Import a Car - Buyer's Guide

Importing from outside the EU

Bringing a car to the UK from outside of the EU is quite common. Look at all of the stupidly fast Subaru Imprezas out there and most will have been previously owned in Japan.

It's also not unusual to bring cars in from America, such as the Ford Mustang, or the fast Holdens from Australia. Check out our top ten list of grey imports for some more examples.

The only real difference here is the Customs and Excise forms you need to fill in. So ask for form C&E 386 and smile sweetly before putting pen to paper.

Older cars may be tax-exempt, but this is not automatically granted as Customs and Excise has a different view as to what old and classic means. Expect to pay VAT and you might get a pleasant surprise if you don't have to pay all or any part of it.

Cars from outside of the EU are unlikely to have Type Approval, which means they're more than likely to have to undergo Single Vehicle Approval (SVA).

You'll have to budget around £250 for this super-MoT. It's a rigorous test of the car's roadworthiness and safety, and it covers far more ground than an MoT, so don't be surprised if the car fails first time.

However, this may mean you need to budget for changes to the car's wing mirrors, aerial mounting and even bonnet badges, as well as emissions and anti-theft equipment.