How to Import a Car from Japan to the UK: NOVA, Approval and Registration

Bringing the car in yourself

If you bring a vehicle in yourself by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel, GOV.UK puts the order differently. You tell HMRC within 14 days that the vehicle has arrived, and you make an import declaration only if HMRC tells you that you need to pay VAT and customs duty.

Is there a minimum import age?

The GOV.UK import pages checked on 12 October 2026 describe a vehicle approval step. They do not describe a minimum import age. GOV.UK says you need proof of approval to register and tax the vehicle, and that you must also tell HMRC and pay any VAT and customs duty before you can register.

GOV.UK also says a vehicle classed as seriously damaged cannot be registered or taxed with DVLA, and you will not be refunded money spent on vehicle approval. For an imported vehicle, the registration certificate might say "statutory write-off", "scrapped" or "non-repairable".

When approval is not needed

GOV.UK's exemption list says you do not need vehicle approval for cars and minibuses with 8 passenger seats or less (not including the driver) over 10 years old. It gives the same 10-year rule for light goods vehicles of 3,500kg maximum weight or less.

The import guide words the test by date: if the vehicle was first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago, you might not need approval. DVSA's IVA scheme guide says IVA is required for passenger cars and light goods vehicles less than 10 years old that need first registration in the UK. Neither summary addresses a car that is exactly 10 years old, so check the car's own documented dates before you rely on the exemption.

Basic and normal IVA

GOV.UK says that to get approval for a vehicle not registered in the EU, you apply for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA), or Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval for 2, 3 or smaller 4-wheeled vehicles. IVA has two levels. Basic IVA covers listed categories, including personal imports and left-hand drive vehicles. Any other vehicle needs normal IVA, which has extra standards and requires documentary evidence.

DVSA defines a personal import (class P) by conditions. On the ordinary route, the applicant must have been normally resident outside the UK for a continuous period of at least 12 months, intend to become normally resident in the UK, and have possessed and used the vehicle abroad for at least 6 months before importing it. The vehicle must be for personal or household use in the UK.

Japanese approval documents

DVSA's scheme guide says evidence that a vehicle was type approved in Japan is taken to confirm the items where Japanese approval is considered comparable. For a used vehicle, the original Japanese Export Certificate (also called a De-registration Certificate) must show allocated specification and classification numbers.

This applies if the vehicle has not been modified since manufacture, in any IVA-relevant item, in a way likely to have a detrimental effect on the original approval. DVSA requires a photocopy of the Japanese version with the application and the matching original at the inspection. If the numbers appear only in the remarks box, DVSA also requires an official translation.

IVA fees and timing

As of 12 October 2026, DVSA's fee page lists £199 for a statutory normal IVA inspection in working hours and £294 outside working hours. A re-inspection is £40 in working hours or £59 outside them. The page applies to England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland has a separate publication. DVSA says statutory fees do not include VAT.

GOV.UK says DVSA will usually offer an inspection within 20 working days at the test location you choose, wherever possible. DVSA issues an individual approval certificate (IAC) if the vehicle passes, and you need that certificate when you register the vehicle.

IVA is different from an MOT

DVSA says an IVA inspection looks at how a vehicle is constructed or adapted, while the annual MOT test looks at roadworthiness. A vehicle might pass the MOT test and still fail an IVA inspection.

DVSA's preparation guide says to make sure headlamps dip the correct way for driving on the left. DVSA's IVA manual for passenger cars says a speedometer must be able to indicate speed in miles per hour, and that there is no requirement to drive the vehicle when considering speedometer functionality. The same manual lists the rear fog lamp as mandatory, with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 2 lamps.

Who makes the NOVA declaration

For a non-VAT-registered company or private individual with a shipped vehicle, GOV.UK says the Notification of Vehicle Arrivals (NOVA) declaration can be made by your shipping company or customs agent, who may charge an extra fee, or by HMRC's CARS team on your behalf. It must be made within 14 days of bringing the vehicle in. A VAT-registered company must use the NOVA service within 14 days.

HMRC tells you when your NOVA application has been processed, and GOV.UK says you cannot register the vehicle with DVLA until it is.

What the person making the declaration needs

• The C88 and E2 customs documents, or your Movement Reference Number (MRN) import document.
• The invoice or bill of sale, if you bought the vehicle in the last 6 months.
• A current valuation, if you bought the vehicle more than 6 months ago. It must be carried out in person in the UK by a garage, dealership or other recognised business.
• A copy of an official document that confirms the VIN or chassis number, for example a registration or title document or an export certificate.

Conflicting DVLA wording

DVLA's leaflet INF106 (edition 10/25) says a private individual or non-VAT-registered company does not need to notify HMRC using NOVA or the NOVA1 form, although certain customs forms must be completed before DVLA can register the vehicle. The current HMRC page says the NOVA declaration is made for you by your agent or the CARS team. This guide follows the HMRC page for the NOVA step.

DVLA also says it will not register a vehicle if the details in the registration application do not match those given to HMRC.

Customs duty and the Japan agreements

GOV.UK says the rates of customs duty depend on the type of vehicle and where you import it from. It says to check rates with your shipping company or customs agent or the HMRC helpline.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists passenger cars among the UK-market goods whose tariff is to be eliminated in 2026 under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The agreement grants preferential tariff treatment to a product originating in the other party on the basis of a claim by the importer.

Proving origin

CEPA Article 3.16 says the claim must be based on a statement on origin made out by the exporter or on the importer's knowledge that the product is originating. HMRC's guidance says an importer-knowledge claim needs valid evidence that the product qualifies as originating.

HMRC says the origin of goods may not be the country they are shipped or bought from.

CPTPP

The Department for Business and Trade says the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force between the UK and Japan on 15 December 2024. It says the UK-Japan agreement remains in force alongside CPTPP and that, at times, you need to specify which agreement you choose to trade under.

Import VAT

As of 12 October 2026, GOV.UK gives the standard UK VAT rate as 20%. GOV.UK says import VAT on a vehicle is charged on the total cost of the vehicle plus any accessories bought with it, delivery and extra charges, and customs duty.

HMRC's valuation guidance adds charges payable on importation and the cost of incidental expenses to the customs value, and says not to include the VAT itself.

Collector vehicles and the reduced VAT value

HMRC's import VAT manual says imports of collectors' items are taxed on a reduced value, giving an effective VAT rate of 5 per cent. HMRC's vehicle classification guidance says a classic or collectors' car is classified under heading 9705 only if it meets the criteria of legally binding note 1 to chapter 97 of the tariff. It adds that cars less than 30 years old are generally not considered classic or collectors' cars.

Heading 9705 excludes modernised, hot-rodded or modified vehicles, and you must give the year of manufacture and say whether you have made any substantial changes. Repair and restoration is allowed if the vehicle is preserved and maintained in its historically correct condition.

HMRC recommends an Advance Tariff Ruling before such a vehicle is imported. A ruling cannot be issued for goods already presented for Great Britain customs import procedures.

Moving to the UK or visiting

HMRC's transfer of residence relief lists private motor vehicles among eligible goods. To claim it, you must have been resident outside the UK for at least 12 consecutive months before moving, import the goods within 12 months of coming to live in the UK, and intend to use them in the UK for the same purpose as before. You must get approval from HMRC on a ToR1 form before claiming.

You must have had the goods in your possession for at least 6 months before moving, except for items imported under marriage or civil partnership relief or the relief for students. Goods that get the relief cannot be lent, used as security, hired out or transferred to another person within 12 months of the date you moved. HMRC lists separate exceptions for exceptional political circumstances.

GOV.UK's temporary import rules are for visitors who do not plan to live in the UK. The vehicle must be registered and taxed in its home country and used for up to 6 months in total, in one visit or several shorter visits over 12 months. If you become a resident or stay longer than 6 months, you must register and tax it in the UK.

MOT

DVLA's registration checklist asks for evidence of a current MOT if the vehicle is over 3 years old, or over 4 years old in Northern Ireland. GOV.UK gives £54.85 as the maximum MOT fee for a car and says you do not pay VAT on the fee.

The Department for Transport says a vehicle does not need an MOT if it was built or first registered more than 40 years ago and no substantial changes have been made to it in the last 30 years. You declare the exemption when you apply to tax the vehicle, and it must be roadworthy whether it is exempt or not. It must still have an MOT if, for example, it has been substantially changed or has a registration number with a 'Q' prefix.

The DVSA MOT manual inspects the 1 rear fog lamp, which must be fitted to the centre or offside, on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980.

Forms, fee and documents

DVLA says to use form V55/5 for a used imported vehicle and V55/4 for a new one. Before you can register, HMRC must have processed your NOVA application, you must have paid any VAT and customs duty, and you must have proof of vehicle approval. GOV.UK lists a £55 registration fee, and you tax the vehicle when you register it.

Send a photocopy of your photocard driving licence to prove your identity. If you cannot, send photocopies of one document that proves your name and another that proves your address. If the address is in Northern Ireland, send an insurance certificate or cover note.

Foreign registration certificate and V5C

GOV.UK says to send the original foreign registration certificate to show when the vehicle was manufactured, and that you will not get it back. If you do not have it, DVLA might accept other proof of the manufacture date, for example a letter from the manufacturer or a vehicle enthusiast club. DVLA says not to send photocopies or faxed copies.

GOV.UK says it can take up to 6 weeks for the registration certificate (V5C) to arrive, and you need the V5C to get number plates made up. DVLA might ask to inspect the vehicle.