American imports by My Car Import
Import an American car, end to end
We collect it anywhere in the USA, then handle customs, approval and DVLA registration in-house.
- 4.8/5on Trustpilot, 1,000+ reviews
- 25+ yearsimporting cars
- Thousandsof cars imported
- In-houseIVA, MSVA and MOT
From a US kerbside to UK plates
Six stops. Customs, approval and registration are done in-house.
- US kerbside
- Collect From anywhere in the USA
- Export filings The US paperwork a car needs to leave
- Ship Container or RoRo, marine insurance included
- Customs Our agents file the entry. NOVA within 14 days
- Approval IVA or MOT, whichever applies, done in-house
- DVLA plate Registered on our dealer-level DVLA account
- UK plates
The timing depends on the car, the port and the test slot. Why there is no weeks-to-plate figure on this page
Five kinds of American metal
The year and the type set the approval route and the tax, so that is where we start with every car.
Not sure which bucket yours is in?
Send us the make, the year and where it is. We will say which test it takes and what the tax rule does with it.
The method
No headline price. Here is the sum.
Shipping, conversion work and tax all move with the car, the port and the date. One number on a page would be wrong for most people reading it, so we show how the tax is worked out instead.
Round numbers to show the method. Not a quote.
- Customs value £10,000 The price paid, plus transport, insurance and loading up to the UK port.
- Duty £1,000 10% of the customs value, for a car.
- VAT £2,200 20% of the customs value plus the duty. VAT is charged on the duty as well.
Shipping with marine insurance, conversion and approval work and the DVLA fee are separate lines. We price each one for your car.
Older cars
A car over 30 years old, out of production and in original specification, may be accepted by HMRC as a collector's vehicle: no duty, and VAT at 5%. HMRC decides, and advises a ruling before you import.
Moving to the UK
Transfer of Residence relief can remove both duty and VAT if you meet the residency tests and apply before the car is imported.
What we do, and what stays with you
Customs, approval and registration are the parts we take off your hands, so they are ours. A few things stay with you.
Ours
- Collection
- From a dealer, a private seller or an auction yard, anywhere in the USA, on an open or enclosed transporter to the export port.
- Export papers
- The title, bill of sale and export filings the car needs to leave the country.
- Shipping
- Container or roll-on roll-off, with marine insurance included in every shipping quote. A container suits classics, modified cars and non-runners. RoRo needs a car that runs.
- Customs
- Our own authorised HMRC customs agents file the entry for you, with your permission, and tell HMRC the car has arrived within 14 days. DVLA will not register it until that is done.
- Approval
- IVA, MSVA or MOT on our own site, with the lane and the workshop in one yard. Headlamp aim, amber rear indicators and a rear fog lamp are done in-house too.
- Registration
- Filed through our dealer-level DVLA account. The V5C comes in your name, and you need it to have UK number plates made.
- Storage
- Indoor or outdoor storage at Castle Donington if you are not ready to collect it.
Yours
- The car
- Choosing it and paying the seller. Our guide to buying in the USA covers title, history and condition.
- Insurance
- You must insure the car before you drive it on UK roads. Registration does not change that.
- Relief claims
- Moving to the UK? Transfer of Residence needs HMRC approval before the car is imported, so tell us early.
Read before you buy
Car already found? See where we collect from, anywhere in the United States.
- Buying a car in the USA Title, history and condition checks to make before you pay.
- UK customs, duty and VAT NOVA, the 10% duty, the 20% VAT and the historic vehicle rate.
- IVA or MOT? Which test your American car takes, and what each involves.
- Moving to the UK with your car Transfer of Residence relief: who qualifies and what it saves.
- Salvage and rebuilt titles Why we only import clean-title vehicles, and how to spot the others.
How long does it take to import a car from America?
It depends on the car, the port and the test slot, so we do not publish a range. Sea time is shorter from the East Coast than from the West Coast. Customs, approval and DVLA registration follow once the car lands. Tell us the car and where it is, and we will give you our best read on each stage.
What does it cost to import an American car?
The tax follows a rule. Duty is 10% of the customs value, which is the price paid plus the cost of getting the car to the UK port. VAT is 20% of the customs value plus the duty. Shipping, any conversion work, approval and DVLA registration come on top. A car over 30 years old in original specification may qualify for no duty and a 5% VAT rate, but HMRC decides. We quote every line for your car.
Where in America can you collect the car from?
Anywhere in the United States. We collect from dealers, private sellers and auction yards, and arrange the haulage to the export port. We import clean-title vehicles only.
Does my American car need an IVA test?
A car under 10 years old needs Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA). A car over 10 years old does not need approval to be registered. One over three years old needs MOT evidence, and one built more than 40 years ago and not substantially changed is exempt from the MOT. We handle whichever applies, including the lighting work the test calls for.
Can I import a left-hand drive car to the UK?
Yes. A left-hand drive car can be registered and driven in the UK. It follows the same approval and registration route as any other import, and you declare left-hand drive on the DVLA form.
Do you import salvage or rebuilt-title cars?
No. We import clean-title vehicles only. A seriously damaged vehicle, the equivalent of an insurance category A or B write-off, cannot be registered and taxed in the UK, so the saving on the purchase price is not a saving.
Questions we get asked
Found the car? We will take it from there.
Send us the listing and where it is. We come back with an itemised landed cost.