Registering an Imported Vehicle in the UK: NOVA, V55/5 and Number Plates

What are the steps, in order?

1. Ship the vehicle and clear UK customs. If duty and VAT are due, or you claim a relief, an import declaration is made at the border: we do this through our broker, a local agent we introduce, or your own.
2. Make the NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrivals) declaration to HMRC within 14 days. Your shipping company or customs agent can make it for you.
3. Get vehicle approval if the vehicle needs it: IVA, or a certificate of conformity for an EU vehicle.
4. Get an MOT if the vehicle is over 3 years old.
5. Apply to DVLA on form V55/5 with the supporting documents and the £55 fee, and tax the vehicle.
6. When DVLA confirms the registration number, have number plates made up. The V5C follows by post.

What is NOVA?

NOVA is HMRC's online notification that a vehicle has arrived in the UK. DVLA will not register the vehicle until NOVA is processed. Whoever makes the NOVA declaration needs the import customs documents (the C88 and E2 or the MRN), the invoice or bill of sale if you bought the vehicle in the last 6 months, or a current UK valuation if you bought it earlier, and a document showing the VIN, such as the foreign registration or title.

Which documents go with the V55/5?

• Form V55/5, completed and signed
• The original foreign registration certificate or title (you will not get it back)
• Proof of vehicle approval, if needed
• Evidence of a current MOT, if the vehicle is over 3 years old
• A copy of your photocard driving licence, or documents proving your name and address
• Evidence of the date the vehicle was collected, such as the supplier's invoice, if it is new
• Form V627/3 if it has been structurally modified
• The £55 fee and the vehicle tax

What registration number will I get?

DVLA gives an age-related number based on the vehicle's date of manufacture, which is why the original foreign registration certificate matters. If it is missing, a letter from the manufacturer or an owners' club can prove the date. A vehicle with no proof of age, or one that does not meet the conditions, gets a "Q" registration. A vehicle that was registered in the UK before and comes back does not pay the £55 fee and needs no vehicle approval.

How we help

• Shipping by RORO or container from the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and more
• The UK import declaration and NOVA through our broker, a local agent we introduce, or your own
• Relief claims: Transfer of Residence, Returned Goods Relief and historic vehicles
• Delivery to your address or a test station

The IVA test for imported vehicles →

Import duty and VAT on a car brought into the UK →

Get a shipping quote