last updated on 20 October 2025. The PDF is not interactive — it's designed to be filled in by hand, which is where most rejections start: wrong tax class, missing type approval evidence, CO₂ figures in the wrong box.

V55/4 — the form for new vehicles

The V55/4 is the same application for a new vehicle. GOV.UK says to use it to register "a new vehicle, including new imported vehicles and newly-built (kit) cars" — the deciding question is whether the vehicle has ever been registered anywhere in the world. Registered abroad, even briefly, even with delivery mileage? It's used, and you need the V55/5.

The form and its V355/4 guidance notes are on the official V55/4 page, last updated 15 May 2025. New vehicles also need a certificate of newness (or a declaration of newness — form V267 — for imports) with the application.

Still unsure which side you fall on? Our V55/4 vs V55/5 guide covers the edge cases — kit cars, rebuilt vehicles, pre-registered imports — or answer four questions in the free form checker.

V355/5 and V355/4 — guidance notes, not forms

A common confusion in search data: the V355/5 is not a form you submit. It's DVLA's official 8-page booklet, "How to fill in form V55/5 to register a used vehicle for the first time", published on the same GOV.UK page as the form itself. The V355/4 does the same job for the V55/4.

DVLA revises these notes regularly — the V355/5 was updated in May 2025 and again in October 2025 — so if you're working from a printout that's been in a drawer since your last import, download the current version. Nothing from the V355/5 gets posted to DVLA; it exists so the boxes on your V55/5 are right.

NOVA — telling HMRC, before DVLA will even look at you

NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrivals) is the step most first-time importers discover too late. It's an HMRC process, not a DVLA one, and per GOV.UK's import guidance:

• You have 14 days from bringing the vehicle into the UK to tell HMRC. You may be fined if you're late.
• You cannot register the vehicle with DVLA until your NOVA application has been processed. A V55/5 posted before then comes straight back.
• If the vehicle's engine is 48cc or less (or 7.2kW or less if electric), you can register without telling HMRC first.

Who actually makes the declaration depends on your situation:

• VAT-registered businesses use the NOVA online service directly.
• Private individuals having the vehicle shipped: your shipping company or customs agent can make the NOVA declaration (often for a fee), or HMRC's CARS team can make it on your behalf. They'll need the C88/E2 customs documents or your Movement Reference Number (MRN), the invoice or bill of sale (if bought within the last 6 months) or an in-person UK valuation (if older), and a document confirming the VIN.
• Bringing the vehicle in yourself (ferry or Channel Tunnel): contact HMRC's CARS team (ecsm.nchcars@hmrc.gov.uk) within 14 days. HMRC then tells you whether VAT or customs duty is due — and any import taxes must be paid before the NOVA declaration can be made.

For the 14-day deadline mechanics and what happens if you miss it, see our NOVA application guide. The import cost calculator works out your NOVA deadline from your arrival date.

CoC, IVA and MSVA — proof of vehicle approval

DVLA won't register an imported vehicle without proof that it meets safety and environmental standards. Which document you need depends on where the vehicle is registered, per GOV.UK's approval guidance for imports:

Vehicle registered in the EU → get a European Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the manufacturer. If it's left-hand drive, you also need a certificate of GB conversion IVA (£100 fee; not available for goods vehicles over 3,500kg — those need full IVA). The Vehicle Certification Agency (vehicleimporting@vca.gov.uk) can confirm whether your vehicle qualifies.

Vehicle not registered in the EU (Japan, USA, UAE, Australia...) → apply for:

• Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) — a physical inspection run by DVSA, or
• Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) for 2-wheeled, 3-wheeled and some smaller 4-wheeled vehicles.

The 10-year rule: if the vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago, it may not need approval at all — check the official exemptions list. Note the wrinkle GOV.UK flags: some vehicles first registered on or after 1 March 2001 with EU type approval (light passenger and light goods vehicles) still need approval evidence for taxing. If you're claiming an exemption, send a letter with your DVLA application explaining why you don't have approval.

Our IVA test guide covers preparation, common failure points and retests.

INF54/1 — what that leaflet actually was

If you found this page searching "INF54/1": it was a DVLA information leaflet titled "Vehicle First Registration Fee" — you can still see the original on the National Archives. It explained the fee paid when a vehicle is registered for the first time and which vehicles are exempt. Like all of DVLA's INF leaflets, it was withdrawn when the content moved to GOV.UK.

The current, authoritative version of that information is the new registrations fee page:

• The first registration fee is £55, paid with your V55/4 or V55/5 by cheque or postal order (no cash; damaged or altered cheques are refused).
• Exempt vehicles include: those first registered and licensed in the disabled exempt taxation class; historic vehicles previously registered with the old local authorities (late conversions); vehicles previously registered in the UK; imports previously registered under the personal export scheme or new means of transport scheme; visiting forces vehicles; direct export scheme vehicles (unless returning after foreign registration); off-road-only registrations; and crown exempt vehicles.

If none of those apply, the fee is £55 — our form tool pre-fills it and lets you declare an exemption where one genuinely applies.

The supporting cast: V267, V627/3, V959, V5C

Four more codes that appear in DVLA's import paperwork, all verified against GOV.UK's imported vehicle registration page and the registration guidance:

• V267 — "declaration of newness": sent with a V55/4 for a new imported vehicle to prove it's genuinely new.
• V627/3 — built-up vehicle report: needed if the vehicle has been structurally modified beyond the manufacturer's specification.
• V959 — notification of name and address check: an identity-document alternative available only to current DVLA trade plate holders.
• V5C — the registration certificate (log book): not something you send, but what you get back. GOV.UK says it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive, and you need it before you can get number plates made.

What actually goes in the envelope (used import)

Pulled together from GOV.UK's registration and import pages — for a used imported vehicle, DVLA expects original documents, not photocopies or faxes (except the identity photocopies noted):

1. The completed and signed V55/5
2. A photocopy of your photocard driving licence — or photocopies of one document proving your name (passport, birth certificate...) and one proving your address (utility bill or bank statement from the last 3 months, council tax bill...)
3. Payment for the vehicle tax
4. The £55 first registration fee, unless exempt
5. Proof of vehicle approval (CoC, IVA, MSVA) if the vehicle is under 10 years old and not exempt
6. The original foreign registration certificate — GOV.UK warns you will not get this back
7. Evidence of the date the vehicle was collected, for example the supplier's invoice
8. Evidence of current MOT if the vehicle is over 3 years old (over 4 in Northern Ireland) — MOT evidence for light vehicles and motorcycles is not returned
9. An insurance certificate or cover note if you're registering to a Northern Ireland address
10. V627/3 if structurally modified; any documents you have about the vehicle (build plans for kit cars)

And the prerequisite that isn't paperwork: your NOVA application must already be processed, with any VAT and duty paid.

Frequently asked questions

Is the V55/5 downloadable? Yes — the 2-page PDF is on the official publication page. It isn't an interactive PDF, so it has to be completed by hand — or use our tool to fill it digitally with validation and print a signature-ready copy.

V55/5 or V55/4 for a nearly-new import with delivery mileage? If it was registered abroad — even for a day — GOV.UK's definition makes it a used vehicle: V55/5. Only a vehicle never registered anywhere is new.

Can I send my V55/5 while NOVA is still processing? No. GOV.UK states you cannot register the vehicle until HMRC has processed the NOVA application. Wait for confirmation, then post.

Where does the application go? DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BE — with vehicle tax payment, the £55 fee (unless exempt), and the supporting documents listed above.

Do EU imports need an IVA test? Usually not — a manufacturer's Certificate of Conformity is the proof of approval for an EU-registered vehicle. The exception is left-hand drive vehicles, which also need the £100 certificate of GB conversion IVA (or full IVA for goods vehicles over 3,500kg).

Official sources used on this page

• Vehicle registration: new registrations — which form, identity documents, supporting documents
• Vehicle registration: new registrations fee — the £55 fee and exemptions (successor to leaflet INF54/1)
• Register a used vehicle for the first time (V55/5) — V55/5 form and V355/5 notes
• Apply for first vehicle tax and registration of a new motor vehicle (V55/4) — V55/4 form and V355/4 notes
• Importing vehicles into the UK — the end-to-end process, including telling HMRC (NOVA), getting vehicle approval and registering an imported vehicle
• Vehicle approval — IVA, MSVA, exemptions, DVSA and VCA contacts
• NOVA online service — HMRC's Notification of Vehicle Arrivals
• INF54/1, National Archives — the original "Vehicle First Registration Fee" leaflet

This is an independent guide — we are not affiliated with the DVLA, DVSA, VCA or HMRC. Form versions and fees are as published on GOV.UK at the time of writing (July 2026); always check the linked official pages for the current versions.