Frequently asked questions

Importing / exporting a vehicle is not an easy process however we are always happy to talk to you and put your mind at rest about anything you may be worried about. Our service includes everything needed to import a car into the UK, but we can tailor our service exactly to your needs, for example if you are shipping over a project car and simply require it to be delivered straight to your door.

 

 

What is involved in importing a car into the UK?

There are many stages in importing a vehicle into the UK, which vary depending on the age, value and manufacturing origin of the vehicle in question. Our full import service includes:

 

Shipping

Collection of your vehicle from country of export and delivery to nearest port (currently US only), transportation of vehicle to UK by sea or air, both sea and air transport is fully insured, air freight is more expensive but your vehicle can be in the UK within 48 hours, containerised shipping ensures your car is secure and not open to the elements. Foreign port loading fees and all administration fees are included

 

 

UK Services

Unloading of vehicle in the UK from ship, transportation of container to customs bonded warehouse, full inspection and administration carried out

 

UK Customs

Handling of all HM Customs and Excise administration and payments, fastest customs clearance possible. We ensure European cars do not pay just £50 duty and zero import duty for classic vehicles - for an estimate of import duty and VAT please use our instant quote system.

 

Transportation

It is illegal to drive an un-registered vehicle on UK roads, we therefore collect your newly imported vehicle on our specialist transporters. We complete all collection paperwork and condition reports in compliance with UK insurance regulations

 

 

IVA Modifications and Test

For full IVA requirements please download the VOSA IVA Guide here Right Click and Save-As or file will be corrupted - as you will see the IVA test is an extremely thorough and complex test for all makes/models of vehicles and we do not recommend carrying out modifications / testing unless you are an experienced IVA engineer.

 

 

All IVA forms filled in and dealt with promptly. All IVA modifications are carried out to the highest of standards to ensure that there is no damage to your vehicle - poor IVA modifications can cause severe vehicle damage, especially with the electronics.

Thanks to advances in LED technology we can now offer 'Invisible IVA' modifications on most vehicles requiring IVA testing. Read more...

Our IVA engineers are specially trained and have years of experience in all makes and models of imported vehicles

IVA modifications carried out to your specification, for example we can fit euro-style rear light clusters to maintain the original look of the vehicle

 

 

Vehicle prepared fully for IVA test, your vehicle is then taken to IVA centre and certificate received

If your vehicle is older than three years old an MOT test is also carried out

 

UK DVLA Registration

All administration included - registration number assigned, plates printed and fixed to vehicle - 12 months road tax included. Personalised number plates available on request

 

 

Full valet, storage and delivery

Your vehicle is then taken to our premises to receive a complimentary full valet and to carry out any additional services that you may require. You then have the choice of fully insured storage at our premises or a delivery service to you.

 

Alarm and Tracker Installations

In order to help your insurance premium and to provide you with extra piece of mind we provide in-house installation of vehicle trackers and Thatcham approved alarms.