What if the imported vehicle is seriously damaged before IVA?
Reviewed 2026-07-10
Short answer
Check before paying for approval. GOV.UK says you cannot register and tax a seriously damaged imported vehicle and will not be refunded approval money.
Official position
GOV.UK says if an imported vehicle is classed as seriously damaged, you cannot register or tax it with DVLA and you will not be refunded any money spent on vehicle approval. It says foreign documents may use wording such as statutory write-off, scrapped or non-repairable.
What to do
Check the foreign title, export document, auction report and registration authority status before IVA.
If damage is indicated, get evidence from the foreign registration authority that it is not seriously damaged.
Do this before spending on shipping extras, IVA, conversion work or V55/5 preparation.
Walk away from non-repairable or statutory write-off evidence unless you understand the registration consequence.
Common mistakes
- Paying for IVA before checking foreign salvage status.
- Assuming a repaired vehicle can always be registered.
- Ignoring title brands because the vehicle looks complete.
Related help
Official sources
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