Importing an mx5 from the UK
Discussion
Hi all,
I have a bit of a dilemma. I moved to Den Haag last year and left my lovely Mk1 Import 1.6 VSpec Eunos stored in a garage in the UK.
I'm thinking about bringing it to the Netherlands but there are several obstacles which are currently putting me off
First one, it's right hand drive. I've made a separate thread in the MX5 forum about this, but I don't know whether it will be safe driving it on the right given how poor the visibility is with the soft top and small mirrors. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Secondly, import duty. I understand that if you want to import a car that you've owned for 6 months then you must do it when you move. Does anyone know if this is for certain? And if not, have any idea what the duty would be on a 22 year old 5?
Thirdly, roadworthiness. Can anyone advise on potential difficulties in getting the car certified as roadworthy here? The previous owner of the car had it de-catted. And whilst this is legal in the UK for such an old car, I have no idea if this would be OK here. As I am also thinking about putting a loud backbox on it, now would be a good time to get this confirmed. Whilst on this matter, does anyone have any other suggestions for potential problem areas that I might need to address?
Finally, storage. I believe my car has spent most of its life in a garage, and that is why it has no underbody rust, and touch wood, good sills and arches. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I might be able to rent a garage in Den Haag for a reasonable price. I think this might prove to be the hardest one. I don't think I can bring myself to park her in the street here, particularly as the bicycles in the street are forever getting knocked over onto people's cars. Ouch!
Apologies for the essay and thanks for your input in advance!
Ben
I have a bit of a dilemma. I moved to Den Haag last year and left my lovely Mk1 Import 1.6 VSpec Eunos stored in a garage in the UK.
I'm thinking about bringing it to the Netherlands but there are several obstacles which are currently putting me off
First one, it's right hand drive. I've made a separate thread in the MX5 forum about this, but I don't know whether it will be safe driving it on the right given how poor the visibility is with the soft top and small mirrors. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Secondly, import duty. I understand that if you want to import a car that you've owned for 6 months then you must do it when you move. Does anyone know if this is for certain? And if not, have any idea what the duty would be on a 22 year old 5?
Thirdly, roadworthiness. Can anyone advise on potential difficulties in getting the car certified as roadworthy here? The previous owner of the car had it de-catted. And whilst this is legal in the UK for such an old car, I have no idea if this would be OK here. As I am also thinking about putting a loud backbox on it, now would be a good time to get this confirmed. Whilst on this matter, does anyone have any other suggestions for potential problem areas that I might need to address?
Finally, storage. I believe my car has spent most of its life in a garage, and that is why it has no underbody rust, and touch wood, good sills and arches. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I might be able to rent a garage in Den Haag for a reasonable price. I think this might prove to be the hardest one. I don't think I can bring myself to park her in the street here, particularly as the bicycles in the street are forever getting knocked over onto people's cars. Ouch!
Apologies for the essay and thanks for your input in advance!
Ben
Interesting ^. I have, for now at least, concluded that I can't be arsed to import it here.
Re: the passport stamp though. I never got that done.. I registered at the municipality to get a BSN number et cetera, but no passport stamp.
Is that mandatory?
Back to cars.. I think I'm going to save up and buy something here. Will take a while though and it pains me how much more expensive cars are here.. Even the sheds are expensive! Dutch SOTW is needed!
Finally.. Does anyone know of an insurance company that will insure my MX5 in the UK with me as a non UK resident?
Re: the passport stamp though. I never got that done.. I registered at the municipality to get a BSN number et cetera, but no passport stamp.
Is that mandatory?
Back to cars.. I think I'm going to save up and buy something here. Will take a while though and it pains me how much more expensive cars are here.. Even the sheds are expensive! Dutch SOTW is needed!
Finally.. Does anyone know of an insurance company that will insure my MX5 in the UK with me as a non UK resident?
Combination B said:
Just joined PistonHeads so this is my first post..Seems this thread is a little old, but thought I would add my 2 cents, since I own an Mx5 and have just imported it to NL. Its a 1996 eunos roadster 1.8.
The process is pretty easy.
1. Go to your town hall and ask for your city registration document. (Just an official form telling whoever looks at it where you live, etc etc).
2. Go to Autotelex.nl it's an automated BPM calculator for importing a car. It's in Dutch, but it's not brain surgery to figure out. Key in the year/month of the manufacture of your car, make, model, the usual stuff. Pay €19.95 to finish and download the document. Print it. (12 pages or so).
3. Take your log book, city registration document, and you BPM calculation, along with your passport and MOT if you have one, (I didn't have insurance or an MOT when I took mine in, if no MOT they will do a test, the APK, for a small additional fee), for the car to the RDW test centre. If you turn up before 12pm, you don't need an appointment.
4. Take a ticket from the machine saying 'inspection without appointment' or 'inspection with' if you have made one. Wait your turn.
5. Go to the Baan (lane) they tell you to. Go in and get the car tested. The tester will tell you what to do after that.
6. Pay the BPM at the counter if all is good.
7. Wait 4 days for your documents and go get insurance (Have proof of no claims if you have any), and number plates. (Number plates are available at most print shops, just take all your documents).
Things to look out for.
Fog light at rear, left hand head lights and rear number plate size.
Fog light.
Cover it up with black electrical tape. It's not needed.
Number plate at rear.
Mine is a EUNOS so it has the square plate. They might question it, since it's a slightly different size to the NL ones... but it won't fail on that.
Headlights.
Get some left hand head lights fitted. Don't mess with the adjustment screws. Just swap the lenses.
Mine cost €180 ish to import, at nearly 18 years(?) old. €140 something for the test and around €45 for the BPM.
At 22 years old it should be even cheaper, if anything at all.
One more thing, they wont test for emissions on an mx5 if it was made in 1995 or before. (this is my second MX-5 I've imported, the first was a 1.8i 1995 UK Spec).
Good luck if you decide to go ahead with it.
/Steve.
Thanks Steve,The process is pretty easy.
1. Go to your town hall and ask for your city registration document. (Just an official form telling whoever looks at it where you live, etc etc).
2. Go to Autotelex.nl it's an automated BPM calculator for importing a car. It's in Dutch, but it's not brain surgery to figure out. Key in the year/month of the manufacture of your car, make, model, the usual stuff. Pay €19.95 to finish and download the document. Print it. (12 pages or so).
3. Take your log book, city registration document, and you BPM calculation, along with your passport and MOT if you have one, (I didn't have insurance or an MOT when I took mine in, if no MOT they will do a test, the APK, for a small additional fee), for the car to the RDW test centre. If you turn up before 12pm, you don't need an appointment.
4. Take a ticket from the machine saying 'inspection without appointment' or 'inspection with' if you have made one. Wait your turn.
5. Go to the Baan (lane) they tell you to. Go in and get the car tested. The tester will tell you what to do after that.
6. Pay the BPM at the counter if all is good.
7. Wait 4 days for your documents and go get insurance (Have proof of no claims if you have any), and number plates. (Number plates are available at most print shops, just take all your documents).
Things to look out for.
Fog light at rear, left hand head lights and rear number plate size.
Fog light.
Cover it up with black electrical tape. It's not needed.
Number plate at rear.
Mine is a EUNOS so it has the square plate. They might question it, since it's a slightly different size to the NL ones... but it won't fail on that.
Headlights.
Get some left hand head lights fitted. Don't mess with the adjustment screws. Just swap the lenses.
Mine cost €180 ish to import, at nearly 18 years(?) old. €140 something for the test and around €45 for the BPM.
At 22 years old it should be even cheaper, if anything at all.
One more thing, they wont test for emissions on an mx5 if it was made in 1995 or before. (this is my second MX-5 I've imported, the first was a 1.8i 1995 UK Spec).
Good luck if you decide to go ahead with it.
/Steve.
That's very helpful info!
My eunos is still sat looking sad in a garage in the West Midlands.
The biggest obstacles to me bringing her over are:
i) visibility with it being RHD. with the roof up I find I have a massive blind spot on UK motorways out the left mirror. driving it on the other side of the road I therefore find a bit of an intimidating prospect. How do you get on with this?
ii) not having a garage to park her in. I own one of very few rust free mk1 eunos', and I really don't want to park her on the road. if not only for the rust but also for the bicycles falling on cars that plagues my street! an earlier poster mentioned the speedpark garages in Rijswijk. If this was a bit closer than 7km from my house then I'd probably go for it and park it there, but it's a bit far, I think.
If you can convince me that it's OK driving a mk1 eunos here though, then I might bring her over. For now I can't see past the blind spot being a big obstacle though...
of course if I only drove it with the roof down then that wouldn't be a big problem!
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