Scooters

How to import a classic Vespa or Lambretta to the UK

A classic Vespa or Lambretta built in Italy or elsewhere in the EU pays 0% duty with proof of origin, and 20% import VAT. If it is at least 30 years old, original and of a model no longer in production, it counts as a collector's vehicle at 0% duty and 5% VAT. Over 10 years old it needs no approval test, and without readable original papers the DVLA may accept a dating letter, which we obtain for you.

Published 27 September 2026 · 6 min read

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1. Duty and VAT on a classic scooter

Scooters up to 250cc pay 8% third country duty on the UK tariff, heading 8711, plus 20% import VAT. Two things bring that down:

The collector's test comes from note 1 to chapter 97 of the UK tariff and all three conditions apply. A scooter with a modern big-bore kit, electronic ignition conversion or modern disc brakes is modified and misses the 5% rate. India gets 0% only from 15 July 2026, when the UK and India agreement came into force.

2. Where your scooter was built matters

Duty follows where the scooter was built, not where you buy it. Lambrettas were built in Italy, Spain and India, and Vespas in Italy, Spain, France, India and Great Britain. A Spanish-built Vespa bought in Portugal is an EU scooter; an Indian-built Lambretta is Indian. The frame number tells you which.

3. Dating letters for classic scooters

When a classic scooter comes without a foreign registration document the DVLA can read, the age has to come from a dating letter, which GOV.UK says the DVLA might accept. We obtain it for you as part of the import. A dating letter usually costs from about £60 to £90 through an owners' club, or from about £120 to around £300 directly from the manufacturer.

We need the frame and engine numbers and clear photos of them, so get those from the seller before you pay.

4. MSVA and roadworthiness

The DVSA MSVA inspection manual lists vehicles over ten years old among those that need no approval certificate. A newer scooter needs MSVA or, if it has an EU Certificate of Conformity but is set up for the right, a partial MSVA that checks the mph speedometer and the headlamp dip. From 1 April 1984 the speedometer must show mph as well as km/h (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations). A scooter built or first registered more than 40 years ago needs no MOT if it has not been substantially changed in the last 30 years (MOT exemption criteria).

5. NOVA and DVLA registration

After the import declaration, tell HMRC within 14 days (NOVA); scooters of 48cc or less can skip this step. Then apply on form V55/5 with the £55 fee and the dating letter. A scooter built before 1 January 1986 pays no vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 once you have applied for the historic tax class; it is not automatic (GOV.UK).