Last reviewed: 2 October 2026. This guide covers a passenger car brought permanently from Germany to Great Britain: England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has different customs and registration rules. Most of the document checklist below concerns used cars; a new, never-registered car uses V55/4 instead of V55/5.

Germany can offer models and specifications that suit your search, but compare the total landed cost with a UK alternative before committing. Include LHD insurance and resale, export paperwork, transport, customs treatment, approval, adaptations and vehicle tax. There is no dependable percentage saving across all German cars.

Estimate your Germany import costs using the calculator. It is pre-set to the arrival country; confirm customs origin, evidence and any relief before relying on a reduced duty result.

Step 1: Buying in Germany — Documents to Collect

Check the VIN on the car against every document. Agree the sale, export arrangements and VAT treatment before paying, and obtain these documents where applicable:

Registration · Part I

Fahrzeugschein

Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (Fahrzeugschein)

Original registration certificate with the VIN, first registration date and technical details.

Registration · Part II

Fahrzeugbrief

Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (Fahrzeugbrief)

Obtain the original second part. It is not proof of ownership or a full vehicle history; check the seller's right to sell separately.

Purchase evidence

Invoice or Kaufvertrag

Actual purchase price, date, buyer and seller, vehicle description and VIN. Retain evidence of collection or delivery too.

German inspection

HU/AU report (TUV)

Read the inspection result, defects and expiry date. It does not replace a required UK MOT.

Type approval

Certificate of Conformity

Vehicle-specific manufacturer document for EU type approval and technical data. Obtain it for the usual EU approval route; if missing, ask the manufacturer about a replacement before purchase.

Customs & export

Origin and export evidence

Agree how the exporter will support a TCA preference claim and who will handle the EU export declaration. A CoC is not a substitute for customs origin evidence.

The official German certificate layout distinguishes the certificate holder from the owner. Keep the sale contract and service records separately rather than treating Part II as an ownership/history check.

You can search mobile.de, AutoScout24, Kleinanzeigen, manufacturer used-car listings or specialist dealers. Confirm the specific car's condition, outstanding finance, service records, registration status and export eligibility independently.

German VAT: Agree the Invoice Before Purchase

A dealer's export sale may be exempt from German VAT when the conditions and export evidence are satisfied. Ask whether VAT is separately shown, whether the car is sold under Differenzbesteuerung (margin taxation), and whether a VAT deposit is returned after export evidence is supplied. Do not assume that every advertised used-car price can be reduced by 19%.

Under German margin-tax rules, tax is calculated on the dealer's margin; it is not a separately refundable 19% of the whole price. A private sale does not carry a dealer VAT invoice. The German sale's VAT treatment does not itself remove UK import VAT.

Step 2: Arrange Export and Transport

EU Export Formalities

Exporting a vehicle from the EU requires an export declaration, normally electronic. Agree whether the dealer, exporter or representative will arrange it, which office handles the declaration and how exit evidence will be retained. The UK import process does not replace these formalities. See German customs guidance for vehicle exports.

Export Plates and Insurance

If driving the car through Europe, arrange Ausfuhrkennzeichen with the registration office. These plates are applied for separately, with insurance evidence and the required original documents. Deregistration does not automatically supply them; prior deregistration is not necessarily required for an export-plate application. Check the local process, inspection validity and any representative requirement for a buyer without a German address. Berlin's official export-plate requirements are a useful example.

Confirm that the insurance covers you, the vehicle, every transit country and the intended dates. Export plates and insurance do not authorise ordinary UK road use before the UK registration requirements are complete.

Transport Options

Door-to-door

Professional transporter

Ask for an itemised quote including collection, delivery, insurance, customs/export services and any storage.

Via France

Calais ferry or Channel Tunnel

Drive to Calais. Budget for export plates, insurance, fuel, travel and onward transport in Britain.

Via the Netherlands

Hook of Holland to Harwich

Drive to Hook of Holland. Compare the total route cost, sailing schedule and your German collection location.

Obtain current quotes rather than relying on a fixed crossing or delivery price. Plan transport from the UK port or arrival point and off-road storage while the car awaits registration.

Plan the journey from the UK port

GOV.UK restricts road use before the import steps are complete, with a narrow exception for a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test. Those test journeys still require insurance and a roadworthy car. Arrange VIN/chassis-number cover before any permitted road movement. German export plates are not a workaround. Read our driving, MOT and insurance guide and the official import overview.

Step 3: Tell HMRC Within 14 Days — Customs and NOVA

Tell HMRC within 14 days

The clock starts when the car is brought into the UK permanently. Use the route for how it arrived, and wait for processed NOVA confirmation before applying to DVLA.

Tell HMRC within 14 days of bringing the car into the UK permanently. The process depends on how it arrives and whether you are VAT-registered. Follow the current HMRC notification instructions:

• Private individual bringing the car in personally by ferry or tunnel: contact HMRC's CARS team within 14 days. HMRC determines whether tax or relief applies. If import taxes are due, hire a customs agent or shipping company to make the import declaration and arrange payment, then supply the documents to CARS for NOVA.
• Private individual having the car shipped: the shipping company/customs agent normally handles the import declaration and taxes at the border. The agent or HMRC's CARS team can make NOVA; confirm responsibility and the deadline.
• VAT-registered company: use HMRC's applicable business NOVA route within 14 days, alongside the required customs formalities.

For the private routes, retain the invoice or current valuation where required, an official VIN document and the customs MRN or C88/E2 evidence. HMRC specifies an in-person UK business valuation if the vehicle was purchased more than six months ago. The CARS contact and evidence instructions are on the official page above.

Any import taxes due must be paid before HMRC can make NOVA. Wait for confirmation that the NOVA application has been processed before applying to DVLA. Late notification may be fined; a reference number alone does not establish registration readiness.

Step 4: Customs Duty, VAT and Relief

When Can You Claim 0% Duty?

Nil duty under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement requires the car to meet the product-specific origin rule, plus a valid preference claim supported by a statement on origin or sufficient importer's-knowledge evidence. German purchase, registration, brand, VIN or a CoC alone does not prove entitlement. Ask the exporter and your customs agent to resolve this before relying on nil duty. See HMRC's origin evidence and claim guidance.

Some German-brand models are built outside the EU, and cars sold in Germany can have other origins. 10% is a common standard passenger-car duty rate, but your agent must confirm the classification, legal tariff rate, eligibility for preference and any relief for the actual vehicle. Do not apply a rate solely from its purchase country.

Use Separate Customs and VAT Values

For a normal taxable GB import, import VAT is usually 20%. A simplified calculation is:

1. Customs value: the accepted vehicle value plus relevant freight, insurance and other customs-value additions to the UK border.
2. Duty: customs value multiplied by the applicable duty rate.
3. Import VAT value: customs value plus duty and relevant incidental expenses, including costs to the first UK destination and a further destination known at import.
4. Import VAT: VAT value multiplied by the applicable VAT rate.

Duty is an addition to the VAT base, not part of the customs value used to calculate duty. Use the required HMRC exchange-rate and valuation rules. See HMRC's import VAT valuation guidance.

Estimate the landed cost for your car, entering the actual route, evidence, value and expenses. The calculator is an estimate; it does not submit a customs declaration or establish eligibility for relief.

Moving from Germany to the UK

Transfer of residence relief may remove import duty and VAT if HMRC approves your claim. Normal criteria include residence outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months, possession of the vehicle for at least six months, import within 12 months of moving and continued use for the same purpose. There are restrictions on lending, hiring out or transferring relieved goods. Obtain approval using ToR1 before claiming relief; there is no general 185-day substitute for the residence condition. HMRC's ToR conditions.

Classic Cars

A vehicle accepted as a collector's item can qualify for nil duty and an effective 5% import VAT treatment. Age alone is insufficient: check originality, whether the model is still produced and the applicable collector classification. HMRC recommends obtaining an advance tariff ruling before import where appropriate. Official vehicle-classification guidance.

Customs collector status is separate from historic MOT exemption and historic vehicle tax status.

Step 5: Establish the Vehicle Approval Route

An EU registration does not settle every approval question. Check age, type approval, UK specification, modifications and any previous UK registration against GOV.UK's imported-vehicle approval guidance.

01

CoC route

EU-registered, EU-type-approved car under ten years old, suitable UK specification

European CoC from the manufacturer; check that it demonstrates the required specification.

02

CoC + GB conversion IVA

EU-registered left-hand-drive car under ten years old

Suitable CoC plus GB conversion IVA, normally following UK adaptations and supporting garage evidence.

03

Check the IVA route

Car without suitable EU approval evidence

Ask DVSA about the applicable IVA route; a physical test may be required, with category-dependent fees.

04

Check exemption evidence

Passenger car over ten years old

Normally exempt from the approval procedure, but still establish DVLA's registration and tax evidence requirements.

05

Check the reimport route

Previously UK-registered car

Check the reimport/registration route with DVLA rather than assuming a new IVA application is appropriate.

GOV.UK also publishes a tax-related approval requirement for certain EU-type-approved vehicles first registered on or after 1 March 2001 with a CO2 figure. If approval evidence is missing, follow its instruction to explain the absence to DVLA. Do not treat age exemption as permission to omit all technical evidence. Official approval exemptions and caveats.

GB conversion IVA costs £100. It is a documentary VCA application, rather than booking a DVSA approval test. A garage must supply the required inspection/work evidence. Allow time to complete the adaptations and obtain acceptable paperwork. Full IVA is a different route: check DVSA inspection fees rather than using one fee for every car.

Check the likely prerequisites for your vehicle before paying for approval work.

Step 6: UK Adaptations and Garage Evidence

You do not need to change the steering position to right-hand drive. You do need to meet the requirements for the actual vehicle and approval route.

For GB conversion IVA, VCA's MR-001 passenger-car application specifies acceptable changes and evidence:

• Headlights: use an accepted UK/left-dipping or factory flat-beam arrangement. Stickers and beam deflectors do not satisfy this approval requirement. Check a model's standard adjustment features with the garage.
• Speedometer: it must indicate mph and km/h, simultaneously or by switching. Accepted options include suitable factory displays, replacement dials or a professional durable overlay applied to the dial face. A casual sticker or secondary device is insufficient.
• Rear fog lamp: a right-side lamp, a centre lamp or dual rear lamps can meet the specified arrangement.
• Garage statement: obtain vehicle-specific headed evidence from a qualifying garage, quoting the VIN, dated within three months and describing how each item complies. Photographs and parts receipts alone are not accepted.

Exemption from VCA's over-ten-year procedure does not itself establish compliance with every road-use or MOT requirement. Ask the garage to check the older car's applicable standards too, and obtain a quote before committing to headlight or instrument work.

Step 7: MOT Before Registration

For GB registration, a car over three years old normally needs a current UK MOT unless a supported exemption applies. A German HU/TUV report does not replace it. Book with a station able to test an unregistered vehicle on its VIN/chassis number; arrange insurance and lawful transport first.

The maximum car MOT fee is £54.85. Check headlights, lamps, instruments, emissions and general condition before the test, rather than assuming a German inspection guarantees a pass.

A qualifying historic vehicle may be MOT-exempt if the age and substantial-change criteria are met. Use the applicable V112 declaration where required; check the official historic MOT criteria or our historic MOT exemption checker.

Step 8: Prepare the DVLA Application

Use V55/5 for a used imported car. A new, never-registered car uses V55/4, with its own evidence requirements, including a declaration of newness where applicable. Check the official registration instructions.

For a typical used import, establish the following before posting:

Before you seal the envelope

• Completed V55/5, checked and signed.
• Confirmation that NOVA is processed and any import taxes are paid.
• Required original approval evidence, or the supported exemption/explanation.
• Original foreign registration certificate; collect both German parts and retain copies. DVLA does not return the foreign registration original.
• Evidence of collection date, such as the supplier invoice, and any additional dating evidence requested.
• Current MOT evidence or the applicable exemption declaration.
• Identity evidence: normally a photocopy of your photocard driving licence, or the alternative name and address evidence specified by DVLA. Do not send your original passport or licence.
• Applicable £55 first-registration fee and vehicle tax payment. Check whether a fee exemption applies.

An insurance certificate enclosure is specified for a Northern Ireland address; it is not a universal GB enclosure. Insurance is still required for road use. Follow the current import registration document requirements and the V55 form's postal address and enclosure instructions.

V55/5 Fields for German Imports

Use the official V355/5 guide, rather than translating German document labels into guessed boxes:

• Box 8 — body type: use the appropriate vehicle/body description.
• Box 9 — wheelplan: usually 2-AXLE RIGID for a standard car.
• Box 18 — maximum net power: enter kW from the CoC, rounded to a whole number; do not convert it to bhp. Box 48 is a power/weight ratio field for motorcycles and tricycles.
• Box 24 — original registration date: use the first registration date, including a foreign first registration; German field B supplies this date.
• Box 32 — VIN/chassis/frame number: copy it accurately and compare it with the vehicle.

Use source documents for technical values and follow the official instructions on which fields are required for your approval route. Do not fill gaps with guessed specifications or rely on VIN decoding for origin or approval evidence.

For a new car, start V55/4. For either route, the application plan helps you track prerequisites, review the application and download a posting checklist and draft supporting letters. The V55 form is downloaded separately. These checks help catch common errors; DVLA makes the registration decision.

Step 9: Vehicle Tax, Plates and Road Use

Pay the applicable vehicle tax as part of registration. For 2026–27, £200 is the standard annual rate for many post-April-2017 cars, but first registration history, tax class, emissions and any expensive-car supplement affect the amount. Check current VED rates, use our road tax calculator and V55 payment calculator, and confirm the amount before enclosing payment.

DVLA says the V5C can take up to six weeks to arrive. Approval work, missing documents, customs clearance and queries add time before or during this stage. DVLA supplies the registration and V5C; you then obtain physical plates from a supplier. Keep your document copies and proof of postage, and update your insurer with the UK registration. Official registration timing and plate instructions.

Use the car normally only after registration, tax, insurance and the required plates and MOT/exemption are in place.

Worked Example: A Shipped Used German Car

These are illustrative budget inputs, not market quotes. Assume a four-year-old EU-type-approved LHD car, a £17,000 accepted invoice value, a valid accepted nil-duty claim, standard 20% VAT, UK adaptations and GB conversion IVA. Assume the applicable annual VED is £200 with no expensive-car supplement. Export service is included in the transport quote; no export plates are used because it travels by transporter.

ILLUSTRATIVE BUDGET

£17,000 used car · transporter · accepted 0% duty

Item	Amount
Vehicle purchase	£17,000.00
Freight/insurance to the UK border	£400.00
Customs clearance service	£150.00
Onward delivery to the known UK destination	£200.00
Customs duty, accepted 0% claim	£0.00
Import VAT: 20% of £17,750	£3,550.00
Replacement CoC	£100.00
GB conversion IVA	£100.00
MOT	£54.85
DVLA first-registration fee	£55.00
UK adaptations and garage evidence	£300.00
Number plates	£30.00
Vehicle tax	£200.00
Example total	£22,139.85

The customs value is £17,400. This example adds the £150 clearance and £200 known-destination delivery expenses for a VAT value of £17,750, with no duty. The total is £5,139.85 above the purchase price, about 30%, before road insurance, storage or contingencies. Different quotes, origin claims, valuations and reliefs can materially change it.

Calculate your own Germany import budget and compare it with an equivalent UK purchase, including the effect of left-hand drive on insurance and resale. This example is not a promise that importing will save money.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating German manufacture or a CoC as sufficient proof for nil customs duty.
• Expecting an automatic 19% reduction on every German dealer's used-car price.
• Forgetting EU export paperwork or assuming the UK declaration handles it.
• Driving home from the UK port on export plates before registration requirements are complete.
• Driving to an MOT or approval test without insurance.
• Sending an incomplete NOVA/approval/MOT evidence pack or using the wrong V55 form.
• Treating the documentary GB conversion route as a booked DVSA test.
• Entering bhp in a kW field or copying technical data into the wrong V55/5 boxes.

Review the outstanding requirements and prepare your posting checklist before sealing the envelope.

Step-by-Step Timeline

1. 01

   Before purchase

   compare landed costs and establish origin, VAT treatment, documents and approval route.

2. 02

   Before departure

   arrange EU export formalities, transport, any export plates/insurance, UK onward transport and off-road storage.

3. 03

   Arrival and the following 14 days

   use the correct HMRC route, resolve any customs declaration/tax and obtain processed NOVA confirmation.

4. 04

   Before applying to DVLA

   complete adaptations, obtain garage evidence and GB conversion IVA where needed, or complete the applicable physical approval route. Obtain MOT or supported exemption evidence.

5. 05

   Application

   prepare the appropriate V55, evidence and payments, check/sign it and post using the official instructions.

6. 06

   DVLA processing

   allow up to six weeks for the V5C, with additional time if queries or inspections are required. Obtain plates and confirm insurance before ordinary road use.

The full journey takes longer than the DVLA stage alone. Do not book normal use of the vehicle against a guaranteed two-to-six-week import timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I pay customs duty importing a car from Germany to the UK?

Nil duty requires qualifying TCA origin and a valid preference claim with a statement on origin or sufficient importer's-knowledge evidence. German purchase, registration, brand, VIN or a CoC alone is insufficient. Standard GB import VAT normally still applies unless relief changes the treatment.

Can I drive on German export plates in the UK after importing?

For a UK resident permanently importing the car, no ordinary road use should be assumed before registration, tax and insurance are complete. Arrange transport from the port. The narrow pre-booked MOT/approval-test exception still requires insurance and roadworthiness. Temporary imports by visitors follow a different route; see GOV.UK's import overview.

Do I need to convert a left-hand drive German car to right-hand drive?

No. Check the UK headlight, speedometer and rear fog lamp requirements and your approval evidence instead. An EU-registered LHD car under ten years old normally needs a suitable CoC and GB conversion IVA.

How much does it cost to import a car from Germany to the UK?

Use actual quotes and confirmed customs treatment. The illustrative shipped-car example above totals £22,139.85 against a £17,000 purchase price, before road insurance, storage or contingencies. The invoice, origin evidence, transport, approval, adaptations and vehicle tax determine your own total.

What is the NOVA 14-day deadline for imported vehicles?

Tell HMRC within 14 days of bringing the car into the UK permanently, using the route for how it arrived and your VAT status. A private individual bringing it in personally contacts CARS; shipped imports can be handled by the agent or CARS team. Pay any import taxes before HMRC can make NOVA, and wait for processed confirmation before applying to DVLA.

Is a German TUV valid in the UK?

A German HU/TUV report does not replace a required UK MOT. Cars over three years old normally need one for GB registration, unless a supported exemption applies. Check the historic exemption route for an eligible older vehicle.

Do I need to cancel the German registration?

Agree the export-registration or deregistration process with the seller and registration office. Export plates require their own application; prior deregistration is not always required. Obtain both original registration parts and the sale/export evidence, and confirm what happens to the existing plates.

What about electric vehicles from Germany?

EVs still need customs, NOVA, approval and registration checks. The transitional TCA EV origin rules apply through 31 December 2026, with stricter requirements from 2027. They include product-specific rules for vehicles and batteries; EU assembly or brand alone does not secure a nil-duty claim. Official EV origin decision.

Do not assume a used EV gets £10 VED merely because it is being registered in Britain for the first time. Check original registration history and tax class: many existing EVs fall into the £200 annual rate, and a supplement may apply. Current electric-vehicle tax guidance.

Can a German dealer handle the export?

Some dealers offer export services. Get an itemised written agreement identifying responsibility for the EU declaration, exit evidence, VAT deposit/refund, origin evidence, plates/insurance and transport. Separately confirm who handles UK customs and NOVA.

Is importing from Germany worth it?

It depends on the specific car. Compare the actual invoice and confirmed import costs with a like-for-like UK vehicle. Check specification, LHD resale, condition, warranty and insurance rather than assuming a standard percentage saving.

Related Guides

• Driving, MOT and insuring an import before registration
• NOVA notification routes and the 14-day deadline
• IVA Test UK: Complete Guide
• V55/4 or V55/5: Which form do you need?
• Complete V55/5 Form Guide
• UK car import costs
• What to do after downloading your V55/5