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Car Import Cost Calculator

Work out the duty and VAT on importing a car into the UK. The number that catches people out is VAT — it is charged on the price, the shipping AND the duty, so it compounds.

"Duty-free from the EU" is the most expensive misunderstanding in importing.

Brexit did not make EU cars duty-free. Zero duty applies only to cars that were MADE in the EU and come with a valid statement on origin. A BMW built in South Africa or a Nissan built in Japan, bought from a German dealer, attracts the full 10%.

The purchase

Include delivery, transport and any accessories bought with the car — HMRC charges VAT on all of it.

Where is it coming from?

What else you have to do

  • 1.Tell HMRC within 14 days of the car arriving. Duty and VAT are payable before you can register it.
  • 2.Get approval — IVA or Mutual Recognition, depending on the car — so the DVLA will accept it.
  • 3.Register with the DVLA and get UK plates. Budget for the first registration fee and vehicle tax.
  • 4.MOT if the car is over three years old, plus UK-spec headlights and a speedometer reading in mph on some imports.
Full process on GOV.UK

Total landed cost

£20,988

£5,088 on top of the price and shipping

Purchase price£15,000
Shipping£900
Customs duty (10%)£1,590
VAT (20%)£3,498
Total£20,988

VAT is charged on price + shipping + duty, not just the price. That is why the total climbs faster than the headline percentages suggest.

Is it worth it?

Once duty, VAT, shipping, approval and registration are in, an import often lands close to UK forecourt money — and a UK car comes with a service history you can check and an MOT record you can read.

For guidance only, and it does not replace advice from a customs agent. GOV.UK does not publish a single flat rate because duty depends on the vehicle and its origin — the 10% used here is the standard passenger-car rate. Reduced rates apply to some classics and commercial vehicles. Verified against GOV.UK on 28 July 2026.