Yes, you can import a car from China to the UK. You pay 10% customs duty (the UK has no trade deal that covers cars built in China) and then 20% VAT, and a car under 10 years old needs vehicle approval before the DVLA will register it. A car made for mainland China is left-hand drive. A car at least 30 years old, original and no longer in production can qualify for 0% duty and an effective 5% VAT.
NOVA from £45 (duty and VAT not included). We process between customs clearance and NOVA within one business day.
The Classic Import Co. is a trading name of Imexs Brokerage LTD, company no. 13989357. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
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Importing from China is harder than importing from Europe, and the difference is not the customs step. It is the paperwork that proves the car is allowed on British roads. This page covers the tax, the approval question and the checks to make before you pay. If the car was built in Japan or Korea, see our guides to importing a car from Japan and the cost of importing from the USA.
What you need from the seller
- The original vehicle registration certificate issued in China. The DVLA asks for the original foreign registration certificate to show when the vehicle was manufactured, and it does not give it back. Photograph every page before it leaves your hands. If you do not have the original, the DVLA may accept other proof of the manufacture date, such as a letter from the manufacturer.
- An invoice or bill of sale showing the price you paid and the date the car was collected. GOV.UK asks for the invoice or bill of sale if you bought the car in the last 6 months, and for a current in-person UK valuation if you bought it earlier.
- The build year, the country of manufacture and the chassis number (VIN), in writing. The country of manufacture sets the duty, and the VIN must be identical on every document.
Deregistration in China, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
How much tax do you pay on a car from China?
You pay 10% customs duty on the value of the car, then 20% VAT on the value plus the duty. The UK Trade Tariff has no preferential rate for cars built in China, so there is no cheaper route unless the car qualifies as a collectors' piece. Three steps, in this order:
- Find the customs value. It is the price of the car plus the cost of getting it to the UK border (delivery costs to include). A price in yuan is converted to pounds at HMRC's monthly rate (UK Trade Tariff exchange rates).
- Add the duty. 10% for a car (UK Trade Tariff, heading 8703). A used electric car is charged the same 10% as a petrol or diesel one, and the tariff shows no extra duty on goods from China for that code.
- Add the VAT. 20% of the customs value plus the duty (working out the VAT value).
The same steps for a car bought for £20,000 with £1,500 for shipping and insurance, so £21,500 at the border. The shipping figure is an example, not a price:
| Illustration: customs value £21,500 | Duty | VAT | Tax in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built in China (no trade-deal rate) | 10% = £2,150 | 20% of £23,650 = £4,730 | £6,880 |
| Built in Japan or South Korea, origin proved | 0% = £0 | 20% of £21,500 = £4,300 | £4,300 |
| Can qualify as a collectors' piece (at least 30 years old, original, model no longer in production) | £0 | 5% of £21,500 = £1,075 | £1,075 |
Rates: UK Trade Tariff, commodity 8703 23 90 00 (used cars) and 8703 80 90 00 (used electric cars). The classic row applies only when all three conditions are met.
The gap between the first two rows is £2,580 on a £21,500 car, and £430 of it is VAT charged on the duty itself. On top of the tax come the DVLA's £55 first registration fee, road tax, and an MOT if the car needs one. To test your own figures, use the import duty and VAT calculator; the guide to the taxes on an imported car explains each one.
Send us the car before you pay
Send us the make, model, year, price and where it was built, and we tell you the tax and what the import will involve. Our NOVA service starts from £45, excluding duty and VAT. See how our NOVA and customs clearance service works.
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Where was your car really built?
Duty depends on where the car was built, not on where you bought it. A car sold in China can have been built in Japan, Korea or Europe, and then the rate follows that country, with proof of origin. A car built in China pays 10%.
Ask the seller for the country of manufacture in writing before you agree a price. The build plate, the VIN and the manufacturer's papers show it. If the seller cannot say, assume 10% until you can prove otherwise.
Hong Kong is a different case. Cars registered there are right-hand drive, because Hong Kong drives on the left (Hong Kong Government). The duty still follows where the car was built, not where it was registered. A car in Hong Kong that was built in Japan can claim the Japanese rate with proof; one built in China pays 10%.
Does a car from China need vehicle approval?
If it is under 10 years old, yes. Cars and minibuses with 8 passenger seats or fewer that are over 10 years old do not need vehicle approval; a younger car does, and the DVLA will not register it without proof (GOV.UK, exemptions from vehicle approval).
For a single imported car the usual route is individual vehicle approval (IVA). It is a DVSA inspection of one vehicle, and cars with left-hand drive and personal imports can use the Basic IVA, a visual inspection and other tests. DVSA will usually offer an inspection within 20 working days and issues an individual approval certificate if the car passes (GOV.UK, individual vehicle approval). The DVSA sets the fee and runs the test; we do not.
This is the question that decides whether a Chinese import is worth it, so settle it before you pay. A car that cannot be approved cannot be registered. If the same model is on sale in Britain, a UK-registered one carries no import tax, no approval test and no left-hand drive.
Not sure the car can be registered? Get a free quote for your Chinese import →
Left-hand drive and the dials
A car made for mainland China is left-hand drive, because mainland China drives on the right (Hong Kong Transport Department). The DVLA registers left-hand drive cars. Our guide to registering a left-hand drive car covers what to expect.
Check the speedometer. A car first used on or after 1 April 1984 must have a speedometer that can show miles per hour as well as kilometres per hour (regulation 35 of the Construction and Use Regulations). A dial in km/h only does not meet that, so settle it before the car is shipped.
The UK steps
- Customs. We make the import declaration, and the VAT and any duty are paid. For a shipped vehicle GOV.UK says the shipping company or customs agent files it for you. Read more on finding a customs agent.
- NOVA. We notify HMRC within 14 days of the car arriving; the 14 days start when it crosses the border. The outcome is a decision of an HMRC caseworker and the timing depends on the NOVA team's workload. See how to get a NOVA and what to do if it is late.
- Approval and MOT. The approval inspection comes first if the car needs one. The car then gets a UK MOT if it needs one: cars under 3 years old do not, and vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt, with a V112 declaration instead. See the MOT on an imported car.
- DVLA. We prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post: the V55/5, with the original registration certificate, proof of approval if it is needed, photo ID, proof of your UK address, the £55 first registration fee and road tax. See how to register an imported car with the DVLA.
GOV.UK says you can be prosecuted if you use the car on a public road before you complete these steps, unless you are driving it to a pre-booked MOT or vehicle approval test (GOV.UK, importing vehicles).
Bringing a car over from China?
We handle the customs, VAT and NOVA, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit, from £95.
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If you want the whole journey in one place, read importing a car to the UK.