Importing to the UK
5 Things to Know Before You Apply for NOVA for Your Imported Car
NOVA, the Notification of Vehicle Arrival, is the online declaration you submit to HMRC within 14 days of your car arriving in the UK, and it has to happen before you can register the car with the DVLA. Most of the delays we see come down to five things people do not know going in.
In this article
1. The clock starts when the car arrives, not when the paperwork is ready
The 14 day window begins the moment your car crosses into the UK, whether that is off a transporter, a ferry, or driven in under its own power. It does not wait for your invoice to arrive, for the shipping agent to send documents, or for you to find time. People who leave sourcing the paperwork until after the car lands are usually the ones who end up filing late.
If you know roughly when the car is due to land, it is worth having your documents ready a week beforehand. That alone avoids most late submissions we see.
2. NOVA comes after customs, before DVLA
There is a fixed order to this. Customs clearance and payment of any duty or VAT owed has to happen first, because NOVA needs that outcome to work with. Only once NOVA has gone through can you move on to registering the car and getting it plated by the DVLA. Trying to jump ahead to registration before NOVA is confirmed is one of the most common ways people get stuck.
Some people try to submit NOVA online before duty and VAT have actually been paid, hoping to save time. It does the opposite. HMRC ends up asking for an amendment to the customs declaration to bring it in line with what was really paid, and an amendment is a slower, more paperwork heavy process than getting the sequence right the first time. It also tends to push up the total cost of the import once the extra work is accounted for.
3. What counts as proof of value, and what doesn't
Alongside the deadline and the order of steps, one of the things that trips people up most is proof of value. HMRC needs to see what the car is actually worth before NOVA can go through, and not every document you might have on hand counts.
| Document | Why it is asked for |
|---|---|
| Bill of sale or a written valuation from a UK garage | Confirms the value the vehicle was bought for or is worth |
| Vehicle identification (chassis or VIN) | Matches the car to the notification |
| Evidence of duty and VAT paid, or the relief that applies | Confirms the tax position before registration |
| Importer's details | Confirms who is responsible for the notification |
A bill of sale or a valuation from a UK garage is what the NOVA team accepts as proof of value. A figure from an online vehicle valuator is not, however official the tool looks. Submitting one of those anyway is a common shortcut, and it usually backfires: it can trigger an amendment to the customs declaration, which changes how much VAT you end up paying and brings more documentation requests from the NOVA team before the case can close.
4. NOVA is where your VAT position gets confirmed
NOVA is not just a formality, it is where the VAT you owe on the car gets set against your specific situation. That can look very different depending on where the car came from and how old it is: a standard import, a car from the EU with a valid origin declaration, one from Japan under the current trade agreement, or a genuine classic over 30 years old, which qualifies for a reduced VAT rate regardless of where it was built. Moving home to the UK or bringing back a car you previously exported yourself can also change what you owe. Getting this classification right before you submit avoids paying more than you should, or having to correct it later.
Not sure which VAT rate applies to your car? Our calculator gives you a straight answer in under a minute.
Use the VAT calculator5. Getting it wrong is slower than getting it late
A late NOVA submission is a problem. An incorrect one is usually a bigger one, because it tends to trigger closer checks from HMRC on top of the delay, which then holds up DVLA registration behind it. This is the main reason we handle NOVA as part of the same process as customs clearance for clients, rather than as a separate step: the two are answering to the same set of facts, so it makes sense to get them right together. We have cleared over 1,500 vehicles since Brexit and NOVA errors are one of the most preventable causes of a slow import.
Want someone to handle clearance, NOVA and DVLA registration as one process, so nothing falls through the gap between them?
Get your import sortedCommon questions
How long do I have to apply for NOVA after my car arrives in the UK?
You have 14 days from the date your car physically arrives in the UK, not from the date it clears customs or the date you happen to get round to it.
Can I apply for NOVA before the car has cleared customs?
No. NOVA needs the outcome of customs clearance and the duty or VAT position to be settled first, so it has to come after clearance, not before.
What happens if I miss the NOVA deadline?
A late submission does not stop you registering the car eventually, but it usually means extra questions from HMRC and a slower path through DVLA registration.
Does a classic car over 30 years old still need a NOVA notification?
Yes. Age changes how much VAT you owe, not whether you need to notify HMRC at all. Every imported car needs a NOVA submission regardless of age.
What proof of value does NOVA accept for a car?
A bill of sale or a written valuation from a UK garage. Online vehicle valuators are not accepted and can trigger an amendment to the customs declaration, which affects how much VAT is due.