Classic cars

How do you import a Citroën DS to the UK?

Every Citroën DS and ID was built between 1955 and 1975, so every one is now over 40 years old. As the model is no longer in production, an original car can be imported at 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector’s vehicle, needs no vehicle approval and can go into the historic tax class with nothing to pay, once you apply. The checks that matter are the hydraulics, upgraded trim and, above all, whether a convertible is genuine.

Published 26 September 2026 · 6 min read

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1. Every DS and ID is over 40

The DS appeared in 1955 and the last one was built in 1975, a 20 year run (Classics World). Every DS, ID, Safari and Décapotable is therefore over 40 years old. As the model is no longer in production, an original car qualifies for 0% duty and 5% import VAT as a collector's vehicle under heading 9705 and needs no vehicle approval. Built before 1 January 1986, it can also go into the historic tax class with nothing to pay, but you have to apply for it (GOV.UK). Separately, a car built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes is exempt from the MOT, with a V112 declaration instead.

2. What "original" means on a DS

The DS attracts three kinds of change, all described by Classics World:

• Hydraulic fluid. Early cars used red LHS fluid and later cars green LHM, and many earlier cars have been converted. Do not assume the system from the car's age.
• Trim upgrades. Many IDs and lower-specification DSs have been upgraded to Pallas trim, because it is an easy way to make a car look more upmarket.
• Convertibles. A true Décapotable can be worth several times an equivalent saloon, so provenance is critical, and converted saloons exist.

Trim is cosmetic. A saloon turned into a convertible is a change to the body, and that is exactly what the collector's definition looks at, as well as something the DVLA treats as a structural modification (DVLA guidance INF318). If you are paying convertible money, check the paperwork behind it.

3. Slough-built right-hand drive cars

DS and ID models were built in Slough as well as Paris. Classics World notes that British cars had walnut dashboards and locally sourced trim, and that well-restored Slough cars can command a premium. Most cars in France are left-hand drive, and a left-hand drive car of this age registers in the UK without any conversion approval.

4. Buying in France

A French seller hands you the carte grise, which the DVLA will keep as proof of the car's age, and signs the sale form with you. Ask for the certificat de situation administrative as well: it is the French check that nobody has a claim over the car, and the seller has to supply a recent one (service-public.fr). Many DS models are registered as collection vehicles in France, which is a French status and does not carry over to the UK.

For the car's history, a dating certificate proves its age and can also be strong evidence of how it left the factory. We obtain it for you.

5. The import in order

1. Import declaration, claiming the collector's rate if the car is original.
2. NOVA within 14 days of arrival.
3. A UK MOT if the car needs one: cars built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt.
4. First registration on a V55/5 with the carte grise, then an application for the historic tax class and an age-related plate.