What happens if a NOVA has the wrong VIN or value?

A wrong VIN or value can delay your NOVA and your DVLA registration, because the DVLA will not register a vehicle whose details do not match those given to HMRC. The 14 days keep running while you fix it. HMRC does not publish the steps for correcting a NOVA as a private importer, so contact its CARS team, and check every detail before you submit.

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What counts as a mismatch?

A mismatch is any detail that differs between the documents, the NOVA and the DVLA application. DVLA says it will not register a vehicle if the details in the registration application do not match those given to HMRC (DVLA leaflet INF106). The usual sources:

Sources: GOV.UK, telling HMRC, paying VAT and duty and registering an imported vehicle.

What does a mistake cost?

Time first. A private person can ask for a NOVA without an agent. But if the details are wrong or missing, you get delays, corrections and extra costs. HMRC's NOVA team decides each case through a caseworker, and how long it takes depends on the team's workload. When a case goes in with the wrong data and the team is busy, the reference can arrive many days later.

The 14 days also keep running. The clock starts when the vehicle crosses the border, so days spent fixing a mistake are days you do not have if you are close to the deadline. GOV.UK says you may be fined if you are late, and it publishes no amount. See what to do if your NOVA is late.

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.

What should you check before a NOVA is submitted?

1. VIN or chassis number. Copy it from the official document, not from memory, and compare it with the number on the vehicle and on the invoice. Look at every letter and digit, because 0 and O, 1 and I are easy to swap.
2. Value. Use the figure on the invoice if you bought the vehicle in the last 6 months. If you bought it earlier, use a current valuation done in person in the UK by a garage, dealership or other recognised business (GOV.UK). The customs entry should carry the same figure.
3. Dates. Know the day the vehicle arrived and the day it was collected, and count the 14 days from the arrival.
4. Documents. Have the C88 and E2 or the MRN, the invoice or valuation, and the official VIN document to hand.
5. Tax paid first. GOV.UK says any import tax must be paid before HMRC makes the NOVA declaration.
6. The same details everywhere. The details on the DVLA application must match the ones given to HMRC.

This is what we do for every NOVA: we collect all the details up front, so the caseworker has everything and the case goes smoothly. For a motorbike or a classic the same list applies: see NOVA for motorbikes and NOVA for classic cars.

What if the VIN on your NOVA is wrong?

Do not guess and do not wait for the DVLA to refuse the application. Collect the document with the correct VIN and the NOVA reference if you have one, then contact HMRC.

GOV.UK has two routes, depending on who you are. A VAT-registered business that uses the NOVA online service can create and amend vehicle notifications in that service (GOV.UK, NOVA service issues). For a private importer, HMRC does not publish the steps for correcting a NOVA. GOV.UK gives the CARS team's email, ecsm.nchcars@hmrc.gov.uk, and its postal address, HMRC CARS team, Business, Tax and Customs, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1EH, and points to the imports and exports helpline for anything else. Ask the CARS team to confirm what they need.

What if the value on your NOVA is wrong?

The value is tied to the tax. VAT is charged on the total cost of the vehicle plus delivery and extra charges, so a different value means a different VAT figure, and the customs entry and the NOVA should agree. If the value is wrong, check it against the invoice or valuation, then contact the CARS team the same way. HMRC does not publish how a wrong value is corrected after the tax has been paid, so ask the CARS team what they need.

Can a NOVA be rejected?

The outcome is the decision of an HMRC caseworker, and GOV.UK does not list the reasons. So far we have never had a NOVA rejected, because we solve the problem before it becomes one. That is not a promise: the decision is always HMRC's.

Speed on our side matters too. Between customs and the NOVA we process within one business day, so the case reaches HMRC quickly and complete. The NOVA service is from £45, without duty and VAT. For the whole picture see how to apply for a NOVA, how to check a NOVA reference and the full import guide.