The cost of importing a car from Germany to the UK is often lower than people expect, for two reasons: a car built in the EU reaches 0% duty with valid origin, and the short crossing keeps shipping cheap. You still pay 20% VAT on a newer car, or just 5% VAT on a classic that is over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production. Here is the full breakdown, with worked examples.
Importing a car from Germany? Get a free quote for your car import from Germany →
The tax
A car built in the EU or the UK pays 0% duty under the UK and EU trade agreement, as long as you have a valid origin declaration. Origin means where the car was built, not where you buy it, so a car sold in Germany but built outside the EU does not qualify. VAT is 20% on most cars, or 5% on a classic that is over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production. Without origin proof, a car that is not a qualifying classic is charged 10% duty, so the origin declaration matters.
| Your car | Customs duty | Import VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Over 30 years old, original and model no longer in production | 0% | 5% |
| Any other car, built in the EU or UK, valid origin proof | 0% | 20% |
| Any other car, no origin proof | 10% | 20% |
A worked example
Take a £24,000 car built in Germany, not a classic, with valid origin proof:
- Customs duty: 0% = £0
- Import VAT: 20% of £24,000 = £4,800
- Tax total: £4,800
If the car is a classic that is over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production, it pays no duty and 5% VAT: about £1,200. And note the difference origin makes: without origin proof, that newer car would carry 10% duty (£2,400), and the 20% VAT would then be worked out on £26,400, so £5,280, a tax total of £7,680. Our guide on paying import duty and VAT shows the stacking.
Germany's advantage is double: 0% duty with origin, and a short, cheap crossing. The VAT is the main cost on a newer car.
The shipping
Germany is close, so shipping is cheap compared with an import from across an ocean. A drivable car can sometimes be brought over directly. Either way it is a smaller cost than the tax. The options are in our guide to shipping a car to the UK.
The fees
Budget also for the agent's fee for customs and the registration paperwork, any test the car needs, and the £55 DVLA first registration fee. These are modest next to the VAT, but they are part of the true cost.
The total landed cost
For a car built in Germany, the biggest cost after the price is the VAT, since the duty is usually zero and the shipping is cheap. That makes Germany one of the more predictable and affordable imports, as long as the origin claim is handled correctly. More on the marque-rich German market is in our guide to importing a classic car from Germany.
See your exact figure
Set your car's value and age, and get the duty and VAT in seconds.
Work out my import taxGet the full landed cost
We handle the origin claim, customs, duty and VAT, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
Get a free quote for my German import