Importing a car - dealing with British bureaucracy
Discussion
November 2025 (after my importer misled me, I went on a wild goose chase for insurance and MOT stations messed me about)
00 Buy the car of your dreams and wait for it to turn up - in my case 6 months. A week before arrival start the process of getting it legalised.
0 First phone around for an MOT station that will MOT an imported car without UK registration (it's in more work for them and most can't be arsed.)
1 Haulage to a brand specialist garage to make foreign things UK legal e.g. lights.
2 Garage drive car to MOT station for booked MOT. STRAIGHT THERE (via whatever route needed on Shell V-Power to heat/clean engine/clean DPF/get through emissions)
3 You show MOT station the export certificate, they check the car's VIN matches the certificate and they make a new entry in the system using vin and date of first registration - If they need help they should call DVSA 0300 123 9000 option # and they will talk them through it.
4 You take the paper MOT, your garage takes your car and you pay them to service it in return for them keeping it off the road until licensed.
5 You re-read V355/5 and fill out V55/5, attach the export certificate and its translation, the paper MOT (because DVLA can't be arsed to push buttons either), a cheque for the registration fee AND a separate cheque for the tax (6/12 months up to you). You choose on the V55/5 when you want the tax to start (I will say the 2nd of next month - see 6 below)
6 You cross your fingers DVLA are not grumpy and issue you with a V5 in time for you to get your insurance in place and showing on their system before the tax comes into effect.
Only on the 3rd of the month, and after their system shows the car is taxed, is it safe for you to drive or leave it on the public road because on the 2nd a clamper will get authorisation to do you and you won't get off.
In my limited experience of doing this once, insurers are b
ds, importers wash their hands of you out of the docks, MOT men are not button pushers, DVSA couldn't give a flying, and DVLA assume you are trying to pull a fast one.
No reg no insurance and good luck driving home with out any never mind white and yellow plates. Police will impound the vehicle on the spot, fastest way to speak with a magistrate who won't have read the law whatever it says and assume you were trying to pull a fast one cos you were
I am writing because I am still trying to get past 2 because no MOT station can be arsed to push more buttons before having a fifth tea.
(Get it booked and paid for most won't take a booking with out a registration so you have a contract - see how that works out because no one can force them - the legal requirement is on you to get it MOT'd not on them to do the MOT.)
One said he's not doing it because I should take it to VOSA station for an IVA - I looked at the DVSA website and it says cars over 10 years old are exempt - these MOT stations simply don't know and don't want to admit it/make effort when DVSA say it is simple, ye right.
I just assumed these people can do their jobs - silly me.
And in case you didn't know every insurance company keeps EVERY QUOTE you ever fill out even if they pretend they delete them.
00 Buy the car of your dreams and wait for it to turn up - in my case 6 months. A week before arrival start the process of getting it legalised.
0 First phone around for an MOT station that will MOT an imported car without UK registration (it's in more work for them and most can't be arsed.)
1 Haulage to a brand specialist garage to make foreign things UK legal e.g. lights.
2 Garage drive car to MOT station for booked MOT. STRAIGHT THERE (via whatever route needed on Shell V-Power to heat/clean engine/clean DPF/get through emissions)
3 You show MOT station the export certificate, they check the car's VIN matches the certificate and they make a new entry in the system using vin and date of first registration - If they need help they should call DVSA 0300 123 9000 option # and they will talk them through it.
4 You take the paper MOT, your garage takes your car and you pay them to service it in return for them keeping it off the road until licensed.
5 You re-read V355/5 and fill out V55/5, attach the export certificate and its translation, the paper MOT (because DVLA can't be arsed to push buttons either), a cheque for the registration fee AND a separate cheque for the tax (6/12 months up to you). You choose on the V55/5 when you want the tax to start (I will say the 2nd of next month - see 6 below)
6 You cross your fingers DVLA are not grumpy and issue you with a V5 in time for you to get your insurance in place and showing on their system before the tax comes into effect.
Only on the 3rd of the month, and after their system shows the car is taxed, is it safe for you to drive or leave it on the public road because on the 2nd a clamper will get authorisation to do you and you won't get off.
In my limited experience of doing this once, insurers are b
ds, importers wash their hands of you out of the docks, MOT men are not button pushers, DVSA couldn't give a flying, and DVLA assume you are trying to pull a fast one.No reg no insurance and good luck driving home with out any never mind white and yellow plates. Police will impound the vehicle on the spot, fastest way to speak with a magistrate who won't have read the law whatever it says and assume you were trying to pull a fast one cos you were
I am writing because I am still trying to get past 2 because no MOT station can be arsed to push more buttons before having a fifth tea.
(Get it booked and paid for most won't take a booking with out a registration so you have a contract - see how that works out because no one can force them - the legal requirement is on you to get it MOT'd not on them to do the MOT.)
One said he's not doing it because I should take it to VOSA station for an IVA - I looked at the DVSA website and it says cars over 10 years old are exempt - these MOT stations simply don't know and don't want to admit it/make effort when DVSA say it is simple, ye right.
I just assumed these people can do their jobs - silly me.
And in case you didn't know every insurance company keeps EVERY QUOTE you ever fill out even if they pretend they delete them.
robi4387 said:
No reg no insurance and good luck driving home with out any never mind white and yellow plates. Police will impound the vehicle on the spot, fastest way to speak with a magistrate who won't have read the law whatever it says and assume you were trying to pull a fast one cos you were
You can insure a car on its chassis number in advance of getting it registered. At least, I did in 2008. I then drove it home from Southampton to Croydon, too.Can the brand specialist garage preparing the car not do/arrange/recommend a place to do the MoT? That's what mine did.
You're right that if importing a car, you need somewhere off road to keep it until it's fully registered. Otherwise you could pay a business to handle the process for you I guess.
I remember feeling a little daunted at times but the process wasn't too bad really as I recall.
Good luck sorting the MoT, the rest shouldn't be too tricky I think, just can take a few weeks.
InitialDave said:
SpeckledJim said:
You want people to do more than their standard service but at the standard price? Have you offered them £200 for the MOT? Try that?
What the OP is asking for is a completely normal thing for a competent MOT garage to know how to do.InitialDave said:
Yes, the OP is the problem for *checks notes* wanting an MOT tester to MOT test a car in line with the rules for MOT testing.
What proportion of a normal neighbourhood MOT station’s work is unregistered cars fresh off the boat? To the nearest integer, I’m going to estimate it to be 0%
Find a specialist or pay extra for someone’s additional headache.
SpeckledJim said:
What proportion of a normal neighbourhood MOT station s work is unregistered cars fresh off the boat?
To the nearest integer, I m going to estimate it to be 0%
Find a specialist or pay extra for someone s additional headache.
Well, that's the gig.To the nearest integer, I m going to estimate it to be 0%
Find a specialist or pay extra for someone s additional headache.
You want to claim a job role, sometimes people will ask you to actually do it.
InitialDave said:
SpeckledJim said:
What proportion of a normal neighbourhood MOT station s work is unregistered cars fresh off the boat?
To the nearest integer, I m going to estimate it to be 0%
Find a specialist or pay extra for someone s additional headache.
Well, that's the gig.To the nearest integer, I m going to estimate it to be 0%
Find a specialist or pay extra for someone s additional headache.
You want to claim a job role, sometimes people will ask you to actually do it.
InitialDave said:
SpeckledJim said:
We can't change that, can we.
Not with that attitude.OP spent all morning ringing round asking garages to fit a quart into a pint pot and nobody wanted to even try.
We’re doomed. Or he finds a specialist and we’re all ok.
(I know what you mean and I genuinely 60% agree. But I can see why he’s struggling to find anyone who is excited about his random pain in the arse car as he is)
“A week before arrival start the process of getting it legalised”
There is your problem. You get two choices:
- pay someone to do the process for you
- do it yourself but you need to do lots of planning and be prepared for the faff
Being a cheapskate I did it myself. Read all the paperwork very carefully multiple times so knew exactly the requirements and had copies to show if required. Local transport company picked up vehicle at docks (during Covid) and dropped off at home address. Vehicle sat in my garage while paperwork process completed. When all complete picked nice sunny day to drive UK registered, insured, taxed and plated vehicle into town. In my case it was a classic so no MOT required (but of course I knew that and had planned accordingly and had the supporting paperwork)
This time was actually easier than bringing my own UK registered, taxed and insured vehicle back from Australia some years ago!
There is your problem. You get two choices:
- pay someone to do the process for you
- do it yourself but you need to do lots of planning and be prepared for the faff
Being a cheapskate I did it myself. Read all the paperwork very carefully multiple times so knew exactly the requirements and had copies to show if required. Local transport company picked up vehicle at docks (during Covid) and dropped off at home address. Vehicle sat in my garage while paperwork process completed. When all complete picked nice sunny day to drive UK registered, insured, taxed and plated vehicle into town. In my case it was a classic so no MOT required (but of course I knew that and had planned accordingly and had the supporting paperwork)
This time was actually easier than bringing my own UK registered, taxed and insured vehicle back from Australia some years ago!
OP you are doing it the wrong way round. From your list it reads as though you are expecting the garage to come and collect your car and drive it to their test station for the price of an MOT. This is too much hassle for most.
Get your car insured first. You can do this using the VIN as you won't have a reg number. You won't be able to do this via the comparison sites. Phone and speak to a specialist, don't try and do it online. I used Swinton for both my imports when I moved back to the UK without any issues. This is not an unusual situation for a specialist insurer so they will know what to do.
Once you are insured you can legally drive it to any garage in the UK for a pre-booked MOT. If you can't find one locally then I can give you the name of one in Dorset that will happily do an MOT off a VIN but I find it very hard to believe that you won't be able to find one locally to do a normal, standard MOT if you drive the car to them.
Get your car insured first. You can do this using the VIN as you won't have a reg number. You won't be able to do this via the comparison sites. Phone and speak to a specialist, don't try and do it online. I used Swinton for both my imports when I moved back to the UK without any issues. This is not an unusual situation for a specialist insurer so they will know what to do.
Once you are insured you can legally drive it to any garage in the UK for a pre-booked MOT. If you can't find one locally then I can give you the name of one in Dorset that will happily do an MOT off a VIN but I find it very hard to believe that you won't be able to find one locally to do a normal, standard MOT if you drive the car to them.
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