Do you register a motorcycle over 10 years old differently?

Yes, in one important way. A motorcycle first registered or manufactured more than 10 years ago falls outside the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) scheme, so it does not need the approval test that a younger import without GB type approval has to pass. Everything else stays: the customs declaration, duty and VAT, the NOVA notification to HMRC, an MOT if the bike needs one, and DVLA registration. Two more ages matter later on: 30 years for the import tax and 40 years for the MOT. Here is what changes at each one.

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The short answer

Ten years is a real line for imported motorcycles. Under 10 years old, a bike without GB type approval has to pass MSVA, a DVSA inspection that ends with a Minister's Approval Certificate, before the DVLA will register it. Over 10 years old, the bike is outside the MSVA scheme, so that test and its fee drop away. The rest of the import works the same way as for a newer bike.

Why 10 years matters: MSVA

GOV.UK sets out who can use motorcycle single vehicle approval: vehicles that are under 10 years old, have not been registered in the UK before and do not have EU or provisional GB type approval. It covers solo motorcycles, mopeds, combinations, tricycles and quadricycles. The DVSA fee is £85 for a full MSVA, or £12 for a partial MSVA on a bike that has a Certificate of Conformity but needs checks such as the headlamp beam and the speedometer.

So a bike that is 11, 15 or 25 years old does not need MSVA. Age is counted from when the bike was first registered or manufactured, which is why the dates on the original foreign registration document matter. The DVLA can still ask to inspect any imported vehicle before it registers it.

Under 10 years old, an imported bike may need an approval test. Over 10, the MSVA test drops away, but customs, NOVA and the DVLA do not.

What still applies to a bike over 10

• Customs, duty and VAT. A bike that is not a qualifying classic pays 8% duty up to 250cc or 6% above, or 0% with proof of EU, Japanese or Indian origin, plus 20% VAT. There is no preferential rate for bikes built in Thailand.
• NOVA. HMRC has to be notified within 14 days of arrival, and the DVLA will not register the bike until it has been. Only machines of 48cc or less can be registered without it.
• MOT. A UK MOT if the bike needs one. A bike built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes is exempt (you sign a V112 declaration instead), and one under 3 years old does not need one.
• Proof of age. The DVLA dates the bike from its original foreign registration document and keeps it. If that document is missing, a dating letter does the job, and we obtain it for you.
• DVLA registration. The V55/5 application with the £55 first registration fee and the road tax.

What changes at 30 years

This is the age that matters for import tax. A motorcycle over 30 years old, in its original state without substantial changes and of a model no longer in production can be classed as a collector's vehicle, which pays 0% duty and 5% VAT wherever it was built. All three conditions must be met; age alone is not enough. We break the full rates down in our guide to importing a motorcycle to the UK.

What changes at 40 years

This is the age that matters for the MOT. A motorcycle built or first registered more than 40 years ago, with no substantial changes, is exempt from the MOT: you sign a V112 declaration instead. The 40 years roll forward, so every year a new year of bikes becomes exempt. The same rule applies to cars, and we cover it in our guide to whether an imported car needs an MOT.

Historic vehicle tax is a separate rule

Road tax works on a fixed date, not a rolling age. From 1 April 2026, vehicles built before 1 January 1986 can go into the historic vehicle tax class, which carries a £0 rate. It is not automatic: it has to be applied for. Because the MOT exemption and the historic tax class use different rules, check each one separately for your bike.

The steps for a bike over 10 years old

1. Customs declaration: we declare the bike and the duty and VAT are paid.
2. NOVA: we notify HMRC within 14 days of arrival.
3. MOT: if the bike needs one, you book it; the bike can be ridden to a pre-booked test.
4. DVLA: we prepare and pre-fill the V55/5; you sign it and post it with the original foreign registration document, the NOVA confirmation, the MOT certificate or V112, photo ID, proof of UK address, the £55 fee and the road tax.
5. V5C and plates: the DVLA issues the registration number and the V5C, and you get number plates made up.

We cover the DVLA side for bikes in more detail in our guide to registering an imported motorcycle with the DVLA.