Importing
How do you bring a car from the Isle of Man to the UK?
If the car is registered in the Isle of Man, you do not need an import declaration or a NOVA. You send DVLA a completed form V55 and the Isle of Man registration document. If the car is not registered there, or still has UK plates, you need form NOVA1 from HMRC instead. Jersey and Guernsey are a different case.
In this article
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1. Do you need an import declaration or a NOVA for a car from the Isle of Man?
For a car registered in the Isle of Man, no to both. GOV.UK says you do not need to make an import declaration to bring a vehicle into Great Britain or Northern Ireland from the Isle of Man, and that if the vehicle is registered in the Isle of Man you do not need to make a NOVA application (GOV.UK, how to import a vehicle; GOV.UK, telling HMRC).
The GOV.UK page was last updated on 10 December 2024 and we read it on 24 October 2026. It does not mention VAT or customs duty for the Isle of Man route, and we do not state a tax position the page does not give. If you are unsure whether anything is due on your car, ask us before it travels.
2. What does DVLA need for a car registered in the Isle of Man?
Two things: a completed form V55 and the Isle of Man registration document for the vehicle, sent to DVLA (GOV.UK, importing a vehicle from the Isle of Man). That is all the Isle of Man paragraph asks for.
The same guidance, for a vehicle registered in the usual way after import, lists a £55 registration fee and extra documents such as the original foreign registration certificate (GOV.UK, registering an imported vehicle). The Isle of Man paragraph names no fee, so ask DVLA what it will charge for this route before you post anything. Our guide to registering an imported car with DVLA covers the standard process.
Car not registered in the Isle of Man, or bought there from somewhere else? Send us the registration papers and the plates it carries, and we will tell you which route it takes before you ship it.
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3. When is form NOVA1 the route?
When the car is not registered in the Isle of Man, or when it still has UK licence plates. In that case GOV.UK says to ask the imports and exports helpline for form NOVA1, then send the form with a covering letter explaining the situation to HMRC's Personal Transport Unit (GOV.UK, telling HMRC).
Two ordinary situations land here. One is a car that was bought on the island but is registered somewhere else. The other is a UK-registered car that spent time on the island and came back with its UK plates. If either is yours, the Isle of Man shortcut does not apply, and the covering letter needs to explain what happened. Our guide on whether private importers need a NOVA explains the normal NOVA process for comparison.
4. What about a car from Jersey or Guernsey?
Do not assume the Isle of Man rules apply. GOV.UK's vehicle import guidance names only the Isle of Man among the places where no import declaration is needed, and gives Jersey and Guernsey no equivalent line. A car from either island should be treated as an import until you have checked the route for that car.
Tell us the island, the registration papers and the plates before the car is booked on a boat. We tell you what the UK side involves, including the customs declaration and the NOVA if they apply.
5. What to have before the car travels
What you need from the seller: the Isle of Man registration document for the vehicle, and the invoice or bill of sale if you are buying it. Check that the registration shown on the document is an Isle of Man one, and tell us if the car carries, or ever carried, UK plates. That one fact decides whether you take the V55 route or the NOVA1 route.
This guide covers the paperwork route only. The GOV.UK Isle of Man paragraph does not mention vehicle approval, an MOT or vehicle tax, so confirm with DVLA how they apply to your car before you ship it. If you need help, we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post, and if the car needs moving we arrange the transport to the UK.
Bringing a car over from the Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey? Send us more details and see how we can help you handle the import. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit, from £95.
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Common questions
Do I need a NOVA for a car from the Isle of Man?
Not if the car is registered in the Isle of Man. GOV.UK says you then do not need to make a NOVA application and only need to send a completed form V55 and the Isle of Man registration document for the vehicle to DVLA. If the car is not registered there, or still has UK licence plates, you ask the imports and exports helpline for form NOVA1.
Do I need an import declaration for a car from the Isle of Man?
No. GOV.UK lists Great Britain or Northern Ireland, from the Isle of Man, among the routes where no import declaration is needed for a vehicle.
What form do I send DVLA for a car from the Isle of Man?
Form V55, completed, together with the Isle of Man registration document for the vehicle. GOV.UK gives this for a vehicle registered in the Isle of Man.
Is the Isle of Man route the same for Jersey and Guernsey?
Do not assume so. GOV.UK's vehicle import guidance names only the Isle of Man among the places where no import declaration is needed, and gives Jersey and Guernsey no such rule. Check the route for a car from either island before you ship it.
What if the car has UK plates but has been in the Isle of Man?
GOV.UK treats a vehicle that is not registered in the Isle of Man, or that still has UK licence plates, differently: you ask the imports and exports helpline for form NOVA1 and send it with a covering letter explaining the situation to HMRC's Personal Transport Unit.