To import a car from Sweden to the UK, get the original registreringsbevis del 1 and a signed bill of sale from the seller, then have the car cleared through UK customs, notified to HMRC on NOVA and registered with the DVLA. A historic collector's car (over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production) pays 0% duty and 5% import VAT. Anything else pays 20% VAT, plus 10% duty unless it was built in the EU (or another country with a UK trade agreement) and you can prove it.
- Regbevis del 1, the original. Swedish sellers say regbevis, short for registreringsbevis, the registration certificate issued by Transportstyrelsen. It comes as two sheets. You need del 1 (part 1), the technical part with the car's details; the yellow del 2 stays with the seller for their own paperwork. Make sure you get the original: the DVLA keeps it.
- A köpekontrakt (bill of sale), signed by both of you, with the price, date, names, addresses and chassis number. UK customs start from the price you paid. If there is no bill of sale or invoice, the car will need an independent valuation.
Deregistration in Sweden, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
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Duty and VAT on a Swedish car
| Your car | Customs duty | Import VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Historic collector's vehicle (commodity code 9705) | 0% | 5% |
| Built in the EU (or another country with a UK trade agreement), with valid proof of origin | 0% | 20% |
| Any other origin, or origin not proven | 10% | 20% |
The classic route. Under code 9705 a car must be at least 30 years old, of a model no longer in production, and in its original state without substantial changes to chassis, body, steering, brakes, transmission, suspension or engine. A modernised or hot-rodded car does not qualify. The full test is in HMRC's guidance on classifying vehicles. When a car passes, the rate is 0% duty and 5% VAT whatever country it came from.
Everything else. Duty depends on where the car was built, not where you bought it. A Volvo or Saab made in Sweden is EU-built and can come in at 0% duty under the UK-EU trade agreement, with a statement on origin or the importer's own evidence that it qualifies. An American-built car sold in Stockholm has no EU origin, so it pays 10% duty even with Swedish plates. A Japanese-built car can come in at 0% only with proof of Japanese origin.
Proof matters on a modern car. Tullverket points to the leverantörsdeklaration (supplier's declaration) from the manufacturer or its Swedish general agent, warns that not every manufacturer issues one, and is clear that a Certificate of Conformity does not prove origin. Our guide to VAT and duty on a classic car import works through the numbers.
Buying a Swedish classic
Sweden is the home market for Volvo and Saab, so the choice runs from Amazons and 140s to Saab 96s, 99s and 900s. One twist for British buyers: the first Volvo P1800s were assembled by Jensen in West Bromwich, with bodies from Pressed Steel in Scotland, before production moved to Sweden. An early P1800 bought in Sweden can be a car coming home.
The thing to worry about is salt. Swedish roads are salted in winter, so check the sills, floors, jacking points and inner wheel arches, and ask what fresh underseal is hiding. Many classics are avställd, laid up and off the road, over winter, so ask how long the car has been standing. Old besiktningsprotokoll (inspection reports) from Sweden's roadworthiness test are worth having: they show mileage and faults over the years.
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The UK end
- We make the customs import declaration with the right commodity code and any origin claim, and the VAT and duty are paid.
- We file the NOVA notification to HMRC within 14 days of arrival.
- You book a UK MOT if the car needs one, which can be done on the Swedish plates. A car built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes is exempt (you sign a V112 declaration instead), and a car under 3 years old does not need one.
- We prepare the V55/5. You sign it and send it to the DVLA with regbevis del 1, the NOVA letter, the MOT certificate or V112, photo ID, proof of UK address, the £55 first registration fee and the road tax.
Our guide to registering an imported car with the DVLA covers the last step in more detail.
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