importing a classic from Holland

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Discussion

slurpysi

Original Poster:

100 posts

191 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Hello all,

I am purchasing a left hand drive 36 year old car from a dealer in Holland.

can someone describe the procedure. Can I just drive the car back across or under the Channel with the necessary paperwork from the dealer ? What will happen when I get there ?

I know I will have to uk register the car which is fine, I am more concerned about getting it back. Do I have to pay import duty ?

any advice appreciated.

thanks

sim16v

2,176 posts

200 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
If it was registered in Holland, no import duty or taxes to pay, apart from road tax.

It'll need to be insured, take it for it's MOT then send all the paperwork off to the DVLA.


So what is it?

Keep it stiff

1,762 posts

172 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
The first thing you will need to do is the NOVA registration with HMRC. You can do this on-line and it must be done promptly to avoid a fine. Next you will need an MOT, this can do done by chassis number. You will need to insure it. Only then will you be able to apply to Swansea for UK registration. Gather all the documentation you receive with the car including the original registration document to send to Swansea with the application form, you will need to send the originals, keep copies. Swansea will take about three weeks to process your application. I did this last year for an Italian import, there was a glitch with the Italian registration date which meant that I had to re-apply supported by a letter from the DVLA recognised archivist.

slurpysi

Original Poster:

100 posts

191 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks

A Matra Simca Bagheera, always wanted a (non rusty) one and now is the time.

so I can just jump in it, insure it, and drive back via the channel tunnel - or do I need some documents from the dealer ?

JB!

5,254 posts

179 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
No?

Pretty sure as a UK Driving Licence holder you can't drive anything non-UK registered...

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/...

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
There are umpty-seven import-and-register threads here already... NL is EU.

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

242 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
You'll find it's exceptionally easy as they are very efficient over there at this kind of thing (I've done it twice).
ASK THE CURRENT OWNER FOR ADVICE. They will be far more clued up on what to do, but basically what you do is this:

You and the owner take the number plates (they clip off) and your passport/driver licence to a place in the nearest town centre (sorry I don't know what it's called) it's like a Post office counter or DVLA walk in centre, tell them what you are doing, hand over ID, plates and she asks how much insurance you need (in days), it's very cheap and covers you for all of Europe (or EU) - I usually get a week or two then have a bit of a tour before getting the ferry home, it's something like 100 - 150E for a week or two. (you can get breakdown cover with ADAC if you want)
They give you some new temporary export plates, clip them on and off you go, it's as easy as that.

The insurance/plates cover the car, this means anyone driving it is covered.
Getting on the ferry/whatever back home is no problem, they aren't interested in the car, just hand over your tickets/pass/passport etc, get on and come home. It may raise an eyebrow when they see what you are coming home in is different to what you went out in, but it isn't an issue, it's none of their business unless it's got naughty stuff hidden in it somewhere wink
When home get an MOT and tackle the DVLA to get it registered, keep it on the export plates for driving around as you will have thought in advance and bought enough insurance cover in The Netherlands for this won't you? yes
HMRC have absolutely no interest nor need to be informed.
Your main issue will be headlight aim for the MOT so be prepared for that.

Just enjoy the experience, it really is that simple.



Edited by Evoluzione on Wednesday 20th May 08:28

magnumf3

9 posts

158 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
I have recently imported an 1977 Alpine A310 for a customer from Holland. It was all very straight forward until trying to register it in the UK!

If you do go ahead then please before sending DVLA all original documents that you have made a copy and have had them translated. They seem incapable or reluctant to do this themselves. After many phone calls and unpleasant letters from DVLA, it has taken 3 months for them to issue a registration number! We had the car MOT'd 4 days after driving it back to UK.

A few years ago, we just went down to the local office, sat in a queue for 40mins, then a few minuets later had the reg number!

Mark-C

5,010 posts

204 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
slurpysi said:
Thanks

A Matra Simca Bagheera, always wanted a (non rusty) one and now is the time.

so I can just jump in it, insure it, and drive back via the channel tunnel - or do I need some documents from the dealer ?
I can add nothing of value to this thread apart from jealousy cool

ian2144

1,662 posts

221 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
Pics of the car please. the early version with the Simca Rallye 2 engine was the the one to have, looked it's best in yellow.

slurpysi

Original Poster:

100 posts

191 months

Thursday 21st May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for all the feedback - I will let you know how I get on and post some pictures when (if !) I return. Planning for the week after next.

it is a late one with the bigger engine.

Pete54

196 posts

109 months

Thursday 21st May 2015
quotequote all
Had the same experience as Evolitizone. Only difference was the plates the car was issued with were German - but then the town was close to the German border.

NOVA is not a good website but DVLA do check that NOVA has been complied with prior to issuing any paperwork. Oh and insuring on a VIN is not particularly cheap so you need to shop around, I ended up with Hastings who offer it for 3 months on an ordinary collector car policy.

Enjoy!

slurpysi

Original Poster:

100 posts

191 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
Further to my previous question on this thread, as expected I am getting grief from my insurance company.

Does the 14 day insurance I am getting in Holland for my 150 euros cover me to drive in the UK ?

Thanks

JB!

5,254 posts

179 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
slurpysi said:
Further to my previous question on this thread, as expected I am getting grief from my insurance company.

Does the 14 day insurance I am getting in Holland for my 150 euros cover me to drive in the UK ?

Thanks
Just tell them to insure off the VIN?

TonyBrooks

83 posts

184 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
I must confess to being surprised how effecient all the 'bodies' were when registering my Dinalpine. The NOVA certificate was issued some 15 months ago by the shippers, a MOT on the chassis no. was straightforward, my insurers (ClassicLine) insured the car on its chassis no. for 1 month subject to an update in a month's time. Documentation sent to DVLA and new V5 issued 1 week later. In fact it took longer to get some registration plates made up!

I did have a quiery on filling out the DVLA papers but they answered the telephone within a couple of minutes and a very knowledgeable person talked me all through the various boxes.

The only difference perhaps to the original poster is that I delivered my car on a trailer to MOT station.

shakotan

10,679 posts

195 months

Friday 29th May 2015
quotequote all
slurpysi said:
Further to my previous question on this thread, as expected I am getting grief from my insurance company.

Does the 14 day insurance I am getting in Holland for my 150 euros cover me to drive in the UK ?

Thanks
You cannot drive a non-UK registered car in the UK on a UK license.

slurpysi

Original Poster:

100 posts

191 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for all the feedback I had on this thread.

Just to complete the picture;

- managed to get a lift to Holland and purchase an very nice 1979 Matra Bagheera X from the extremely charming people at CarJoy in Leerdam.

- went into town with them to do the export papers which took 20 minutes and cost 140 euros. They give you export number plates

- drove 200 miles back to Calais, motorway all the way (although rather slow in a new car and 4 speeds). The first time I slowed down was for the channel tunnel.

- straight through check in and customs without being asked any questions (this was before the 'problems' obviously)

- got the car delivered home

- filled in the NOVA form, which was straightforward

- MOT'd the car, again straightforward. Just the headlight alignment to fiddle with. My insurance company issued a temporary covernote

- attempted to fill in the dreaded DVLA V55 form. You have to apply for the form to be sent to you. I struggled to fill it in so called the helpdesk, and was advised to just "do the best you can". I was very careful the chassis number and other details were correct across all the paperwork. A quick prayer, and off it went

- and less than two weeks later, the new registration documents have arrived ! £55 for the pleasure, and £145 for a years tax which they did at the same time. So well done DVLA.

The car, by the way, is excellent, and an almost perfect example. I am not sure what the results would have been buying private without the benefit of dealer assistance in filling in the export forms, but it should be fairly straightforward. I recommend the process, there are plenty of good cars available across Europe - make the most of the Sterling to Euro rate !


4rephill

5,040 posts

177 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
quotequote all
Thank you for the update and the additional information - It'll be of great help to others who are thinking of importing a car from the EU.

Great looking car also! - Enjoy! thumbup

drive2tractors

488 posts

263 months

Sunday 5th July 2015
quotequote all
We are going through the same process with our MGA which we found in Luxembourg. No trouble with the NOVA, returned a big fat £0, managed the V55 with the help of the DVLA helpline, sent all off with high hopes after a flying through the MOT and cover notes from the insurers to get it there. 3 weeks later we get a letter from the DVLA saying the last British registered owner (1981) never told them it had been exported so all we had to do was fill in the back of the very old logbook that was in all the cars documents. Phoned to check and sure enough all we would have needed to do was just that. So sent on Friday hoping for a new V5 shortly....
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