Guide
NOVA, IVA and registering an imported car in the UK
Updated
You cannot register an imported car until HMRC's NOVA record exists, and you cannot legally keep it on the road without registering it. Fourteen days is the deadline that starts everything.
Step 1. NOVA: tell HMRC within 14 days
Every vehicle brought into the UK for permanent use must be notified to HMRC through the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) service within 14 days of arrival (gov.uk: importing vehicles). If a customs agent clears the car, their import declaration normally creates the NOVA record for you, confirm this before assuming it. Late notification risks penalties, and DVLA will refuse registration until HMRC confirms any VAT and duty is settled.
Step 2, approval: IVA where there is no GB type approval
Cars without GB type approval, most private imports from Japan and the USA, need Individual Vehicle Approval before registration: a DVSA inspection covering lights, emissions, speedometer (mph), mirrors and construction standards (gov.uk: vehicle approval). Common import jobs before the test: mph speedometer conversion, rear fog light, and headlamp alignment for left-hand-traffic beam patterns. Vehicles over 10 years old are generally exempt from the approval requirement, check your case on gov.uk.
Step 3, register with DVLA
- Apply on form V55/5 (used vehicle) with the £55 first registration fee (gov.uk: vehicle registration).
- Include evidence: NOVA confirmation, approval certificate (IVA or type approval), proof of identity, and an MOT where the vehicle is over 3 years old.
- Pay the first vehicle tax (VED), the amount depends on the vehicle's age, CO2 and list price when new.
- DVLA issues the V5C and registration number; then have UK plates made up.
Driving before registration
The only journeys you should make are to and from pre-booked MOT or approval test appointments, with insurance arranged against the VIN. Anything else on public roads in an unregistered import risks seizure.
Order matters: customs clearance and NOVA first, approval second, DVLA last. Doing them out of order is the most common cause of a car stuck in a garage for months.