How to import a car after Brexit

After Brexit, importing a car from the EU is no longer the frictionless process it once was: EU cars now need a customs declaration, and can face 10% duty if origin is not proven, plus 20% VAT. But it is not all bad news. With a valid origin declaration the duty still drops to 0%, and a classic over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, pays 0% duty and just 5% VAT. Here is what actually changed, and what did not.

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What changed

Before Brexit, a car moved from the EU to the UK with no customs process, because both were in the same customs union. That is the part that ended. Now, an EU car is treated as an import like any other.

In practice that means a customs declaration is required when the car arrives, and duty of up to 10% can apply if the car's EU origin is not properly proven. VAT of 20% applies on standard cars, as it does on imports from anywhere.

What stayed the same

Plenty did not change, and this is the part people miss in the gloom about Brexit.

The classic rate itself is untouched: a car over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, pays 0% duty and just 5% VAT, whatever its origin, the same rate classics from outside the EU always paid. What is new for EU classics is that the 5% now applies to them too: before Brexit, a used car bought in the EU usually paid no UK import VAT at all. And the 0% duty route for EU cars still exists, it just now depends on proving origin rather than being automatic.

Brexit added a customs declaration and an origin question. It did not change the classic rate, and it did not close the door to 0% duty.

Why origin now matters

The single biggest change for a normal EU car is that origin is now something you prove, not something assumed. With a valid origin declaration showing the car qualifies as EU, the duty is still 0%. Without it, the 10% duty can apply.

So the origin declaration has gone from a formality to the thing that decides whether you pay 0% or 10% on a standard EU car. Getting it right is the difference.

Classics barely notice

If you are importing a classic, Brexit changed less than you might think. A car over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, pays 0% duty and 5% VAT whatever its origin, so the EU origin question does not arise. What changed is that a customs declaration is now required, and the 5% VAT is now due on classics from the EU too. We cover the age rules in our guide to working out if a car qualifies as a classic.

Importing now

The process today is the standard import path: declare the car to customs on arrival, settle or relieve the duty and VAT, notify HMRC, and register with the DVLA. It is more paperwork than pre-Brexit, which is where an agent helps. See our guide to finding a customs agent.