A car that is already in the UK on foreign plates but was never registered still counts as an import. You need to notify HMRC through NOVA, settle any VAT or duty, and register it with the DVLA before you can legally use it. Being physically in the country changes nothing: the paperwork was simply never done.
Why the car still needs importing
This is one of the most common situations we deal with. Someone buys a classic that has sat in a UK garage for years, or picks up a car here that a previous owner drove over from Europe and never registered. The car is in Britain, but in the eyes of HMRC and the DVLA it was never formally imported.
For a UK resident, driving on foreign plates is not a long-term option. You can generally only use foreign plates for up to 6 months in total as a visitor. Once you live here, or the car has been in the UK longer than that, it must be registered.
The car being on your driveway is not the same as the car being registered. Until the DVLA issues a V5C, it cannot legally go on the road.
The steps to put it right
- File NOVA with HMRC. This notifies HMRC the vehicle is in the UK. It should be within 14 days of arrival, but if that window passed long ago it can still be done.
- Settle any VAT or duty. A qualifying classic over 30 years old pays just 5% VAT and no duty. HMRC confirms what is owed, then issues confirmation the NOVA is cleared.
- Sort the MOT or approval. Cars over 40 years old are MOT-exempt; others need a valid MOT, and some need an IVA test.
- Register with the DVLA. Submit a V55/5 form with the supporting documents and the £55 fee. The DVLA issues a UK number and a V5C logbook.
No original foreign logbook? The DVLA may accept other proof of the manufacture date, such as a letter from the manufacturer or a recognised enthusiast club. Send originals only, never photocopies. The DVLA keeps the foreign registration document and does not return it.
Got a car stuck in limbo?
We regularise unregistered imports every week: NOVA, VAT, and the full DVLA registration under one roof, from £95.
Get my free import assessmentThe special case: a formerly UK car
If the car was originally UK-registered, was exported, and is now back, the DVLA record may show it as permanently exported. In that case the old V5C is effectively just a piece of paper, and the car has to be re-registered. You may still avoid VAT and duty if you can show it was UK-owned before, but the registration has to be redone.
How long it takes
Once everything is submitted, the DVLA usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to issue the V5C, and you cannot order number plates until it arrives. Getting NOVA and any tax cleared first is what keeps that timeline on track.
Since Brexit we have cleared and registered over 1,500 vehicles into the UK, including plenty that had been sitting unregistered for years. If your car is in this position, talk to a specialist and we will tell you exactly what it needs.