How to Ship a Car from Hong Kong to UK
Car Shipping Process
We have a dedicated team in Hong Kong who will be in touch with you directly the moment you place a booking with us.
They will assist with advice on getting the car to our Hong Kong depot for loading, or we will be happy to quote for a car collection service.
We then will load your vehicle into a 40ft container securely and fully insured for your peace of mind.
Import Tax and Duty Explained
Most of the cars we ship from Hong Kong to the UK are under ten years of age, therefore it is vital that you can prove you have lived outside of the UK at least 12 months and owned the car at least 6 months of that period in order to meet strict UK import rules.
This will also mean you qualify for Transfer of Residence import tax relief and so will pay no tax or duty. So to summarise the import duty and tax for importing a car from Hong Kong to the UK:
- If you have lived in Hong Kong at least 12 months and owned the car at least 6 months of that period, there is zero tax and zero duty to pay.
- If you do not qualify for Transfer of Residence relief, expect 10% duty plus 20% VAT, calculated on the vehicle value plus the shipping cost.
- If the car is over thirty years of age and in original condition, there is no duty and just 5% VAT on a current valuation of the car.
For a full breakdown of every scenario, see our UK import duty and tax guide.
Arriving in the UK: Customs, Testing & Registration
When your car lands in the UK, three things stand between it and the road: customs clearance, vehicle testing, and registration. We handle all three.
Customs clearance and NOVA. ShipMyCar completes your customs entry and the NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrivals) submission to HMRC for a fixed £150 fee, so you only pay HMRC exactly what is due in duty and VAT: nothing more.
IVA testing. Cars under 10 years old imported from outside the EU need an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test before UK registration. ShipMyCar has an in-house IVA test lane at our Milton Keynes facility, so modifications, preparation and the DVSA-conducted test all happen at one site, with no shuttling your car between a workshop and a separate test centre. Because Hong Kong cars are already right-hand drive, they typically need fewer modifications than left-hand-drive imports. Cars over 10 years old are exempt from IVA and typically just need an MOT.
Registration paperwork. Our administration team prepares the paperwork needed to move your vehicle toward UK road use in the quickest possible time.
