'Importing' a car that is already in the UK

[boiler]

I worked for several years in Switzerland, and moved back to the UK at the end of last year.

I brought my car (LHD) back to the UK whilst I looked for a car over here, with the intention of taking it back to Switzerland when I got a car over here.

Fortunately, I bought a Tiv, so I now want to keep my other car to leave at the train station each day.

Does anyone know how I go about registering the car in the UK. Any links etc would be useful. The forms that I have seen all state that I need a form from Customs, which I can only get when I first come into the country. Do I need to take the car our of the country first? (A good excuse for duty free I guess!)

Andy.

[Wasted Bullet]

So you have a car which is almost immune to speeding fines and parking tickets...... And you want to change it why?

[JMGS4]

Keep it on swiss plates for as long as you can, due to Talivans, Scameras, Kengestion charges, and other highway robbery thefts......... as Switzerland has no legal assistance agreement with GB to persue anyone for a traffic offence, so you can tell Talivans to ckuf-offf............
and BTW you can speak to the guys at customs and say you now (later) intend to import the car, they shouldn't make anything of it being already in the country (did this years ago when I was in the forces and no probs..)

[boiler]

For it to stay legal in the UK for me to drive it, it must be road legal in Switzerland. It's a bit of a pain to take it back there, to have it tested every year.

Also I think that Switzerland will want the number plates back (as they relate to me, and I am no longer a resident).

And it's a Freelander, so speeding is not a real issue for it anyway!

Andy.

[tonyrec]

Once you are resident here you should register your car here too.
We come across this almost every day and it causes you a lot of problems if you dont.
Once you have come to notice and the true facts are evident, you will be warned and if you get stopped again serious action will be taken because basically you are driving without Tax, cant be caught by speed cameras and basically do anything that you want too.

We have a way of catching you when you drive a foreign registered vehicle and get zapped by a Gatso.....this can then lead to arrest.

Before anyone on here says that theres nothing wrong with that, then i hope that some illegal, driving on foreign plates doesnt knock down a memeber of your family etc etc (or crashes into your car and fails to stop)and tries to evade capture. Sadly, cases like this are all too evident and you dont realise the seriousness until it happens to you.

[206xsi]

Maybe if drivers didn't feel so persecuted, they wouldn't need to keep their foreign registered cars...

Just an opinion - I agree with Tonyrec's comments.

[pdV6]

DVLA said:

IMPORTING A VEHICLE A vehicle which is permanently imported for use in Great Britain must be registered and licensed as soon as possible after it arrives in this country. The vehicle should not be used or kept on public roads until the licensing and registration formalities have been completed. However, if the vehicle needs to have an SVA (see section A "Type Approval") or MOT test in order to be registered, the vehicle may be driven to and from the pre-arranged test appointment. Thereafter, the vehicle must be kept off the road until the registration formalities have taken place. Application for registration should be made to your nearest DVLA Local Office. N.B It is not possible to offer an 'over the counter service'; registration usually takes between 48 to 72 hours. A "brand new" vehicle can be driven to GB and registered as "new" provided the vehicle: is registered in GB quickly after collection - this is taken to be 14 days but may be extended to one calendar month at peak periods (e.g. prior to 1st March and 1st September) Only have reasonable delivery mileage and Not have been previously "permanently" registered. N.B. UK law requires a vehicle to be UK licenced and registered for road use. To avoid difficulties, importers are advised to transport, rather than drive their vehicles from the port to home or first destination and to keep them off the road until they have been properly licenced and registered. For most new vehicles you must present evidence of Type Approval from the supplier or vehicle manufacturer, usually in the form of a Certificate of Conformity. If the vehicle has not been subject to Type Approval it must pass a Single Approval (SVA) Test. VEHICLE REGISTRATION The following documents will need to be submitted to the DVLA Local Office. (N.B. photocopies are NOT acceptable). Completed application form V55/4* (for new vehicles) or V55/5 (for used vehicles). A £25 registration fee (if applicable). # The required fee for the licence. A current British certificate of insurance. Foreign registration document and any other papers you have relating to the vehicle. Evidence showing the date the vehicle was collected (normally the invoice from the supplier). Evidence of type approval. The appropriate Customs and Excise form. A current British MOT test certificate (if applicable). A Declaration of Newness (if applicable). *The V55/4 form has been introduced to distinguish between new and used vehicles coming forward for registration. # Please make cheques, postal orders payable to "DVLA Swansea" or "Driver and Vehicle licensing Agency". Registration and licensing will not take place unless you have the necessary documentation. In some cases the DVLA Local Office may wish to see the vehicle to check its identity.

[pdV6]

DVLA also said:

A. Type Approval IMPORTANCE NOTICE: From 17 June 2003 Type Approval or SVA will be required for motorcycles, tricycles & quadricycles Non-type approved vehicles less than 10 years old that are personally imported are required to pass a Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) test. To qualify as a Personal Import (PI), the following conditions have to be met. · If the vehicle has been imported by a person entering the United Kingdom; · That the person had, at the time the vehicle was imported, been normally resident in a country other than the United Kingdom for a continuous period of at least 12 months; · That person intends to become normally resident in the United Kingdom; · That the vehicle has been in the possession of that person and used by him in the country where he has normally resident for a period of at least 6 months before its importation and · That the vehicle is intended for his personal or household use in the United Kingdom. Personally imported vehicles over 3 years old, that meet the above criteria, will be subject to the MOT test. The Vehicle Inspectorate will need to be satisfied that the person importing the vehicle complies with the above criteria. NB. P.I. status does not apply to HGVs over 3,500kgs. Commercial and other Non-Personal Imports If you do not qualify as a personal importer, you will need to submit your vehicle for an SVA inspection. Until 31 July 2001, one level of test "Standard SVA" applied to all vehicles. From the 1 August 2001 a more stringent SVA test was introduced, (Enhanced SVA) that applies to most imports which are neither type approved nor personal. It is also permissible to obtain an equivalent single approval granted in another EEA State. Further information on SVA is given in leaflet SVA4 and in the booklet 'How to Import a vehicle into great Britain' PI5. Vehicles over 10 years old are exempt from type approval and SVA but will require a current MOT certificate. A vehicle is classed as being 10 years old from the last day of the month of first registration. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B. Customs & Excise Registration Documents What Customs Forms Do I Need? VEHICLES IMPORTED FROM WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION VAT415 - This form must be completed by individuals who have personally acquired a New Means of Transport in another Member State. The form is available at DVLA Local Offices and following completion will be forwarded to Customs and Excise. The form can also be obtained from VAT Business Advice Centres. N.B. New Means of Transport (NMT) vehicles are defined by Customs and Excise as originating from within the European Union (EU) and are either less than 6 months old or have travelled less than 6,000 kms (3,750m). VAT 413 - This form is issued by Customs & Excise for NMT vehicles which have been personally acquired within the EU and which have been notified direct to Customs & Excise, instead of the DVLA Local Office. VAT 414 - This self-declaration form can only be used in the following circumstances: For NMT vehicles acquired commercially within the EU by VAT registered traders. For vehicles not classed as NMT's (i.e. over 6 months old and having travelled more than 6000kms) which have been acquired from within the EU. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VEHICLES IMPORTED FROM OUTSIDE THE EUROPEAN UNION C& E 386 - This form is issued by Customs & Excise for a vehicle of any age personally imported from outside the EU. C & E 388 - This form is issued by Customs & Excise for a Customs restricted vehicle of any age personally imported from outside the EU. C & E 389 - This is a self-declaration form which should be used by VAT registered traders for commercial imports from outside the EU. BFG 414 - This form is issued to all Customs relieved vehicles, irrespective of age, which have been personally acquired within the EU by British Forces Germany personnel. For further advice on import duty and tax contact HM Customs & Excise Advice Service on 0845 0109000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Temporarily Imported Vehicles There are International agreements which provide for the temporary use of a vehicle in a foreign country for a limited time, usually 6 months in a 12 month period. A visitor to the UK may use a vehicle displaying foreign plates, provided that all taxes (including vehicle excise duty) are paid in their country of origin.

[boiler]

pdV6 - Thanks for that - pretty much all the information I need.

Tonyrec - I agree with you. I'm not trying to dodge any taxes(that I have to pay , or avoid any speeding fines, and definitely not get in trouble with the BiB. BTW, how do you find the address of foreign-plated speeders?

Andy.

[pdV6]

Taken from the 1st reference:

DVLA said:

Application for registration should be made to your nearest DVLA Local Office. N.B It is not possible to offer an 'over the counter service'; registration usually takes between 48 to 72 hours.

As a matter of interest, I had a query with some of the paperwork when I imported my car (new) and seeing as the local DVLA office is just up the road from my parents' house, I thought I'd pop in & ask rather than post it all off to them.

Anyway, query was sorted & the girl behind the counter said:
Her: "Have you got all the rest of it with you?"
Me: "Yes"
Her: "Give it here, then; I might as well register it here & now"

Job done!