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Car Import Cost Calculator

Work out the duty and VAT on importing a car into the UK. Into Great Britain the number that catches people out is VAT — it is charged on the price, the shipping AND the duty, so it compounds. Into Northern Ireland from the EU there is no customs duty, and VAT is usually only charged on new cars.

Into Great Britain, "duty-free from the EU" is the most expensive misunderstanding in importing.

Brexit did not make EU cars duty-free for Great Britain. Zero duty applies only to cars that were MADE in the EU, or in another country with a UK trade deal, and come with valid proof of origin. A car built outside the EU, in Japan or South Africa for example, and bought from a German dealer pays the standard 10% unless the seller can supply proof of origin under that country’s deal. Both have a 0% rate on the UK Trade Tariff (read 27 October 2026), but only with that paperwork, so ask for it in writing before you buy. Northern Ireland is different: choose it below.

The purchase

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

Where is it coming from?

Into Great Britain

Into Northern Ireland, from the EU

From Northern Ireland into Great Britain

No duty or VAT at all if you qualify for relief: moving to the UK with a car you already own (Transfer of Residence relief), or bringing back a car you previously owned here (Returned Goods Relief). Your shipping company or customs agent claims it on the import declaration. Relief on GOV.UK · Rates by country on the UK Trade Tariff

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.

This is duty and VAT only. It does not include vehicle approval, the £55 DVLA first registration fee, vehicle tax, insurance, a customs agent's fee, or any UK-spec modifications the car needs — all of which are real and all of which come after this number.

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.

Compare with UK cars

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 vehicle approval so the DVLA will accept it: Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) for a car not registered in the EU; for an EU-registered car, a European Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer, plus a certificate of GB conversion IVA (£100) if it is left-hand drive. A car first registered or made more than 10 years ago might not need approval — check on GOV.UK.
  • 3.Register with the DVLA and get UK plates. Budget for the £55 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

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, and 0% applies to cars made in the EU or in a UK trade-deal country when origin is proven. Reduced rates apply to some classics and commercial vehicles. Into Northern Ireland from the EU, GOV.UK says no customs duty is charged and VAT is usually only charged on a new vehicle. Verified against GOV.UK on 28 July 2026; trade-deal rates, reliefs and approval routes against the UK Trade Tariff and GOV.UK on 24 September 2026; the Northern Ireland routes against GOV.UK and HMRC VAT Notice 728 on 5 October 2026.

Example · Total landed cost

£20,988

Example using default figures. Price, shipping, duty and VAT

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to import a car into the UK?
Into Great Britain the charges for a passenger car are customs duty plus 20 per cent import VAT. Duty is 10 per cent unless the car was made in the EU or in a country with a UK trade deal — Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Canada, Australia and others — and comes with proof of origin, in which case it is 0 per cent. VAT is calculated on the purchase price, the shipping AND the duty combined, so the total climbs faster than the percentages suggest. If you are moving to the UK with your own car, or bringing back a car you owned here, you may pay neither, through Transfer of Residence or Returned Goods Relief. Northern Ireland is different when the car comes from the EU: see the next two answers.
Are cars from the EU duty-free after Brexit?
Into Great Britain, not automatically. Zero duty under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement applies only to cars that were actually manufactured in the EU, and only when the seller provides a valid statement on origin. A Japanese or Korean built car bought from an EU dealer attracts the full 10 per cent. Into Northern Ireland the answer is yes: GOV.UK says customs duty is not charged on a vehicle imported to Northern Ireland from the EU.
What do I pay to bring a car from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland?
No customs duty. VAT is usually only charged on a vehicle that is new, and GOV.UK counts a vehicle as new if it has been in use for no more than 6 months or has been driven less than 6,000 km (about 3,728 miles). Either test is enough, so a second-hand car that has hardly been used can still be new for VAT. A car that is past both limits is used, and HMRC normally charges nothing on it. For a new car, VAT at the 20 per cent UK standard rate is charged on the price, delivery and any extras, and you pay HMRC directly before you can register it; VAT you paid in the EU can be reclaimed with the Certificate of VAT that HMRC gives you. Either way you must tell HMRC through the NOVA service within 14 days, and no import declaration is needed. Source: GOV.UK, Importing vehicles into the UK, and HMRC VAT Notice 728, both read 5 October 2026.
What do I have to do after importing a car to the UK?
Into Great Britain: tell HMRC within 14 days of the vehicle arriving and pay any duty and VAT before registration. You then need vehicle approval — Individual Vehicle Approval for a car not registered in the EU, or a European Certificate of Conformity (plus a £100 GB conversion IVA if it is left-hand drive) for an EU-registered car; a car first registered or made more than 10 years ago might not need approval. Then DVLA registration (a £55 fee) and UK plates, vehicle tax, and an MOT if the car is over three years old. Into Northern Ireland from the EU you tell HMRC through NOVA in the same 14 days, there is no import declaration, and the vehicle test is run by the DVA, with the first one due at four years old.
Is importing a car cheaper than buying in the UK?
Often less than people expect. Once duty, VAT, shipping, approval and registration are added, an import frequently lands close to UK forecourt prices — and a UK car comes with a checkable service history and a full DVSA MOT record.

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