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: telling HMRC). If a customs agent clears the car, they or HMRC's CARS team can make the NOVA declaration for you, confirm this before assuming it. gov.uk says you may be fined if you are late, that you must have paid any import taxes due before HMRC can make the declaration, and that you cannot register the vehicle with DVLA until the NOVA application has been processed.
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 against safety and environmental 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. gov.uk says that if the vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago you might not need approval, so check whether yours is exempt (gov.uk).
Step 3, register with DVLA
- Apply on form V55/5 (used vehicle; V55/4 for a new one) with the £55 first registration fee (gov.uk: new registrations fee).
- Include the original supporting documents gov.uk lists for imports: proof of vehicle approval, evidence of the date the vehicle was collected such as the supplier's invoice, and the original foreign registration certificate showing when it was manufactured (you do not get that back).
- 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, which can take up to 6 weeks, and you need the V5C before plates can be 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.