How long does a NOVA take?

There is no fixed time for a NOVA, and HMRC publishes none for private imports. Some agent websites quote anything from about a week to four weeks, while the DVLA's leaflet INF106 says an online notification is usually processed within hours. The honest answer: the time depends on the HMRC caseworker, the NOVA team's workload and whether the case has the right details from the start. Our own part takes one business day.

Get a free quote for my NOVA

Free and no obligation.

Want your NOVA sent as fast as it can be? Get a free quote for your NOVA →

The sequence, step by step

A NOVA is not one step. It sits in the middle of a chain, and each link has its own time:

1. The vehicle arrives and customs clearance is done. For a shipped vehicle, GOV.UK says you pay VAT and customs duty at the UK border.
2. The NOVA is sent to HMRC. You must have paid any import taxes due before HMRC can make the NOVA declaration (GOV.UK). We send it within one business day of customs clearance.
3. HMRC processes it. A caseworker decides the outcome. The speed depends on the NOVA team's workload.
4. HMRC confirms. HMRC tells you when your NOVA has been processed. GOV.UK gives no timeframe for this.
5. You wait 48 hours, then contact the DVLA. The DVLA says to allow this time so it can see the NOVA information (DVLA leaflet INF106).

The DVLA will not register the vehicle until HMRC has processed the NOVA, so this chain decides when you can move on to registration.

Why you see 'hours' and 'weeks' in the same search

Because they are about different things. INF106 describes the online notification for a VAT-registered business and says it is usually processed within hours. It adds that a paper NOVA1 form takes longer. Agent websites that say a week or more may be describing a whole customs flow, or a case that did not go smoothly.

Nobody can promise you a single number. The GOV.UK online service page says only that online services may be slow during busy times. HMRC decides every NOVA, and we cannot speak for its team.

One more point: INF106 says a private person or a company without VAT does not need to notify with NOVA or the NOVA1 form, while GOV.UK says private importers still have to tell HMRC within 14 days, through a shipping company, a customs agent or the CARS team. We follow GOV.UK. The difference is explained in do private importers need a NOVA?

Would you rather not do this alone? Let us handle your NOVA: we submit the customs declaration and the NOVA, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post.

How long our part takes

Between customs clearance and the NOVA, we process the case within one business day. The aim is simple: the sooner a NOVA goes in, the sooner you get your NOVA reference. That is our working time. It is not HMRC's time, and it is not a promise about when HMRC will confirm.

If a case goes in without the right details and the NOVA team is busy, the reference can arrive after many days. That is the main reason we prepare every case with all the details before it is sent.

What slows a NOVA down

• Tax not paid first. HMRC cannot make the declaration until the import taxes due are paid.
• Details that do not match. The VIN, the value or the dates differ between the documents and the declaration. INF106 also warns that the DVLA will not register a vehicle if the application details do not match those given to HMRC.
• Missing documents. GOV.UK lists what the person making the declaration needs: the customs documents (C88 and E2, or your MRN), the invoice or bill of sale if you bought the vehicle in the last 6 months, a current in-person valuation if you bought it earlier, and a document confirming the VIN.
• A busy NOVA team. You cannot change this, but a clean case is not held up by questions.
• A paper form. INF106 says the NOVA1 form takes longer for HMRC to process than the online service.

If something does need correcting, see how to fix a wrong VIN or value on a NOVA.

How to avoid delays

1. Pay the tax first. Work out your duty and VAT before the vehicle ships with the import duty and VAT calculator.
2. Copy the VIN from the vehicle and the documents, never from memory. Check that it is identical everywhere.
3. Have the invoice or valuation ready. The value must match the paper trail.
4. Send it as soon as customs clearance is done. The earlier it goes in, the earlier the reference can arrive.
5. Check the status. If you have lost the reference or want to see whether a vehicle has a NOVA, read how to check a NOVA reference.

The 48 hours before you contact the DVLA

INF106 says to allow 48 hours after receiving confirmation from HMRC before you contact the DVLA to register the vehicle. The reason it gives is to allow time for the DVLA to access the NOVA information. GOV.UK's main page on telling HMRC does not state this wait, so build it into your plan: the DVLA step starts two days after HMRC confirms, not on the same day.

We prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post.

The 14 days: the clock you can control

GOV.UK gives you 14 days to tell HMRC after you bring a vehicle into the UK permanently, and says you may be fined if you are late. In practice the clock starts when the vehicle crosses the border. That deadline is for telling HMRC, not for HMRC to reply. Sending it early costs you nothing and gives the process the most room. If you are close to the limit or past it, read what to do if your NOVA is late. For what a NOVA costs, see how much a NOVA costs. For the whole journey, see importing a car to the UK.