Importing a motorcycle to the UK works much like importing a car: ship it over, clear customs, pay the tax, and register it. The rates are different, though. A bike without a trade-deal origin pays 8% duty up to 250cc, or 6% over 250cc, plus 20% VAT. And the classic rule applies too: a motorcycle over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production pays 0% duty and just 5% VAT, wherever it was built. Here is the whole process.
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The rates by engine size
For a motorcycle, the duty depends on the engine size, which is the main way bikes differ from cars.
| Your bike | Customs duty | Import VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Over 30 years old, original, model no longer in production | 0% | 5% |
| No preferential origin, 250cc or less | 8% | 20% |
| No preferential origin, over 250cc | 6% | 20% |
| EU, Japan or India, valid proof of origin | 0% | 20% |
As with cars, duty is worked out first and VAT sits on top of the value plus the duty. Our guide on paying import duty and VAT shows how the two combine.
Where it comes from
Origin works for bikes just as it does for cars. An EU-built motorcycle with valid origin proof, or a Japanese or Indian bike under the UK's trade deals with those countries, pays 0% duty, though still 20% VAT if it is under 30 years old. A bike from most other countries pays the engine-size duty rates above. Japan is an obvious place to look, given how many iconic bikes were built there.
Classic bikes
The best news is for classic motorcycles. A bike over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production pays 0% duty and just 5% VAT, exactly like a classic car, and origin stops mattering because the classic rate does not depend on where the bike was built. Many of the most collectable bikes are now well past 30 years old. We go into the detail in our guide to importing a classic motorcycle.
A bike over 30 years old, original and no longer in production pays the same low tax as a classic car: 0% duty and 5% VAT, whatever country it comes from.
The approval test
A motorcycle first registered or built less than 10 years ago needs vehicle approval before it can be registered, confirming it meets the required standards. That usually means a Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) test if the bike is not registered in the EU, or a certificate of conformity if it is. Motorcycles over 10 years old are usually exempt from approval.
The steps
The path mirrors a car import: the bike is shipped over, declared to customs with the duty and VAT settled, HMRC is notified of the arrival, the bike gets vehicle approval if it needs it, and we prepare every DVLA form for you to sign and post. Once the V5C arrives, you have the number plates made up. Shipping a bike is often simpler and cheaper than a car, given the size. See our guide to shipping a car to the UK for the methods, which apply to bikes too.
Bringing a bike into the UK?
We handle the customs, the tax and the NOVA, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
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